Orchard Care Homes Residents Make the Most of Added Oomph!

As part of a new partnership with Oomph! Wellness, a renewed focus on enhancing the activities provision across Orchard Care Homes has seen staff taking advantage of a new training programme, whilst residents have been given access to a wider variety of activities, and external trips. A series of bespoke training sessions have been delivered across Yorkshire, at Cherry Trees in Rotherham, Castleford Lodge, and Middleton Park Lodge, and Lofthouse Grange & Lodge in Leeds. The training has enabled staff to deliver dance, sport, and exercise classes, which are helping to keep residents active. Home Manager for Lofthouse Grange & Lodge, Kirsty James, commented, “The training sessions have been a lot of fun for the team, but have also given them a set of skills that they can develop further. “The new dance and exercise classes have been similarly well received by residents, and are not only supporting with mobility and exercise, but are also encouraging socialisation, which is crucial for residents’ wellbeing.” In the North East meanwhile, regular fortnightly trips have begun taking place, with residents getting out into their local communities to local museums, parks, and shops. A recent trip saw residents, including Frances, Ethel, Kevin, and Elizabeth, from Lansbury Court in Sunderland, enjoying a visit to nearby Barnes Park, where they enjoyed a vibrant stroll round the grounds. Resident Ethel commented, “It was lovely to get out to the parks, particularly as I am a huge dog lover, and there were lots around, as well as a few rabbits running about.” A similar trip saw residents from Archers Park, also in Sunderland, visiting Herrington Country Park, where they enjoyed an alfresco treat of ice cream and coffee in the sunshine, while another trip from the home saw residents visit nearby Penshaw tea rooms and gardens. Further down, in Teesside, residents from Green Lodge paid a recent visit to Beamish Museum. The open-air exhibit catalogues the north east’s industrial heritage, with mock towns made up to look like significant local places through history, such as the 1900s pit village. The Green Lodge group, made up of residents Audrey, Mavis, Edna, Sylvia, and Freda, enjoyed a stroll down memory lane, before finishing off the afternoon with a cup of tea in the Victorian tea room, and buying some trinkets from the gift shop. Activity Coordinator at Lansbury Court Alison Tribe commented, “The new partnership with Oomph is a fantastic initiative which we are all benefitting from. It is great that residents now have better access to the local community through use of the minibus, which adds variation to the activity programme, something we are always striving for.” To keep up to date with news from Orchard Care Homes, follow us on Facebook and YouTube.