Christmas week arrived at Hill House this week and what a week resident got to be a part of it was none stop from first thing Monday morning. With Christmas 2020 being different for everyone this year, here at Hill House staff went above and beyond to ensure Christmas for our residents had extra Christmas magic. Residents went out on a festive trip to see the Christmas lights of Fleet, decorated ceramic Christmas decorations, played fun Christmas carnival games and found a mass of present under the tree on Christmas morning. The Christmas fun didn’t end on Christmas day, the games and fun continued with festive movies, drinking mulled wine and tucking into Christmas chocolates as we await next week’s New Year’s Eve celebration.
Monday morning, we engaged in a wide range of themed activities, in our garden view lounges we played a Christmas themed Silhouette guessing game as well as what’s in Santa’s sack game, these games stimulate the senses and bring us together as a group as we helped each other out. Elsewhere in the home we played floor bowels as a big group and used the interactive activity centre to play music.
The afternoon continued to be jam packed with activities as we played a variety of games across the home, mini golf, dominoes, cards and picture pairs. Card and board games can improve our memory and help with age-related ailments. By stimulating the brain via numbers, letters, colours etc. enhances our brain function as well as bringing fulfilment and pleasure.
Monday evening, we were delighted to be taken out on the company mini bus for a grand tour of all of Fleet and Church Crookham’s Christmas lights, the house around our home have been highly decorated with lights, figures and giant Christmas inflatables.
Tuesday, we started a new group jigsaw puzzle, a Christmas themed puzzle sent in by a family for us all to do together, we completed all the boarder and started sorting into colours just before lunch. Others spent the morning opening Christmas post, taking part in Christmas Trivia and sorting out fixtures, fittings, nuts and bolts.
Tuesday afternoon, we started the afternoon with a tea or coffee before getting stuck into activities, we immersed ourselves in sand box therapy, even in the cold of winter a sensory trip to the beach helped lift everyone’s spirits and sparked memories of listening to the sound of the sea in a shell and the feeling of sand on our fingers.
Others played Pictionary on the big white board or played ten pin bowling.
Wednesday morning was a creative affair across hill house as we painted stunning ceramic Christmas decorations in the lounge, we also made Christmas Carnival games ready for Thursdays Christmas Carnival. There are more benefits of arts and crafts than just enjoyment, ranging from enhancing self-esteem and increasing brain productivity, to even lessening the effects of serious health conditions
After lunch the lounge played this week’s giant crossword game, and we also amuse yourself with games of dominos, holiday photo reminiscing and opened up a wonderful gift of knitted people, handmade by a relative.
As Christmas Eve arrived at Hill house, we ramped up the Christmassy fun with a morning jam packed of fun and relaxation, we used the interactive activity centre as part of our exercise programme, we took time out to listen to Christmas hymns while being pampered with hand massages and manicures.
Alliteratively our floristry group met in the lounge and created stunning Christmas floral displays for the home.
We played balloon bounce just before lunch to help build up our appetites. While we helped share Christmas cheer with the first of our booked cuddle curtains being used, a chance to hold our loved ones while keeping them and us safe.
Thursday afternoon our talented activities team hosted a Christmas themed Carnival for the whole home, as they rolled their mobile Carnival around the home, offering a host of Christmas games from; pin the nose on the snowman, Jingle bell toss, lucky dip to how many baubles in the jar all to win chocolates and prizes. The home was filled with Christmas music as they rolled through, the sound of jingle bells and laughter could be heard, everyone got involved cheering one and other on and getting stuck into the fun all while sipping on mulled wine or soft drinks.
After all the fun of the Carnival, we spent the late afternoon and early evening painting a giant cardboard sleigh, that we later learnt was to help Father Christmas make his special deliveries on Christmas morning.
Christmas day at Hill House the staff went above and beyond to ensure our Christmas day was filled with the magical and love of a traditional Christmas at home, we even felt that it was made so special next year will have a lot to live up to, we spent the morning unwrapping a expanse of gifts sent in from our loved ones, staff helped us read heart felt messages on the gift tags and a small wrapping paper fight even broke out, with staff sued as target practice, their was so much laughter it was endearing. We enjoyed a 2 course Christmas lunch with all the trimmings, bread sauce, stuffing and brussels sprouts.
We would like to Thank all the Staff at Hill House for making our christmas Day and the build up to Christmas so very special for each and everyone one of us! You have including our families in our celebrations, in way of pod visits, cuddle curtains, window visits and zoom & skpye calls as well as emailing photo of us enaged in themed activities and our special christmas photo shoot virtual Christmas cards. Thankyou!
After lunch we sat ready to watch the Queens Christmas day address to the nation, this is something we have listen to and then later watch on TV since her first address in 1952, before that we would listen to her father King george VI it is an import part of our Christnmas Day celebartions.
Boxing day (Saturday) we started our day with floor darts in the lounge and dart on garden view, games that can be enjoyed both independently as well as part of a group.
Saturday afternoon we watched the Christmas Carol movie, while sipping on mulled wine and eating Christmas chocolates, others enjoyed an afternoon of therapeutic colouring and a sing along session.
Sunday morning spent reading the papers and chatting with friends is a great way to start our Sundays here at Hill House, or watched a virtual Church service on iPad and laptops. Others opted to attended the group work out session in the lounge exercises to Christmas music is fun for everyone.
Sunday afternoon, garden view added all their Christmas photos to their scrapbooks. We streamed a Christmas panto on the big screen in the lounge. Our aqua arts & crafts and therapeutic colouring offered a chance to be create and relax while doing something we love.
A very special birthday celebration, means friends gather and we enjoy handmade cakes with a cup of hot tea. While reading birthday cards and opening gifts.
