Activities at Woodland View Care Home
Activities at Woodland View
Woodland View is passionately committed to providing residents with a varied choice of entertainment, social, health and well being, craft and relaxation based activities.
Activities will all be meaningful and based on the likes of residents and will continue to evolve depending on our residents. The activities provided will also include involvement from other local community based organisations and are open to all residents, family and friends of residents. Our activities will be facilitated by staff from all departments as well as invited guests. Families are also enthusiastically encouraged to play a part in activities when possible.
There will always be at least one person at every activity who has been DBS checked to ensure the safeguarding of our residents. The dignity of our residents and our respect for them is at the centre of everything we do, each and every day.
We are always reviewing and changing our schedule of activities to be a centre of excellence and actively invite feedback and suggestions for new and meaningful activities and ideas.
Petra Hardman
Hi my name is Petra and I'm the Activities Coordinator here at Woodland View. I love seeing the difference that activities can make to each individual, and finding out what interests they have and ensure I incorporate that into our activities here.
I love music and drama coming from a musical background as a singer all over the country, music is important to me and I feel it makes such a difference to everyone, it evokes memories, and creates happiness. I also love to boost residents self esteem by creating pampering sessions and having one to one time to relax and reminisce.
Read our brochure 'Life-enriching activities' for more information about life in our care homes.
Read our brochure
Activities and Events Partnerships
As part of our bespoke life-enrichment programmes, we host a number of live virtual events in the home on a regular basis through a number of partnerships with places of interest and world class performance companies
Life at Woodland View Care Home
International Nurses' Day
Nurses joined residents for an afternoon tea comprising yummy cakes and other treats, with residents showing appreciation for the hard and wonderful work they do each and every day. Some of the Nurses wore their old uniforms that were used in the early days of their careers. There were, however, a couple of nursing wannabees also trying to get in on the act. Can you guess from the picture who these might have been?
Woof-Woof... Who's There?
Dedham based, Nurture Dogs, have been visiting Woodland View for a few weeks and really established strong relationships with residents - there's no bones about it!
Having familiarised themselves with the home, the dogs have now been making door-to-door calls to residents' rooms. This has delighted those who either can't join in with other activities, or 'pre-fur' the privacy and peace of their own company and room.
Nurture Dogs (Tom, Mira, Bumble, Badger and Skye) visit Woodland View once a fortnight and residents always look forward to their visiting, four-legged friends.
We're not pulling your tail!
Woodland View didn't miss out on the National Donkey Week Fun!
The week started with residents from all communities colouring in pictures of donkeys. They were multi-coloured and very eye-catching, especially once cut out and laminated, which seemed to bring out their colours even more. The pictures were then mounted on walls and door frames around the reception and coffee lounge areas for all to see.
Next, Woodland View played host to a visit from Queen Boudica Primary School's pupils. Eleven children teamed up with residents for games of 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey'. As you can imagine, hilarity ensued and there was heart-warming laughter all round.
Arrangements for real donkeys to visit the home were made, but didn't quite work out, so watch this space... they will be coming to Woodland View very soon. Never give up!
Animal Magic
We all know that animal therapy can be a great way to enhance the lives of those living in care.
Woodland View transported a number of its Memory Lane residents to Dedham Community Farm, the home of Dedham Animal Therapy Farm and Nurture Dogs. The farm is not open to the general public and provides access to a range of animals as part of occupational therapy.
The visiting residents helped feed pigs (George & Pepper) and ponies, then mingled with goats, sheep, guineafowls, turkeys, chickens and, of course, the farm's dogs.
Woodland View will be visiting the farm on a fortnightly basis with a number of the dogs visiting Woodland View on alternate weeks.
Now, that's magic!
May Day at Woodland View
Folks at Woodland View enjoyed a morning of drinking tea, coffees and chit-chatting amongst themselves, which was not only interesting and fun, but varied and, at the very least, diverse! Topics of discussion included International Donkey Week, ideas for the upcoming Film Week and the impending local elections.
You’d think that would make for an interesting enough scope, but at Woodland View, we like to think we can always go that extra mile. On this occasion, it was considerably more than an extra mile, as residents watched in amazement the live broadcast of a SpaceX rocket launching from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida!
Residents watched the countdown in excitement as the Falcon 9 rocket launched from the historic pad, 39A, used for the Apollo and most space shuttle missions. The live broadcast also included the re-entry and landing back at the Kennedy Space Centre.
Residents were given background information on SpaceX, the launch process, the stages of a launch, re-entry and landing. Residents were able to witness something that was once science fiction becoming science fact.
Having Their Cake and Eating It!
What a great way to spend a Saturday... decorating cakes and then eating the evidence!
Woodland View residents had a wonderful time as they transformed a number of plain fairy cakes into multi-coloured delights using buttercream, marshmallows, chocolate buttons, jelly babies and other squishy, tasty things. Residents were joined in their efforts by volunteers, Sophie and Ami, who are students at The Gilberd School in Colchester.
The concentration on everyone's faces was intense; they all had the finishing line in mind. Well, more specifically, the reward of being able to eat their creations with a nice cuppa!
