HC-One’s Gittisham Hill House Care Home in Honiton, Devon, welcomed visitors and guests from their local community to participate in this year’s Care Home Open Week celebrations from Monday, June 16 until Sunday June 22, 2025.
The homes main celebration events took place during Care Home Open Weekend between Friday, June 20 and Sunday, June 22, 2025. Gittisham Hill House Care Home welcomed residents, colleagues, friends, family and the wider community to ‘The Big Summer Weekender’ event.
Care Home Open Week is a national event hosted by Championing Social Care, designed to connect care homes with their local communities. The week will offer care homes the opportunity to showcase their range of services, provide tours of their facilities, and highlight the activities that are offered to residents.
The event is also a reminder to the homes’ neighbours that they are there if they need support. Throughout the week, residents, colleagues, families, and friends enjoyed a variety of fun-filled activities culminating in an end-of-week celebration at the home.
The event also sought to connect the homes with their neighbours, highlighting the communal support that the home can provide. HC-One’s chosen theme for this year’s Care Home Open Week was ‘The Big Summer Weekender’ emulating the nostalgic feel of British summer holidays with a variety of fun-filled activities culminating in an end-of-week celebration at the home.
Gittisham Hill House Care Home hosted a Festival Day on Thursday, June 19 with a heartwarming visit from the Musical Bees Toddler Group. Gittisham Hill House residents and children gathered in the garden for a delightful morning of singing.
By midday, the aroma of a spectacular buffet filled the air, masterfully prepared by Gittisham Hill House chefs Sarah and Kara. The lavish spread offered a delightful variety of dishes.
The afternoon brought more merriment as performer Tom led a lively sing-along in the garden, joined by friends from Maldon Care Home in Sidmouth. Residents swayed, danced, and reminisced, with the sweet trolley making its rounds to cap off the festivities with treats and cheerful chats.
A highlight of the week was a special visit from Troy’s Pet Shop in Ottery, which brought an array of exotic animals to Gittisham Hill House. Residents’ faces lit up with wonder as they held and admired these fascinating creatures.
Lenka Roskova, HC-One’s Gittisham Hill House Wellbeing Coordinator, said:
“It was heartwarming to see the residents’ faces light up with joy as they interacted with the exotic animals. It truly made the day unforgettable!”
Rachael Rix, HC-One’s Gittisham Hill House Care Home Manager, commented:
“We were delighted to welcome our local community to Gittisham Hill House Care Home as part of this year’s Care Home Open Week celebrations. It was a great chance to demonstrate the warmth, compassion, and high-quality care we provide every day.
“It was also an occasion for us to join with families, friends, and neighbours, and to celebrate our residents and colleagues. Thank you for everyone who attended and who took the time to join us at Gittisham Hill House.”