This week residents at Hill House embraced their Scottish roots or memories of holidays and trips up north, as we celebrated the poet Robert Burns. With so many fabulous activities on offer there was something for everyone to enjoy. From a treat of the senses with Scottish food & drink tasting, a Burns Night lunch with a bagpipe player and dancing and residents spent time playing board games and reading poetry. Alongside the Scottish activities our full activity timetable ran with pet therapy sessions, cooking club and armchair exercise.
Monday morning, we spent time reading our morning newspapers and relaxing with hand massages and manicures.
Others played picture pair and tops & tail games. We also sat and read through a Book of poetry by Robert Burns.
Monday afternoon we made the most of the cuddles with tiny as part of our weekly pet therapy,
Alternatively, we played cards and a game of hangman in our first-floor garden view lounge.
Ground floor garden view lounge elected to take part in exercises and ball games or Scottish water colour painting.
Later that afternoon our cooking club gathered in the lounge for a spot of baking. Being Scottish week, we turned our hand to making traditional shortbread.
The multitasking activities of cooking and baking fully engage every sense. Tactile activities allow participants to experience a variety of textures, smooth, granular or liquid. Hand-eye coordination improves when stirring, kneading, and portioning.
Tuesday Morning, we revisited an old favourite, playing giant scrabble as a group we worked out words and played them on the giant whiteboard.
Scrabble has been found by researchers to awaken inactive parts of the brain. Studies show that those who frequently engaged in a game of Scrabble developed an ability to strengthen their minds.
Lynn showing off one of her many talents, helping our lovely ladies at Hill House look and feel amazing by doing their hair for them.
Our Burns night lunch was a fabulous display of energy as we were escorted to lunch by Scottish bagpipers and dancers. We stopped to join in the fun before sitting at Scottish themed dining tables to enjoy Scottish salmon, neeps and tatties. Followed by Scottish Sundae served with Caramel and Whiskey sauce topped with homemade shortbread.
Please follow the link to watch our dancing video from our Burns Night Lunch. https://www.facebook.com/woodlandshillbrow/videos/1147219259416915
Tuesday afternoon Scottish brain training activities were taken part in the lounge as we worked to complete our word searches and independent crosswords.
We also enjoyed group game of dominoes and a spot of whisky tasting.
Our garden view lounge engaged in Scottish therapeutic colouring activities and we looked through magazines of the Scottish country side and life, chatted about trips and holidays to Scotland.
Wednesday morning our garden view lounges spent their morning immersed in fabulous activities including scrapbooking, jigsaw puzzles, dominoes and pamper morning with hair dressing and manicures.
The lounge took on a Robert Burns inspired word finder game, using his most famous poem / song Auld Lang Syne to make as many words as they could find as a group.
That afternoon we continued with our Scottish themed celebrations as we used our senses to explore Scottish cuisine. Our incredible activities team rolled round a Scottish food cart bursting with tractional food and drinks from Scotland including; short bread, oat cakes, smoked salmon, scotch pancakes, pate and marmalade. We washed these down with Hot totty with whisky and Irn-Bru.
We spent time chatting about the different foods, some we have tried before and a few that were new to us. Conversations about Scotland filled the afternoon as we shared our memories and stories with one and other.
Meanwhile our garden view lounges we attending a spectacularly Scottish tea party. The room was highly decorated we wore our Tam ‘O Shanter or the tartan wraps.
As we sipped on tea and coffee, we listened to Scottish folk music and singalongs we spent time chatting about Scotland and singing and dancing along to the lively music.
Thursday morning, we planted up tulip bulbs that had been delivered and arranged the weekly flower delivery across the home. We also celebrated a very special ladies’ birthday with her family as we sung her happy birthday and she opened gifts and cards from her loved ones.
That afternoon saw us playing floor bowels. A great game that as well as being enjoyable provides us with a light workout as you perfect your bowling technique and your leg muscles will develop as you lunge into the throw.
Friday morning, we spent the morning reading our daily newspapers and engaging in one-to-one activities. Our activities team work really hard to ensure we have access to activities and hobbies from our past as well as helping us discover new hobbies. Because like all the staff they know us so well they are able to set up independent activities that support and benefit our wellbeing.
We spent the morning singing along to songs from the 1960’s in our garden view lounge staff sang and danced with us all morning.
Friday afternoon using our magic Omi interactive we played giant floor games and quizzes. Using a football to crack the eggs in one game before taking on a shadow quiz.
Saturday Morning, we completed jigsaw puzzles and spent the morning chatting with friends over the daily newspapers and listened to music through our Alexia. We also had our hair done by Lynn.
That afternoon we watched our weekly movie of Mary Poppin’s. Alternatively, we played games like domines and snakes and ladders in small groups.
Sunday morning, we attended the weekly church service streamed across the home. Others took walks outside in the winter sunshine.
That afternoon we engaged in exercise to music in the lounge, playing ball games to warm us up before taking part in a seated exercise class.
