Activity programme...

Beverley Harvey is the Home’s activities co-ordinator. Beverley devotes weekday afternoons to providing activities and entertainment for the residents and feels strongly that this is an essential element to the provision of holistic care in the home.

Besides creating her own activity programme with different levels of activities to suit all the residents, Beverley also arranges external entertainment such as history talks, musical performances and arts and crafts hobbies. For residents who prefer not to participate in group activities or for those confined to bed, Beverley makes an effort to spend one-to-one time engaging them in discussion or simply providing company to ensure everybody receives a degree of activity and does not feel isolated.

Two residents enjoying a dance
during a lively activity session

Every resident’s birthday is celebrated with a party and a cake. Festivals such as Easter, St Patrick’s Day and Guy Fawkes night, are enjoyed with appropriate themes and every effort is made to keep the home alive with variety and entertainment.

The first summer fayre was held in June 2006 which proved to be a great success. The day brought beautiful sunshine and all the residents, their relatives, the staff and much of the local community enjoyed the live entertainment, tombola and raffle, hog roast and ice cream!

Beverley commented on her role as activities coordinator:

“I like to see all the residents, from each floor, coming together to do activities as one group and therefore organise my activity sessions in the main downstairs lounge or dining room. I think this helps the residents feel a part of the whole home rather than just the floor their room is on...

...I accompany those residents wishing to go shopping or to the local park, and I know that this is really appreciated. For anybody not able to go so far, I help them go for short walks in the grounds to get some fresh air.”

Christmas is celebrated in true style with carol concerts by local school choirs, mulled wine and cheese parties, theatre trips to see the pantomime or festive shows and of course the day itself is celebrated with a traditional Christmas dinner and presents are given to each resident by the Matron.

Example of a typical weekly programme

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
morning	Shopping with a resident	One to one sessions with Bev	Shopping with a resident	Games in ground floor lounge	Coffee morning with Matron
afternoon	Exercise Arts and Crafts	Exercise Cinema film with ice-cream & popcorn	Movement with music	Exercise Talk from the local history society	Exercise or walk in the grounds One to one sessions with Bev