With many Nepalese staff here at Hill House we love to share in their cultural events and celebrations, so dedicating a week to learning about the Nepalese culture was a fantastic way for residents to immerse themselves into Nepalese life. Residents cooked Nepalese sweet bread, danced at our fashion show and played brain training games tailored around Nepal. This week was filled with so many exciting activities residents can’t wait for another Nepalese themed week in the new year.
Monday morning in our garden view lounge we took on a group game of hangman as part of our brain training activities. Helping to keep our minds sharp and young.
We crafted some stunning Nepalese bunting to hang in the lounge, learning how it one of 3 flags that are not rectangular and is the only 6-sided flag of the world.
We love receiving letters and parcels from loved ones, it always feels so special.
Monday afternoon we hosted a Nepalese tea party in our garden view lounge. It was a fantastic start to Nepalese week. We spent the afternoon sipping spiced tea and dancing to traditional Nepalese music.
“It was a great way to try new flavoured teas and dance to Nepalese music and learn new dance moves”
The afternoon in our lounge was spent playing floor bowls a game of accuracy but most importantly friendly completion with the relaxed pace nature we can see why it is so popular amongst our residents.
Also, brain training themed word searches were taken on to challenge our minds.
A morning of scrapbooking on Tuesday, we spent the morning cutting out our activity photos and adding them to our scrapbooks, noting down our memories of the events and looking back through old memories.
Our magic Omi table was in use all morning with specialised sensory games for abilities there is something for everyone to relish in, whether it is balloons popping games, quizzes or paint and see activities.
Others started their morning with a game of Uno over a cup of tea or coffee.
We are so lucky to have fantastic care partners at Hill House and we love them helping with activities. Caroline joined us for a group game of scrabble, helping us along the way. It was fab morning spent with friends.
Tuesday afternoon a large group joined in the lounge, to take on the giant crossword puzzle. Sitting together we tried to solve the clues. This week the residents took responsibility for the game and wrote the answers on the board as we went.
Our cooking club met in the dining area to make Nepalese Sel Roti’s – a Nepalese sweet bread. Sel Roti is proven to be good for your gut and great news for your immunity. We spent the afternoon weighing and mixing the ingrediencies together, before watching a live cooking demonstration from our fantastic chef team. Our Nepalese staff joined us and spoke about the old wife’s tale that ‘if you can make a good Sel roti you are a good daughter in law’.
The perks of a live cooking demonstration are getting to try it freshly cooked. It was a joy to our senses as we could smell the fresh batter being fried, the sweet taste in our moth and the Nepalese music being played while we indulged in this lovely treat.
Wednesday morning, Fidget Widgets improves the wellbeing of people with dementia by tapping into the psychological need to feel occupied, engaged and included in an activity of their choice.
Thangka therapeutic colouring and painting took place with stunning pictures to decorate we spent the morning focused on creating stunning art works with art mediums of our choosing.
Others played our mutli player shut the box game, taking turns and trying to be the first to shut the box.
Wednesday afternoon we jetted off to Nepal on board Hill House airlines, on our armchair excursion. As we boarded our flight with boarding pass in hand, we were shown to our seats by our lovely airhostess for the afternoon, we watched a humorous onboard safety demonstration before making the most of our inflight snack cart.
We watched the inflight entertainment on the big screen of traditional Nepalese dances we jigged along in our chairs. This was followed by a Nepalese Quiz and tour guild through the most famous Nepalese landmarks.
We emersed ourselves in the virtual experience, with a live take off video inside a jumbo jet cabin projected onto the big screen the sound rumbles under foot and we watch the take off. We are not trying to trick ourselves into thinking they are traveling but are aiming to engage our imaginations, sense of creativity and recall stories of our travels, that we delight in sharing with one and other.
Thursday morning, our floristry clubs met to create this week’s stunning floral displays. Others engaged in sensory activities including our hand knitted fidget muffs.
Thursday afternoon we immersed ourselves in Nepalese culture, the home was filled with music, dancing and elegant traditional Nepalese Sari’s and Kurta’s as staff dressed in traditional Nepalese outfits and hosted a fashion show. We clapped along as they walked the run way.
Following the stunning fashion show we got up and danced to Nepali music all afternoon, admiring the clothing and taking time to feel the textures and learn about the uniqueness of each outfit.
Friday morning was time to exercise our minds, with a fun game of floor trivial pursuit. Research suggests older adults who frequently participate in intellectually and socially engaging activities, such as trivia, show higher cognitive function than those who don’t.
Our keen knitters are working hard to make the tubs for some new fidget muffs, we are looking forwards to seeing the final products.
Who says we can’t learn new trades as we age, that afternoon we gathered to try our hand at becoming a Tea Sommelier as we tasted 5 Nepalese inspired teas? We heard brief descriptions about the tea their health benefits before tasting.
Saturday, we set out to complete a group jigsaw puzzle before lunch of a stunning landscape scene. That afternoon we caught up on strictly come dancing and took walks around the garden.
Sunday morning, we took time to watch the weekly church services across the home. And enjoyed singing along to the hymns in the lounge.
Alternatively, others read the morning paper catching up on yesterday’s sports, over a cup of coffee or took long walks out in the garden and took cutting of the herbs growing in the there.
After lunch we took on our mini golf course in the lounge followed by a game of basketball target.
Others engaged in an afternoon of board games. Card and board games can improve memory and help with age-related ailments such as dementia. Stimulating the brain via numbers, letters, colours etc. enhances the brain function.
