This week residents at Hill House have spent the week learning about and exploring local beers, they’ve brewed their own ale and engaged in an interactive beer experience along with fun floor games and time spent in the glorious sunshine.
Monday morning, we kick started beer week by baking beer breads as part of our weekly cooking club.
Baking can help to bring back memories, stimulate the senses, improve appetite (which can encourage a better relationship with food) and it’s great for keeping the brain active.
In the afternoon it was our regular music therapy session that took place throughout the home, we enjoy singing and playing, it provides sensory relief and enjoyment.
Others opted to have a fabulous afternoon playing floor bowls with one another.
We love that bowls can be a lot of fun yet challenging because it’s a game of strategy.
Due to the cloudy start of the day, we chose to have an indoor BBQ on Tuesday. Linking with the week’s beer theme, our chef cooked beer infused onions, sausages, Welsh rarebit burgers and lots more yummy foods.
We were delighted to see our family and friends join us for fantastic food and a boogie on the dance floor in our first BBQ of the season.
Everyone was invited to indulge a little, as Mr Whippe served ice cream or lollies of our choosing during the BBQ.
Even the sun came out just in time for this special treat to end our amazing afternoon BBQ.
What a fabulous morning on Wednesday for our monthly resident’s meeting, with directors and home mangers. We were delighted to thank staff who have gone above and beyond and won sunflower awards.
Others opted for a quiet morning completing jigsaw puzzles together, going for walks in the gardens enjoying the wildlife and watering our vegetable planters.
Wednesday afternoon we went into the garden to brew our very own beer, we started by crushing hops
That afternoon, others spent time engaging in therapeutic colouring pictures of famous pubs.
Also on offer was a game of beer bingo featuring famous beers from around the world, time in the garden and a beer picture quiz.
Thursday morning, we played a variety of fun floor games, including mini golf and floor darts. Playing sit-down games helps us maintain and improve cognitive skills, such as problem-solving, memory, and language skills.
That afternoon we engaged in our weekly “paint and sip club” across the home, beers and other cold drinks were served and we settled in to recreate pub signs and other pub related images.
Experts have discovered the therapeutic benefits of art such as relieving various psychological ailments like stress, depression, and anxiety. Our painting classes provide a welcoming, non-judgmental atmosphere where painters can pour their energy into their canvases, alleviating tension. Many artists also express their emotions on their canvas, which is highly cathartic.
With the sun shining bright and skies as blue as the eye can see, we spent time outside engaging in pleasant chitter chatter with friends
Friday
Morning dancing and chair exercises were enjoyed, while the temperatures were still low, getting us stretched and ready for the fun day ahead.
That afternoon we took our weekly giant crossword game in the day lounge, a large group of us gathered to take part.
Friday morning, our cooking club gathered to prepare vegetable and ale pie, chopping, peeling and slicing a variety of hearty vegetables before creating a pie crust and topping with decoration.
We love the social aspect of the cooking club, we get together with friends and help one another out. Through the activity we spend time talking about things we love to cook and bake, along with our favourite dinners to eat.
That afternoon we relaxed outside in the paddling pool, it was the perfect afternoon on the hottest day of the year the year so far. We spent time with friends playing ball games in the water and delighted in birthday beers and cocktails.
Sunday morning, we started our day with our weekly church services across the home.
We also enjoyed a variety of tabletop games from “Bananagrams” to “shut the box” these all bring us a lot of fun and encourage us to team up and make new friends in our home.
A wonderful afternoon at the Hill House brewery as we wrapped up beer week with an interactive beer experience. We tasted beers from around the world, hearing facts before smelling and tasting each one, using the brewery chat to best describe each.
We sat back to watch short clips of the history of our local hogs back brewery, while sipping our favourite cold beers from the tasting session.
