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Activities at Barchester
Activities make up the most important part of all our days and at Barchester we ensure a variety that reflects the interests and capabilities of all the people we support. The team is trained to understand the importance of stimulating engagement as well as ensuring residents have the opportunity to enjoy passions and creative hobbies that are personal to them. All group and individual activity is designed to not only mentally and physically stimulate the people we care for but to enhance their life skills and feelings of purpose and self-worth.
Life-enriching activities
At Barchester we celebrate life through everything we do. Life in our homes is about more than just the care needed, so our teams are trained and committed to enriching the lives of all our residents, through stimulating the mind, the body and the soul.
Every resident is unique. From spending time and learning about each and every one, we can support positive well-being through a wide range and choice of events, outings, connections in the community and tailored activities. We’re interested in residents’ history, their life stories, the things they love and the things they don’t. We encourage social connections through engagement with residents whether in their personal space, or in the heart of the home with others, using technology and expertise as appropriate, to ensure everyone receives the support that adds enrichment to their life.
Life stories
Every life is unique and a tale worth telling. For many residents, discussing or remembering the past brings back positive memories which they enjoy recounting and is an important exercise for cognitive function. Reminiscence helps us to understand who a person was, as well as who they are now. Our homes include reminiscence prompts from certain time periods that be used for activities, to aid discussion topics or even as way-finding devises that promote independence. Listening and getting to know a person’s life experience and history also helps us to understand their likes and dislikes, enabling us to truly offer personalised care.
Weekly and monthly activitites
- Group time
- Time with individuals
- Balanced for mind, body and soul
- Inclusive and culturally diverse
- Personalised to abilities
Themed events
- Seasonal such as Easter, Christmas, Diwali, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah
- National and international events such as Chinese New Year, Burns Night, St Patrick’s Day, V.E Day
- Live virtual events
- Community events local to our homes
Special moments
- Individual meaningful activities
- Any special wishes
- Special birthdays, anniversaries and celebrations
Barchester virtual live events
As part of our unique Life Enrichment Programme at Barchester we provide twice monthly live and interactive events for our residents to enjoy and take part in, either in groups in a communal area or in a one to one settings.
Streamed live, we provide a range of fascinating and entertaining talks, performances, tours and demonstrations which are produced exclusively for Barchester Care Homes with quizzes and Q&A sessions so our residents can really get involved. By engaging with diverse partners from geographical areas far and wide, we give our residents and patients the opportunity to connect to new places of interest and spark memories from the past, supplementing our varied activities offering.
We host a variety of food-based Live Virtual Events for our residents and patients to be involved with, these range from sessions decorating sweet treats that those in our care can follow along with in real time, or demonstrations from expert chefs showing how to make delicious meals our chefs can recreate for our residents. To get our homes and hospitals in the competitive spirit, they’ll send their entries from the decorating events and those with the best decorations will win some exciting prizes!
Since our programme began we have partnered with Nestle, Unilever, The Wallace Collection, The Dogs Trust, Historic Royal Palaces, The Donkey Sanctuary, The National Trust, Performing Pets, Biiah and English National Ballet to name but a few.
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.
Dementia life-enriching activities
We pride ourselves on our tailored approach to care and find tools like our ‘Getting to know me’ booklets and portable memory boxes are an important part of understanding a person’s history and what matters most to them.
Our life-enrichment programme allows for all residents to have access to a choice of activities, and to continue aspects of their home life if they wish to do so. We also have some of the most advanced technological solutions to enhance engagement, which can include robotic pets and magic tables - interactive light projectors that promote stimulation through specialised games and supports increased physical and social interactions.
Many of our dementia care offerings are unique to Barchester homes, including our Memory Lane Communities which provide a comforting and stimulation experience for you loved one.
Find a dementia care home near you
Creativity and stimulating the mind
We value the experiences and life stories of every person in our care, and learn so much from discussing their lifetime of creative hobbies and achievements. That’s why we support residents to pursue old hobbies or learn something new, with opportunities that stimulate the mind, encourage social interactions and offer a great sense of achievement in everything they do.
Cultural interests
Fulfilling interests and keeping the mind active is an important part of each day, so our homes are filled with discussions and activities designed to stimulate memory, and encourage problem solving and logical thought processes. By understanding a person’s cultural history, what skills and games they currently enjoy and the topics that interest them most, we can tailor activities to their unique needs and preferences.
Keeping active
Maintaining an active lifestyle is thought to boost the immune system and improve well-being as we age. By always taking a person’s ability into account we support residents to keep active and have fun - whether that’s physical activity in groups through timetabled classes or supporting everyday movement that promotes independence. We’ve seen excellent participation in weekly group sessions, which are designed as fun activities for all abilities, and one-to-one activities are always available too.
Community
We know how important it is for residents to maintain links with the wider community, which is why we ensure there’s lots of opportunities to engage with all ages. From school choirs and pen pal schemes, and history talks to knitting clubs. These engaging purposeful activities enable residents to stay connected with the things they love. We recognise the special impact that volunteers have by choosing to spend time getting to know our residents and their families, and supporting with events and activities.
Celebrating life at Barchester
We celebrate life through everything we do, from our thoughtful experiences and activities to our delicious food. We offer the latest technology as well as sensory engagement to nurture the wellbeing of our residents. With a wide variety of tailored activities and events we make sure our residents have the best physical, mental, spiritual and social stimulation, all bespoke to them. Take a look at what we’ve been up to…
Badgeworth Court Care Home
Hymns at Badgeworth Court
Come and join the residents and staff at Badgeworth Court for an afternoon of Hymns with Julie and Coutray in the vintage tea room.
Moreton Hill Care Home
Hymns with Gillie
Gillie plays the piano with Hymns for all the residents at Moreton Hill.
Barchy Bear's Cake Sale
Barchy Bear is holding a Cake Sale, but needs some help in the kitchen... We'd love it if you could bring in some tasty goodies to sell. Please click here for more information.
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