Care UK celebrates Care Home Open Day

Company news

Apr 18, 2018

Care UK homes across the country are opening their doors to the local community in celebration of Care Home Open Day.

A record total of 112 homes will be taking part in the annual nationwide initiative, which celebrates and helps build on the relationships between care homes and their local communities. Care Home Open Day falls on Saturday 21 April, with some homes choosing to host events on Friday 20 April. 

Care UK teams are residents are organising parties inspired by either the Commonwealth or the Queen’s 92^nd birthday in honour of the open day.

Homes celebrating the Commonwealth theme will be decorated in Commonwealth-inspired bunting that has been made by residents themselves, and residents at homes hosting royal parties have also been busy creating homemade crowns for guests to wear on the day.

Care Home Open Day, now in its sixth year, aims to celebrate care homes and encourage people that would not normally visit a care home to step inside and learn a little about what life is really like. The day also aims to help care homes create lasting links with their local communities and develop ongoing friendships.

Click here to find your nearest participating Care UK home.

Care UK homes, from The Potteries in Poole, up to Tor-Na-Dee in Aberdeen, have all arranged special days for their local communities. Residents and care home teams up and down the country have been planning exciting entertainment, activities and menus to celebrate this annual event.

Some homes have chosen to showcase traditional entertainment, with retro singers and West End entertainers, whilst others have welcomed in school choirs, DJs and dancers from around the world.

As well as special guests including local mayors and other dignitaries – and even an Olympic medallist at Abney Court in Cheadle – many homes have also invited some four legged friends to join them for Care Home Open Day.

Tiltwood in Cobham is having a corgi show to celebrate the Queen’s birthday and both Silversprings and Heatherbrook in Essex are welcoming pygmy goats along for the day. For those looking for a visit with a more unusual animal element, why not take a trip down to Darlington Court in Littlehampton, which is welcoming wallabies and meerkats to its event.

To coincide with the Heads of Government meetings in London, some homes have chosen the Commonwealth as a theme, with many choosing to highlight the cultures of different Commonwealth countries through entertainment and special menus.

With the Commonwealth Games at the start of April some homes are running exciting sporting activities at their Care Home Open Day events. Both Paisley Court in Liverpool and Cumberland care home in Surrey will be putting on competitions for residents and visitors with sports including volleyball and lawn bowls.

In Greater London, Whitby Dene and The Burroughs are planning inter-home games with teams from both competing across several sports. The homes are starting Care Home Open Day with an eight mile torch relay on the Friday and a closing ceremony on the Sunday complete with a brass band.