This week residents have spent their time exploring this fantastic country we live in, food tasting from all around England, board games from England and of course our “Dementia Choir” performed for the very first time in front of the residents and staff at Woodlands.
Monday morning, we started with a small group game of dominoes in the day lounge, dominoes now comes in many forms including tri-Dominoes a 3-sided domino that really gets us working our brain muscles.
We also gathered for our very popular cooking club and this week we made traditional scones, debating how you say Scone or Scone… this led into the debate of cream or jam first bringing lots of laughter.
If cooking was a favourite pastime, it tends to stir up memories of fond traditions, family time, and more. Cooking a meal brings alive the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
Monday afternoon Laura was hosting music therapy in our garden view lounge.
In the day lounge we were invited to attend a very English tea party with fine bone china tea cups and yummy cakes including our freshly baked scones from the mornings cooking club.
Did you know?…. Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in 1840.
Tuesday morning, we started our morning with an early game of floor bowls before morning tea. Floor bowls is a fabulous game that gets us moving and stretching while having fun.
Followed by a Morris dancing inspired chair exercise class.
Our garden view lounge revamped their photo gallery with weekly photos arranged in the gallery, we selected our favourite photos from the last couple of months.
In the afternoon we were delighted as the choir went to Woodlands to perform for them along with other choir members from across Woodlands & Hillbrow. This was the choirs first ever performance for an audience, everyone did so well and had so much fun.
https://www.facebook.com/woodlandshillbrow/videos/114868961583043 –
This is the incredible performance videoed at the performance.
With a special donation of Daffodils to the home we were delighted to each receive a bunch in the afternoon, these very British flowers are the perfect reminder that spring is right around the corner.
Wednesday morning and with a restock of our rummage dresser we spent time that morning exploring the new items trying on jewellery and hats, we set the dresser up just how we like it.
Someone with Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may start rummaging or searching through cabinets, drawers, closets, the refrigerator, and other places where things are stored. Our incredible activities team have taken steps that allow everyone to rummage while protecting belongings and keeping the person safe, with our specially designed rummage dresser to provide independence and happiness to those who find it calming to rummage.
We welcomed Rev. Tara into the day lounge for our monthly CofE service, with hymns and communion, offering a time for reflection and prayer to those that wish.
Others took on brain training word games in a quieter area of the lounge.
That afternoon, in our garden view lounge we met for our weekly cooking club, this week we made a stunning bread and butter pudding, working together making our way through the recipe before heading to cook it in the oven ready for this evening’s pudding.
Our afternoon was a sea of English food with so much on offer. We spent the afternoon talking about English classics before trying them some for the first time, others re-tried food they thought they didn’t like and turns out they don’t mind cockles now!
Cider from Somerset, Cornish fudge, Mulberry pork pies and many others.
Thursday morning, we played piano in the day lounge for our friends, while others enjoyed a variety of board games from chequers to monopoly.
Celebrating London as our staycation week around England continues, we played a modified version of monopoly and these famous London locations sparked many conversations of visits to London and living there, such lovely memories shared by all.
Others spent time in the glorious spring sunshine, drinking a cup of tea the perfect way to start the day.
The wonderful Jimmy Kent was back performing this afternoon as we celebrate all things English in the lead up to St George’s Day. Everyone loves his voice, we love to dance and sing-a-long to all the well known songs. Everybody had such a wonderful afternoon.
By singing, dancing or playing instruments, it encourages, develops and helps maintain relationships with others and improves overall wellbeing.
Friday we were delighted to be joined by Louise, who hosted a “very” interactive music bingo game. With instruments being played and picture guess rounds it was so enjoyable by all we hope she comes back to host another music bingo soon.
Our garden view lounges took on a morning of brain training activities and jigsaw puzzles.
Doing a puzzle exercises the area of the brain that stores memories. A person must remember pieces they’ve seen before when putting a puzzle together. Strengthening and exercising short-term memory is especially important for older adults.
That afternoon, we played English bingo and took on a famous land mark quiz in our two garden view lounges.
This week’s flower arranging club gathered in the day lounge to arrange this week’s bright and cheerful flowers to be displayed throughout the home bringing fresh floral scents and a pop of colour to the lounge areas.
Saturday morning, we took on a “Cockney Rhyming Slang Quiz”, others played a fun game of Beetle.
Beetle is an English party game in which one draws a beetle in parts. The game may be played solely with pen, paper and a die or using a commercial game set, some of which contain custom scorepads and dice and others which contain pieces which snap together to make a beetle/bug.
Followed by an afternoon movie afternoon with themed snacks and drinks.
