Residential | Dementia | Respite
Residential | Dementia | Respite
Care Home Activities for Engagement and Wellbeing
At B&M Care we recognise that for a person to lead a fulfilling lifestyle, they need to be offered a variety of meaningful engagement opportunities, and activities that are specific to them – that reflect their preferences, culture, social interests, and pastimes.
What Are Care Home Activities and Why Are They Needed?
Care home activities provide a way to engage in meaningful occupation within a residential or respite care home setting.
Often referred to as engagement, care home activities are crucial in allowing an individual to positively flourish in a residential setting. The main focus of care home activities at B&M Care Homes is to enhance the individual’s sense of health, wellbeing and independence.
All engagement activities provided in our B&M Care Homes are recorded using our digital care plans. This information, coupled with other important factors such as dining & nutrition, care provided, and general observations, helps provide valuable insights into a person’s overall wellbeing, allowing us to tailor and personalise our care.
Types of Activities On Offer in B&M Care Homes
Engagement and activities vary in frequency, type, and how they are delivered. At B&M Care homes, our activities are inspired by preferences or social interests.
Carried out in both one-to-one and group settings, typical care home activities and include:
- Arts & crafts
- Live entertainment
- Music therapy
- Pet therapy
- Reminiscence projects
- Themed events
- Trips out to the local community
Engagement with the Wider Community
Care home activities don’t have to take place within the walls of the care home, and at B&M Care we help our residents to nurture their relationship with the community. Whether it’s through garden centres and museums or football clubs, cafes and theatres, maintaining links beyond our living environments is extremely important.
As part of this commitment to stimulating interactions with the wider community, almost every one of our homes has nurtured positive relationships on an intergenerational spectrum. From nurseries and pre-schools to students at college and university, the value of bridging the generation gap and bringing together people from different generations continues to stimulate positive outcomes for those involved.
Dementia-Specific Engagement
Engagement is absolutely essential for any individual living with dementia.
The most important aspect of this approach is to actively target a person’s dementia, as well as their symptoms, through engagement and care home activities that have positive and meaningful outcomes.
Dementia-specific engagement looks and feels inherently different to that carried out in a residential care setting: the focus here is to improve cognition, communication and coordination through activity that stimulates the senses, and focuses on enjoyment rather than achievement.
We facilitate this in our dedicated dementia suites. These environments celebrate life and those who live there: from handmade displays to bygone memorabilia, tools such as these are effective in encouraging an individual to pause and engage with their environment.
Facilities and Equipment Available to Our Residents
Many of our homes boast a number of exceptional, on-site facilities to support care home activities. These include:
- Cinemas
- Gyms
- Spas
- Cafes
- Tea Rooms
- Games Rooms
- Activities Suites
- Garden Cottages
B&M Care residents all have the opportunity to get away to The Hideaway and Reminiscence Museum in Hertfordshire.
Cottages
A number of our homes have had cottages installed in their respective outdoor living spaces, built by our very own B&M Care Chairman Bill Hughes. Framed by thatched roofing and a white picket fence, each cottage references a ‘crofters design’ commonly seen across our Chairman’s Galway homeland in Ireland.
Offering visitors an opportunity to step back into tradition, once inside, the cottage plays host to, as coined by Chesham Bois Manor Care Home, “a cosy feeling perfect for whiling away an afternoon”.
Used for both visiting loved ones and engagement alike, each cottage is fitted with a:
- Nostalgic interior
- Faux log burner
- Flat-screen television
- Surround-sound music system
The Hideaway
B&M Care’s Hideaway is a unique concept that offers visiting residents ‘a home away from a care home’.
Through extensive, tastefully adapted facilities and a warm, welcoming environment, The Hideaway provides opportunities for calm, relaxation, and meaningful recreation.
Overlooking an abundance of green space, The Hideaway offers everything under one roof:
- Lounge and breakout areas complete with authentic wood burning fireplaces
- A fully-equipped kitchen suitable for both cooking and baking
- Dining, craft and games rooms
- Extensive grounds complete with a dedicated greenhouse and a large raised gardening bed
In addition, The Hideaway benefits from an artificial sports lawn suitable for year-round pursuits. In the near future we plan to host in-house tournaments, such as bowling and croquet, and invite local sports clubs to use for residents to watch.
Residents are transported to The Hideaway using B&M Care’s fleet of minibuses that operate across the group.
Reminiscence Museum
Our unique Reminiscence Museum offers residents the immersive opportunity to look back and remember the past.
Open to residents visiting the adjacent Hideaway, the display includes a number of interesting antiques:
- Classic cars
- Cameras
- Tools
- Toys
- Graphic prints
- Cash register, complete with notes and coinage
The museum includes a technology area, boasting among other exhibits a 1950s radio and an 8-track speaker system. There are also projectors that document film through the ages.
“Mum will constantly tell everyone that she is always happy at Bury Lodge, never gets fed up, and hopes she can continue to stay there for the rest of her days.
From the moment she arrived Mum was made so welcome by all of the staff. The care and attention given to her is exemplary. With its calm and friendly atmosphere, Bury Lodge is a wonderful environment for the elderly who are in need of some help and support. It is reassuring to know that my Mum is so happy and content, and I can happily go away at times knowing that she is in such capable hands. ”
Daughter of Resident at Bury Lodge
“ The staff have all been excellent. They are committed, caring and very empathetic to their residents. They often go above and beyond their duties, staying past their shift end time in order to help with a resident’s particular issues. They prioritise pushing fluids and regular snacks throughout the day as well. The home holds regular events to keep the residents engaged as well. Overall, it feels like a very happy place when you visit. ”
Daughter of Resident at Chesham Bois Manor
“Mum has really settled in well in the ten months she has been at Lakeside Care Home. The staff are really caring and Mum enjoys the food.
The social media groups are so useful as I can see Mum joining in with all the activities; her dementia means she can’t remember doing them, so it’s nice to show her the photos. The gardens are lovely and we always walk around the paths in nice weather, it’s such a useful space for residents who can’t walk far. “
Daughter of Resident at Lakeside
Contact Us
To find out more about care home activities, engagement and wellbeing at B&M Care Homes, contact us today.