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When considering a care home for a loved one, understanding the lifestyle and daily activities available is just as important as assessing the quality of care. At Ashberry Care Homes, we believe that meaningful activities are essential for wellbeing, helping residents maintain skills, forge friendships, and find joy and purpose in each day.
The Importance of Activities in Care Homes
Activities in care homes go far beyond simply passing the time. Well-planned, person-centred activities support physical health, cognitive function, emotional wellbeing, and social connections. They help maintain independence, preserve identity, and ensure that life remains rich and fulfilling.
The right activities can transform daily life in a care home, turning ordinary days into opportunities for connection, achievement, and joy. When residents are engaged in meaningful pursuits that reflect their interests and abilities, they experience greater satisfaction and a stronger sense of belonging.
Our activity programmes are designed with several key aims:
- Supporting physical mobility and strength
- Stimulating cognitive function and memory
- Creating opportunities for social interaction
- Maintaining existing skills and interests
- Introducing new experiences and learning
- Connecting with the wider community
Creative Arts and Crafts
Creative expression remains important throughout life, offering a powerful way to communicate feelings, memories, and ideas even when words might be difficult to find. Art activities provide sensory stimulation and opportunities for self-expression while creating tangible results that boost confidence and self-esteem.
The Therapeutic Power of Creativity
For many residents, creative activities provide a form of therapy, helping to process emotions and experiences while focusing on something positive and absorbing. The concentration required for creative work can create a state of 'flow' – a deeply satisfying immersion in an activity that brings both relaxation and stimulation.
Working with different materials offers varied sensory experiences – the smoothness of clay, the texture of wool, the vibrancy of paint. These sensory elements can be particularly valuable for residents living with dementia, stimulating memories and creating moments of connection.
Popular creative activities include:
- Painting and drawing sessions
- Pottery and clay modelling
- Knitting and crochet groups
- Flower arranging
- Card making and paper crafts
Music and Entertainment
Music has a remarkable ability to reach parts of the brain that other forms of communication cannot access. It can evoke powerful memories, stimulate movement, and create shared experiences that bridge differences in ability and background.
Why Music Matters
Even when other cognitive functions are affected by dementia or neurological conditions, musical memory often remains intact. Familiar songs can trigger memories and emotional responses, sometimes enabling residents who struggle with verbal communication to sing along to remembered lyrics.
The rhythmic element of music naturally encourages movement, supporting physical wellbeing alongside emotional connection. Whether it's tapping a foot, clapping hands, or full body movement, music stimulates motor functions in enjoyable, natural ways.
Our musical activities include:
- Regular visits from professional musicians and entertainers
- Sing-along sessions featuring familiar songs
- Opportunities to play percussion instruments
- Music and movement classes
Celebrating Special Occasions
Entertainment takes on special significance during celebrations and holidays. We mark these occasions with performances that bring extra joy and create memorable experiences for residents and their families. These special events provide rhythm to the year and opportunities to maintain cultural traditions that have been important throughout residents' lives.
Physical Activities and Exercise
Movement is medicine at any age. Regular physical activity supports cardiovascular health, maintains muscle strength, improves balance, and boosts mood through the release of endorphins. Perhaps most importantly, it helps maintain independence by supporting the abilities needed for daily living.
Tailored to Individual Abilities
Our approach to physical activity recognises that residents have varying levels of mobility and endurance. Activities are designed to be inclusive, with adaptations ensuring everyone can participate at a level that's comfortable yet gently challenging. Success is measured not by performance but by engagement and enjoyment.
Regular physical activities include:
- Chair-based exercise classes that work all major muscle groups
- Gentle yoga and stretching for flexibility and relaxation
- Walking groups in our gardens for fresh air and nature connection
- Bowling and target games for coordination and gentle competition
The Social Dimension of Exercise
Group exercise brings social benefits alongside physical ones. Shared physical activities create camaraderie and often include elements of gentle competition that add fun and motivation. The combination of movement and social connection makes these sessions particularly effective for overall wellbeing.
Cognitive Stimulation and Games
Keeping mentally active supports brain health and cognitive function. Games and puzzles provide enjoyable ways to exercise thinking skills while also creating opportunities for social interaction and friendly competition.
Beyond Entertainment
While games are certainly entertaining, they serve deeper purposes too. Different types of games exercise various cognitive skills – memory, problem-solving, strategic thinking, and verbal abilities. Regular mental stimulation through varied activities helps maintain these functions and builds cognitive reserve.
