With a fantastic themed week, residents at Hill House have explored foods from around the world at our first ‘World Food Festival’. Heading up the event, residents had a helping hand in hanging decorations and making food during their cooking club activities. Throughout the week residents took on food quizzes, played fun food games and welcomed our pony’s in for a therapy afternoon.
Monday morning, we completed a fantastic cake quiz in the day lounge. This was followed by a group discussion on our ideas for our upcoming ‘Great Jubilee Bake Off’. We have made a plan from the fantastic suggestions and are looking forwards to getting baking.
That afternoon we gathered in the day lounge for cooking club. Inspired by conversations in the morning about baking we made yummy cheese twists. Working as a group to roll out the pastry before grating cheese and twisting.
Tuesday morning, our weekly exercise class saw us playing skittles in the day lounge.
Games provide social opportunities and can be adapted to suit a wide range of physical limitations.
We engaged in brain training activities in our garden view lounge as well as therapeutic colouring while listening to our favourite playlists on YouTube.
The afternoon our Food themed tombola game rolled around the home, as part of our food festival activities. The enticement of the Tombola game is that the winner receives their prize immediately. Picking a ticket at random and winners got to pick a food related prize from our mobile cart.
A Tombola is most certainly largely a game of luck, but that doesn’t stop a feeling of competitiveness during the game and a sense of pride after a win. It’s an engaging and fun game that can be competitive in a fun way, knowing skill has very little to do with the outcome.
Wednesday morning, we prepared for the afternoons food festival by helping hang decorations and bunting. In our garden view lounge we cut up fruit ready to make fruit kababs.
Helping out while enjoying the morning sunshine.
The event of the week was ready! Wednesday afternoon our extremely talented and imaginative activities team pulled out all the stops as they hosted a World Food Festival in the walled garden.
Food stalls lined our courtyard garden, as we indulged in delights from around the world at our first ever “World Food Festival”
With the sun shining, we wondered around the festival, tucking into Topical fruit kababs, American milkshakes & Donuts with a variety of scrumptious dips. Before returning to sample a wide array of soft & hard cheeses, paired perfectly with Wines from France as well as authentic Chinese Take away style Cuisine.
Thursday morning, our flower arranging group met in the day lounge to arrange this week’s stunning floral arrangements.
That afternoon, we welcomed our pony’s in for an afternoon of Pet Therapy. Daniel and Tilly trotted around the garden snoozing on our laps after a long nose stroke or forehead rub.
The unique bond between human and horse has been incorporated into a type of psychological therapy. Equine therapy, or hippotherapy (from the Greek word ‘hippos’, which means horse), puts people and horses together along with a therapist in an environment designed to promote emotional growth and learning.
While sat out in the sunshine, we were introduced to Hill Brows pet tortoise Winston. We loved seeing him up close and holding him and learning fun facts off Bev.
His bright shell shone in the sun and his feet tickled our palms as we held him.
Friday morning our crafters made animal themed suncatchers, using an art kit of gel inks. We also we used our water colour paints to produce seaside themed paintings.
Neurological research shows that making art can improve cognitive functions by producing both new neural pathways and thicker, stronger dendrites. Thus, art enhances cognitive reserve, helping the brain actively compensate for pathology by using more efficient brain networks or alternative brain strategies.
Our interactive Omi table was enjoyed in the morning, engaging sensory games and playing the electronic xylophone. Others relished in sensory activities 1 to 1.
We danced and sang the afternoon away with our lifelong friend Terry Owen performing for us!
Music exerts a powerful influence on all of us. It is proven to boost memory, build task endurance, lighten mood, reduce anxiety and depression, stave off fatigue, improve our response to pain and help you work out more effectively.
Saturday morning, we welcomed Chloe in for a piano recital in the day lounge. We all came together to listen to her play during morning coffee hour. She is very talented and it was n honour to listen to her play.
Saturday afternoon movie, was enjoyed by many of us across the home. We also took advantage of the sunny weather and went up to the fish pond.
Sunday mornings church services streamed across the lounges. We also took on sensory Omi challenges tailed to our Individual preferences.
As our food festival week drew to an end, we indulged in Cheese and Wine all afternoon. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon activity as we sat together chatting about holidays to France and by the seaside.
Research shows that those who enjoy the delights of rich dairy food and a regular glass of red are helping to prevent cognitive decline.
