Activities at Westvale House Care Home

Westvale in Warrington celebrated St George’s Day on 23 April in style.

In honour of the patron saint of England, staff and residents at the home dressed up for the occasion and enjoyed a delicious festive lunch, prepared by the home’s chef.

In the afternoon, the residents had the opportunity to learn more about St George and when the day came into prominence in the 1400s, through a variety of quizzes and virtual activities.

St George's Day in England remembers St George, England's patron saint. The anniversary of his death, which is on April 23, is seen as England's national day. According to a legend, he was a soldier in the Roman army who killed a dragon and saved a princess.

St George's Day used to be a national holiday, however, it is now celebrated with parades, dancing and other activities. Flags with the image of St George's cross are flown on some buildings, especially pubs, and a few people wear a red rose on their lapel. Church services on the Sunday closest to 23 April often include the hymn 'Jerusalem', written by the poet William Blake.

Team members and residents at Westvale care home in Warrington had a special day celebrating National Tea Day and the Queen’s 95th birthday on 21 April in style.

The team at the home put together a tea party to mark the day, which falls on the Queen’s landmark birthday. Supplied with a tasty selection of biscuits, cakes, and of course, teas for the event, the residents had lots of fun taking part in sessions including themed quizzes and virtual tea celebrations.

The residents also dedicated time to write cards and letters to the Queen to wish her a very happy birthday.

As part of Barchester’s Life Enrichment Programme, staff and residents at Westvale in Warrington enjoyed an exciting virtual presentation, provided by SEA LIFE London Aquarium.

Everyone at the home had the opportunity to learn more about the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, which is a home to more than 300 species and 4,000 creatures and to see green sea turtles, feeding of Gentoo penguins and sharks in their 1 million litre shark tank.

The SEA LIFE London Aquarium is located on the ground floor of County Hall on the South Bank of the River Thames in central London, near the London Eye. It opened in March 1997 as the London Aquarium and hosts about one million visitors each year.

For residents at Westvale House care home in Warrington, the long awaited reunion with one family member has become a reality, as one single named visitor is now allowed to visit each resident in their bedroom.

There has been much anticipation of this moment by families and residents alike.  Guidance was issued by the Government on March 4 and Barchester Healthcare, who run Westvale House care home, is proceeding with a safe and cautious approach to visiting. Strict protocols are in place with all visitors required to have a negative Lateral Flow Device test result before being allowed into the home, and infection control measures and social distancing in place for every visit, with hand holding allowed but not recommended.

Despite the need for testing and social distancing, it was still welcome news for so many residents and their family members to be able to meet in the comfort of their bedroom. Residents and their relatives enjoyed getting together and catching up face to face.

Westvale resident, Rob celebrated his birthday with his son during an indoor visit to the home with a specially delivered afternoon tea treat.

General Manager, Charlotte Aspinall at Westvale care home, said: “It is wonderful to be able to celebrate this occasion with Rob and his son, it is always great to see our residents who love life and enjoy having fun with their celebrations”

Staff, at Barchester’s Westvale care home, in Warrington, have hatched an Easter party plan for residents with celebrations starting with a raffle to win a selection of hampers filled with chocolate treats sure to satisfy any chocolate lover!