Embracing Cosy Days at Heaton House
As the crisp air of autumn settles in and we look ahead to the cosy winter months, the focus at Heaton House
naturally shifts indoors. While we cherish memories of the back garden and look forward to the Spring warmth,
we’re now all about comfort, creativity, and community inside our welcoming home.
We pride ourselves on the range of activities we offer, and while the current weather makes it more difficult
getting out and about, our activity calendar is still full as we find plenty of engaging ways to keep warm
indoors. (Additionally, our heated summer house is still open for residents still wanting to enjoy our beautiful
garden).
Getting Creative
Indoor time gives us the perfect opportunity to get creative! Our wonderful craft coordinator, Marina, is busy
coordinating sessions to create handmade decorations for the exciting celebrations just around the corner:
Halloween, Fireworks Night, and Christmas!
Residents love these sessions, which involve fun activities like sticking, glueing, and painting. Not only are
these great fun, but they are also incredibly beneficial, helping residents to strengthen their hand-eye
coordination. We’ve also been inviting the children from Little Elms Day Nursery to some of these sessions,
which has brought even more joy to residents as they adore spending time with the little ones.
Drumming Down Dementia remains a firm favourite
A major highlight for the last three years, these sessions are always a firm favourite! They are highly engaging,
encouraging residents to use their motor skills when hitting the drums and often sparking spontaneous
dancing in their seats, it’s sometimes more exercise than our dedicated armchair exercise sessions!
We ensure our calendar offers a wide range of musical enjoyment. For example, we have previously invited a
violinist to perform for our residents, bringing an uplifting atmosphere to the home.
Seasonal Poetry and Socialisation
Poetry reading is a long-standing and cherished tradition here at Heaton House. We love tailoring the readings
to the season, moving from spooky poems for Halloween right through to winter tales for the Christmas
period. These group sessions are excellent for socialising, as the themes and topics within the poems often
spark engaging conversations and help residents to recall and share memories. Once one resident starts
reminiscing, it often prompts others to follow, creating a lovely, flowing conversation among the group.
The benefits of this tradition, especially for residents living with dementia, are well-supported by research by
the Alzheimer’s Society. They emphasise that art therapies, including the creativity sparked by poetry and
literature, have been shown to engage attention, provide pleasure, and potentially improve symptoms such as
anxiety and apathy.
You Are Always Welcome to Visit
We understand that choosing the right care home for yourself or a loved one is difficult. With
different options to choose from and deciding on whether a home is the right fit, it can be
overwhelming. This is why we always allow visits at any time to take a look around and get a feel for
our home. Maybe you’d like to sit in during one of our activities?
Even if you’re not looking for care just yet, it’s always best to start gathering information early to help
make decision-making easier when the time comes. Give us a call on 01903 700251 to speak to our
registered owner, Sally or our registered manager, Sue. They’ll be happy to arrange a visit with you.
If you’re not quite at the stage of needing a care home yet, we’ve got a blog post on our website about
knowing when the right time might be and the benefits of moving into a care home.