It was picnic week at Farnham Mill and the weather certainly didn’t let us down, it provided us with typical British summer picnic weather. We had rain, rain, and more rain and so our picnics were held inside. This didn’t stop them from being fun and we enjoyed all the traditional things involved such as, making sausage rolls, sandwiches, playing ball games and having a good old catch up and sharing food together. We were able to celebrate a lovely lady’s birthday with her family and, we were also spoilt with a visit from Terry Owens who performed for us and brought lots of smiles to our residents faces.
Monday 31 July, we started the day with morning walks, puzzles and word games. In the afternoon we gathered for a picnic themed afternoon tea where one of our fantastic volunteers did a picnic theme quiz. It was a great opportunity to reminisce about our family picnics, packing hampers and our favourite sandwiches.
Tuesday 1 August, our lovely ladies were able to spend time in our hair salon, being pampered by Teresa and enjoying a coffee and chat whilst the men waited outside on the balcony reading their papers.
Some residents had a go at making their own little lunch boxes. It was quite a tricky task with lots of cutting and sticking but we were very impressed with the results.
We also hosted a birthday lunch for one of our lovely residents and her family. It was certainly a special day for her and one which we, at Farnham Mill, loved to be able celebrate alongside family.
In the afternoon residents got together and helped make that traditional British picnic food – sausage rolls!! They certainly looked very tasty when they came out of the oven, and we were able to sample them later in the day.
Wednesday 2 August, we played picnic themed word games in the lounge. Working together on word games is great mental stimulation, but also socially stimulating as we make new friends and help each other. There is always the challenge of getting a better score than the week before.
In the afternoon our plans for an outdoor picnic were changed and in true British summer character, we had an indoor picnic. How delicious it was though, our chef provided wonderful food and we enjoyed being together and making new friends.
Thursday 3 August, we had some sensory fun with a bright green squeezy ball. Residents named it ‘Wibble Wobble’ and we laughed as we felt it, squeezed it, and threw it to each other.
We played mini basketball, this helps with our hand-eye co-ordination.
In the afternoon we had a very busy afternoon arranging some beautiful flowers. This is a fantastic sensory experience, touching, smelling, and seeing the wonderful colours. It’s also very social as we sit together and chat about our gardens and what we used to grow.
One of our residents created this beautiful arrangement which we proudly have on display.
Friday 4 August, our Fridays always start with a pamper morning. Relaxing hand massages and nail painting is enjoyed around all floors of our home.
A very competitive game of Scrabble took place in the morning.
Friday afternoon and we had the great Terry Owens to entertain us. He sang some of our favourite songs and chatted, he made everyone feel very special. He even got the staff dancing the Hokey Cokey at the end!
Saturday 5 August, we enjoyed all sorts of games around the home, from noughts and crosses to word games, we even learnt how to write our names in Arabic.
In the afternoon we had a trolley visiting all floors with snacks and sweets. This is also a great opportunity to tour the home and have a chat with our residents.
Sunday 6 August, in the morning one of our residents who regularly feeds the birds, had a surprise when the Robin was sat on the bird table waiting for her to bring the seed out. It made a lovely start to her day.
As well as painting in the morning and church services being screened, our library trolley also toured the home ensuring that those residents who like to read, have a book available for them.
In the afternoon the sun did shine for a little while, so we all enjoyed an ice cream. This week we had chocolate, vanilla and mint choc chip with wafers, sprinkles, and chocolate sauce – delicious, and what a great way to end a busy week.
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