Appleby House nominated for national award

Home news

Mar 29, 2017

Appleby House is celebrating having been nominated in the Best for Sporting, Social or Leisure Activities category in a national care award.

The Care Home Awards recognise and reward excellence and innovation for UK care home management, operation and delivery.

Appleby House is a finalist in the Best for Sporting, Social or Leisure Activities category at the Care Home Awards, thanks to the impressive range of activities on offer to residents at the home.

The team at the home has recently created a ‘wishing well’, where residents can submit their written wishes and suggestions for activities. Team members are then able to help arrange for these wishes to come true for the residents, whether it be inside or outside the home.

Resident Colin Nockhold wished for the opportunity to continue his lifelong hobby of gardening, and is now working with to help redesign the garden at the home. Colin has already visited a local garden centre to pick out the new plants, and will soon be opening a new potting shed in the garden.

Residents have also been working with a local community arts organisation called Creative Minds, as producing paintings, drawings and sculptures enables those living with dementia to express themselves in a relaxing environment. The home has also opened its own art gallery to display the residents’ artwork. Last year they teamed up with a local school to recreate the old Epsom clock tower for the Epsom and Ewell Festival, and the artwork was then exhibited at the local civic centre.

The home also has its own choir, and residents regularly get together to learn new songs which they then perform at local venues. Residents are often joined by pupils from local schools, as the home has strong ties with the community, and later this year will be forming a joint choir with the students.

Shona Bradbury, home manager at Appleby House, said: “We are thrilled to have been nominated in the Best for Sporting, Social or Leisure Activities category at this year’s Care Home Awards.

“At Appleby House, we place great emphasis on individuals to ensure that everything they do or experience is meaningful and life enhancing for them. Our activity-based approach to care means that residents are welcome to help around the home, and our extensive range of activities and regular outings aim to offer something for everyone.

“As well as hobby-based activities, we also have a range of events aimed to help those living with dementia. Activities such as singing can be powerful in helping to recall memories and painting can be incredibly soothing. We also have regular exercise sessions which have proven to help improve residents’ health and mobility.”