Residents at
Eastbourne House, residential and residential dementia care home, in Whitley Bay, have been having lots of fun this spring.
At the end of March, Residents were thrilled for a trip out in the minibus. Residents are always keen to get out an about and have been going on trips to fancy cafes, the local pub and the scenic countryside for a while now.
Before the trips have even begun the Residents choose what they would like to have in their packed lunches or if they would like to have a meal out whilst on the trip. It changes every time which the Residents love.
Recently the Residents went along to the coast and enjoyed playing the arcade and fun fair games whilst enjoying a lovely fish and chip lunch.
Both Colleagues and Residents love going out on the trips and enjoy listening to the Residents reminiscing on their lives and where they used to go on their holidays when they were younger.
Easter came around very quickly this year and the Residents were keen to get their home ready for the annual Easter party.
Both Residents and Colleagues spent the week leading up to Easter Sunday crafting decorations and putting them up to get the home looking extra festive. It’s always fantastic to see how much pride the Residents take in firstly the way their home looks, and secondly contributing to it by using decorations they’ve made and deciding where they should go.
Before we the Residents got into our celebrations on Easter Sunday, everyone addressed a very important element of Easter Sunday – the chocolate! Colleagues handed out easter eggs, cards and flowers to all of the Residents and they were all thrilled!
Celebrations started in typical musical fashion – however the morning and afternoon took very different styles. The morning consisted of singing hymns and reflecting on the religious significance of Easter. A gentleman from the local church came in to give a fantastic service and had the Residents singing some fantastic Easter songs. He talked about the origins of Easter and the significance of this time of the year.
At lunch time, a few of our Residents’ families came in to visit the home and have a Sunday dinner with them! The tables were kitted out in fabulous Easter fashion, and it was lovely to see the Residents and their families having a lovely time together and introducing their friends from the home to them.
The afternoon was then taken up with fantastic music from a local cover guitarist and singer who played all the classics. The Residents were up dancing and singing Colleagues alike. Many boogied the afternoon away with drinks and a proper party atmosphere.
On Easter Monday, Colleagues set up an Easter Fair in the lounge. There was a real buzz around the place when we were setting up!
The Residents were very eager to get involved in helping with managing stalls and the organisation of the fair. A few of the Residents were selling items and the stalls were very successful! The money raised has gone into the Residents Fund, which will further enable the care home to continue to keep the fun times flowing!
Olive, one of the Residents, remarked, “I loved managing the stall at the fair. It was really nice to feel like a part of such a lovely day.”