St Ives Lodge Care Home

14/12/2025

December at St Ives Lodge has been full of joy, connection, and meaningful activities 🎄✨

Throughout the festive period, we’ve been busy making Christmas trees and enjoying lots of arts and crafts together. Our residents loved the drumming sessions, making music together using large balls and drumsticks, and some have enjoyed visits to Teas and Tunes on Tuesdays.

Many residents have been out and about enjoying coffee afternoons down Station Road, gentle walks to and from the forest side for fresh air and exercise, and time spent connecting with the local community.

We’ve also enjoyed baking mince pies and Christmas biscuits together, and we’re really looking forward to our annual Christmas meal out at The Royal Oak, with afternoon entertainment already booked next Wednesday.

Our memory care continues to be enriched with baby therapy sessions, sensory activities exploring taste, smell, sound, and light shows in our Memory Care Unit, Orchid. Residents have also enjoyed cuddling our hug-and-love bears, feeling their gentle heartbeat a calming and immersive experience.

We’ve had lots of fun with Songs & Smiles, where toddlers and babies visit to sing, smile, and share special moments with our residents ❤️
Bingo has been a big hit too, with some lucky winners and this month we’re hosting our monthly bingo for relatives, friends, and family, with emails sent out so no one misses the fun. Board games are always popular, including our much-loved Scrabble Club.

Every weekend includes pamper sessions, with nails trimmed, cleaned, and painted for those who choose. All our activities are thoughtfully planned to support physical, mental, sensory, and emotional wellbeing, encouraging participation, confidence, and connection.

A true reflection of the warmth, care, and community spirit within our home 💖

Catherine Deary

14/12/2025

Our annual residents Christmas party on the 5th of December was truly wonderful 🎄
With amazing food prepared by our talented chef, excellent staff participation, and so much joy shared by everyone, the atmosphere was full of smiles and positive energy.
Our manager was deeply saddened to miss the celebration the first one she has missed in 23 years as she had just been in hospital. She sends her heartfelt thanks to everyone for making the day so special.

Catherine Deary

01/11/2025

BINGO Night with residents and their families, special times making memories ✍️

31/10/2025

31/10/2025

Not sure who’s having the most fun , 🤣🤣🤣

31/10/2025

🌟 What a busy few weeks it’s been at St Ives Lodge 🌟

Our residents have been making the most of every day with lots of activities, outings, and celebrations!

🎭 Theatre Trip – Some of our residents enjoyed a wonderful evening at the theatre watching The Four Tops. A huge thank you to our amazing staff who accompanied them it was a late night, but everyone had a fabulous time!

🎶 Teas & Tunes Tuesdays – Although we’ve had to pause this the last couple of weeks due to weather and other events, our residents always love these afternoons of tea, music, and laughter.

🌸 Cultural Celebrations – We celebrated Diwali with a delicious cultural meal, beautiful staff attire, and festive decorations. We also celebrated Sri Lankan day and every other Tuesday continued to celebrate a different culture to meet the diverse needs of our residents .

🎃 Halloween Fun – Residents got creative with arts and crafts, pumpkin carving, and even sensory play using the inside of the pumpkins! Today we enjoyed a spooktacular menu featuring homemade pumpkin soup, ghostly pies, and spooky cakes. We also had a brilliant Halloween entertainer who had everyone singing along!

💗 Pink Day – Breast Cancer Awareness – Staff dressed in pink to show their support and helped raise money for this fantastic cause.

🥢 Trips & Outings – Residents enjoyed meals out at the local Chinese restaurant, coffee mornings, and lovely walks.

🥁 Drumming Sessions with Jan– Always a hit! Residents love drumming on the giant exercise balls, full of rhythm and laughter.

👶 Baby Therapy & Nursery Visits – We’ve welcomed children from the local nursery for parachute games and a mini Halloween party (photos can’t be shared due to GDPR, but the joy was unforgettable!). Our weekly Songs & Smiles baby sessions bring so much happiness it’s wonderful to see the generations connect.

🧠 Sensory & Reminiscence Activities – From scented oils and calming lights to “Guess What’s in the Box?” and rummage boxes, residents have enjoyed exploring all the senses.

🎲 Games & Fun – Bingo nights with family and friends was another big hit with 4 winners! beanbag games, parachute play, mould making, and plenty of puzzles and board games.

🏆 Awards & Appreciation –
• Carer of the Month: Congratulations to Celina for going above and beyond, even visiting residents in hospital on her own time. 💖
• Resident of the Month: Continuing each month to celebrate our wonderful residents!
• Regular Staff Appreciation sweet treats, cookies, and goodies from the manager — always goes down well.

💃 Daily Exercise & Movement – Residents enjoy Bollywood dancing, yoga, Zumba, 60s music workouts, and gentle stretching with relaxation. We even have our “Balloon Bounce” sessions to keep reflexes sharp and spirits high!

🍷 Cheers to Good Times – Some residents enjoy a glass of wine or beer with lunch because life’s too short not to celebrate the little things.

🎄 Looking Ahead As we head into the festive season, we’re busy planning our Christmas Party on the 5th of December at St Ives! 🎅
✨ Save the date — invitations will be going out soon!

It’s been such a joy-filled and busy time here. Thank you to all our wonderful residents, families, and staff for making every day so special. ❤️

30/09/2025

Life at St Ives Lodge A Wonderful Few Weeks Together

The past few weeks have been full of memories, laughter, and a few tears here at St Ives Lodge 💙

We recently said a very emotional goodbye to our much-loved Senior Carer, Peter, who is now beginning his new journey as a qualified doctor in the UK. He was truly cherished by residents and staff alike. We wrote him a little poem which brought a tear to many eyes. Peter, we’re so proud of you, good luck on your new adventure, and we’re sure you’ll carry a little piece of St Ives Lodge with you wherever you go. 💐✨

Alongside this, we’ve had lots of joy and celebration:
🎉 Parties & Singing From farewell parties to our weekly “Grab the Mic Friday,” there’s been plenty of singing, dancing (in chairs and on the floor!), and smiles all around. Dionne, Christine, and Reyna have been stars entertaining our residents with their voices . We also continue our cherished Wellbeing Song each morning and afternoon something that has become so meaningful to us all.

🎂 Special Celebrations, We welcomed a new resident who has brought lots of fun to the home, and we celebrated Joyce’s 101 birthday with cake, singing, and laughter.

🌸 Activities in the Orchid Unit Residents have enjoyed sensory activities with soft squishes for movement and dexterity, woodwork on the carpenter’s board with Thomas, and exploring our record box for music lovers. Creative arts and crafts have also filled our days with colour.

🎨 Bright & Beautiful Moments Staff dressed in vibrant colours for our End of Summer Party, making the home feel extra cheerful last Friday.

🎲 Bingo Night A fantastic evening with residents and relatives joining in. This will now be a regular event every few weeks dates are on the noticeboard, and emailed to families and we’d love to see more family and friends join us for fun, laughter, tea, and biscuits.

🧀 Upcoming Events Our next event will be a Cheese & Wine Afternoon, with a delicious cheeseboard and plenty of time to relax with loved ones. We’re also preparing for Autumn activities and of course, Halloween! 🎃

💡 Innovation at St Ives Lodge A huge well done to our maintenance team for creating a cleverly designed bookshelf-style door. This small but thoughtful idea is already helping our residents living with dementia feel more comfortable and supported.

We’re incredibly proud of our whole team. Here at St Ives Lodge, activities aren’t just the role of one person they’re embraced by everyone. Our staff are always going above and beyond to make every day meaningful, and with the wonderful support of our new Director, Aaron the atmosphere in the home is as vibrant as ever.