Monday morning we relished in a fun game of giant snakes and ladders in our day lounge.
Followed by a quick game of scrabble before lunch.
Our gardenview lounge crafted stunning poppies ready for this weeks Remembrance Day service. Arts and crafts are beneficial for all who participate, but it can be especially therapeutic for those with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.
That afternoon we continued to craft across the home with more giant poppies being made in our gardenview lounge and the day lounge we created a stunning poppy wreath.
A fabulous morning on Tuesday, hand sewing poppies using felt ready for Remembrance Day.
Sewing requires concentration and hand-eye coordination, which helps with cognitive development and the development of motor skills. Sewing encourages creative thinking and enhances knowledge, which can help with problem-solving in other areas.
We love playing shut the box, it is a challenging dice game of skill and luck for any number of players. Other residents continued with their hobbies including knitting. We also took on brain training word games, a great form of mental activity.
That afternoon our monthly residents meeting saw us all gather in the day lounge. This meeting is hosted by Alison and her four-legged friend tinker bell, it is our opportunity to share our thoughts and ideas about our home and we love hearing everyone’s new ideas and objectives over a drink and slice of cake.
Our ‘Lest we forget’ War Time group quiz took place in the day lounge on Wednesday morning we worked together to answer as many questions as we could.
Our interactive quizzes are not only great exercise for the brain but also spark memories and trigger reminiscing conversations. It’s amazing to hear everyone’s stories about the war days. It is truly one of our favourite weeks to celebrate as we learn so much from one and other.
Remembrance Day inspired activities across our garden view lounge, with fun games of bingo, picture pair and therapeutic colouring. There was something for everyone to engage in while reminiscing about the importance of Remembrance Day and what it means to us.
We were delighted we had invited our friends from Hillbrow over for an afternoon of singing and lots of dancing.
We enjoyed Davids singing and it was superb to meet up with old friends and make new ones.
Thursday morning, Flower arranging is such a popular activity and across the whole home we look forward to our weekly arranging club.
Flower arranging is a great activity for seniors with dementia. It engages the senses, provides cognitive and sensory stimulation, improves motor skills, and instils a sense of independence and accomplishment.
We love our weekly trips to see our in-home hairdresser. Salon visits provide sensory cues and help reignite memories. Hairdressers often have close relationships with clients and can act as “keepers of stories”.
That afternoon, our exercise class saw us stretching along to songs from the war days, Boogie Woogie, sitting under the apple tree to name a few.
We had a lovely afternoon in one for our gardenview lounges as we relaxed and enjoyed hand massages and manicures.
Higher and lower took place in our day lounge a fun card game that reminds us of the TV game show.
We were invited to Hillbrow for a fabulous afternoon tea party on Thursday, it was amazing to catch up with friends we had met earlier in the week and we reminisced about the war and what Remembrance Day means to us.
Friday morning, Marked the 11th of November, we started the day with Poppy themed brain training exercises and word games.
Much like the body, keeping the brain active is important at all stages of life. Brain games and puzzles serve as mental exercise that reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.
The whole home came together to mark the 2-minute silence at 11am.
Our war time sing-a-long in our gardenview lounge was a fantastic way to pay tribute to those who gave up so much for our freedom.
That afternoon our cooking club handmade stunning sugar craft poppies and iced cupcakes for Remembrance Day.
Our gardenview ladies engaged in ball games and explored our rummage dresser, tidying the draws and trying on new hats. Keeping dementia patients actively engaged in everyday activities and cognitively challenging tasks is beneficial for both body and mind and, in some cases, it can even slow the progression of the disease. Staying active and engaged can help to reduce dementia sleep problems, as well.
Friday morning, our group floor bowls always draws in a good crowd, we gather in the day lounge and compete in teams.
Saturday morning, in our gardenview lounges, we had a creative time crafting poppies using different mediums.
We loved sewing felt poppies, painting wooden ones, and helping one another over a cup of tea or coffee.
That afternoon we watched war time movies and spent quality time with loved ones in and around the home.
Sunday morning before the remembrance service started, we caught up on the daily news, finished off a few poppies for friends and played Banana gram a fun word game.
We marked remembrance Sunday with a special service of remembrance coming together to watch the daily events on the television across the home.
Marking the 2-minute silence with a salute and time to reflect. Throughout the morning we engaged in meaningful reminiscing of the war days.
A fabulous Sunday lunch spent with loved one