Games also provide structured social interactions with clear rules and turns, making socialising easier for those who might find unstructured conversations challenging. The shared focus on a game can reduce social anxiety while still creating meaningful connections.
Popular mind-stimulating activities include:
- Quiz sessions that draw on long-term memory and shared knowledge
- Board games and card games that exercise strategic thinking
- Puzzles that support visual-spatial skills and concentration
- Reminiscence activities that strengthen identity and connection
Culinary and Food-Based Activities
Food connects us to our culture, memories, and each other. Food-based activities engage multiple senses and often evoke powerful memories of family gatherings, celebrations, and daily routines from throughout life.
The Sensory Experience of Food
Culinary activities offer rich sensory experiences – the scent of baking bread, the texture of dough, the vibrant colours of fresh produce. These sensory elements can stimulate appetite and interest in nutrition, particularly valuable for residents who might be experiencing decreased appetite or interest in food.
Creating Through Cooking
The process of creating something delicious provides immediate satisfaction and a sense of achievement. Baking sessions are particularly popular, allowing residents to use familiar skills and share the results with others. There's great pride in offering something handmade to fellow residents or visiting family members.
Food-related activities might include:
- Baking sessions creating familiar favourites with the scents and tastes of home
- Herb and vegetable growing that connects residents to nature's cycles
- Themed afternoon teas that celebrate seasons and special occasions
- Seasonal food celebrations that maintain cultural traditions
Outings and Community Connections
Care homes are not islands but part of wider communities. Maintaining connections with the surrounding area helps residents retain their sense of citizenship and belonging to the world beyond the care home walls.
Staying Connected to the Wider World
Regular outings provide fresh experiences, new conversations, and the stimulation of different environments. Even simple trips to local cafés or parks can bring great pleasure and a sense of normal life continuing. More ambitious excursions to cultural venues or beauty spots create special memories and points of interest.
Visits from community groups bring the outside world in, creating intergenerational connections and new relationships. These interactions help combat any sense of isolation and remind residents of their continuing role in community life.
Community-based activities include:
- Trips to local shops, parks, and attractions that maintain familiar connections
- Visits to museums, galleries, and gardens for cultural engagement
- Intergenerational projects with local schools that benefit young and old alike
- Participation in local festivals and celebrations that strengthen community ties
Spiritual and Cultural Activities
Spiritual wellbeing remains important throughout life, with many older adults drawing strength and comfort from their faith traditions or philosophical beliefs. We respect and support this dimension of residents' lives, recognising that spiritual needs don't diminish with age or changing circumstances.
Honouring Diverse Traditions
Our homes welcome residents from diverse backgrounds, and we take care to acknowledge and celebrate different cultural and religious traditions. These celebrations add richness to community life and help residents maintain important aspects of their identity and heritage.
For those with strong faith backgrounds, continuing religious practices can provide comfort, meaning, and continuity. We work with local faith communities to ensure residents can participate in services and receive spiritual care according to their traditions.
These might include:
- Religious services within the home led by visiting faith leaders
- Celebration of religious festivals with appropriate customs and foods
- Meditation and mindfulness sessions for spiritual reflection
- Cultural events reflecting residents' diverse heritage
Personalised and One-to-One Activities
While group activities create valuable social opportunities, we also recognise that some residents thrive in quieter, more individual pursuits. Others may have specific interests or needs that are best addressed through personalised attention.
The Power of Individual Attention
One-to-one time allows for deeper connections between residents and staff. These quieter interactions create space for personal stories to be shared, for individual preferences to be expressed, and for activities to be perfectly tailored to a resident's abilities and interests.
For residents who find groups overwhelming or who are temporarily unwell, personalised activities ensure they still receive stimulation and human connection. These moments of individual attention communicate care and respect, reinforcing each resident's value as a unique person.
Personalised activities might include:
- Life story work that preserves memories and strengthens identity
- Individual creative projects based on specific interests and abilities
- Reading favourite books or newspapers for those who love literature
- Hand massage and sensory activities that provide gentle comfort
Join Us for an Activity Taster
The best way to understand our approach to activities is to experience it firsthand. We welcome prospective residents and their families to join us for an activity session as part of a visit to any of our homes.
To arrange a visit or learn more about our activity programmes, please contact us today.
At Ashberry Care Homes, we believe that life should continue to be rich, varied, and fulfilling regardless of age or care needs. Our comprehensive activity programmes ensure that each day offers opportunities for enjoyment, achievement, and connection for all our residents.
