Hickathrift House Care Home - Barchester Healthcare

Macmillan Coffee Morning ☕✨

Come along and meet new people while enjoying a chat over a hot beverage and a selection of sweet treats including cakes and biscuits.

We’re raising money and awareness to support Macmillan’s world’s biggest coffee morning! Everyone is welcome to enjoy some delicious refreshments and a selection of word games on the tables from 10:30am.

Our dedicated team is always on hand to support and answer any questions you may have about Hickathrift House and our care in general.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Back to School Day 🎒🚸

As the school year starts, residents have shared their funniest, most inspirational and motivating words of wisdom to help the children kick off the term with a smile as well as sharing wonderful memories. We've also made a scrumptious school sponge in Memory Lane Community and enjoyed a fun dancercise class with Vicki.

Our team made the day even more special by dressing up for the occasion, which brought so much joy and laughter to the residents. Our Hickathrift wisdom is "Make the most of every moment!"

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Baytree Garden Centre 🌸🌼

We had an exceptional time at Baytree in Hilgay exploring all the amazing flowers and items! We just adored looking around, reminiscing about our own gardens and smelling the flowers. We particularly loved the GIANT flowers ever so much! Residents and staff quenched their thirst with a delicious drink in the restaurant and discovered the history of the garden centre.

Norah said, "It's been a lovely time out. I really enjoyed smelling the flowers and feeling them".

Thank you to Kerry and Myfanwy for joining us and to the incredible staff at Baytree for being amazing!

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Calling all emergency service personnel!👨‍🚒🚔🚑🚨

We’re inviting all emergency service personnel to join our 999 party, celebrating the amazing work they do daily. The party starts at 2:45pm on the 8th of September with the Banjo Man, we hope to see you!

Please call to let us know you're coming and there'll be an array of refreshments available.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Meet the Team Tuesday 🌟

Senior Care Assistant - Ann

Introducing one of our dedicated Senior Care Assistants, Ann! Ann joined Hickathrift House in August 2021. Ann's role is to support the team and residents in medication, assessments, care plans or care reviews. In addition to helping residents enjoy each day by making sure they get the quality care and support they deserve.

Ann said, "My favourite part of my job is making a difference and supporting everyone, residents and staff".

For more information about our team at Hickathrift House please visit: https://www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home/meet-the-team or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Bank Holiday Monday 🐕🐾

Last Monday we celebrated International Dog Day and joined the Village Yard Sale. To celebrate all things dogs we enjoyed opening our doors to our furry friends and hosted a dog cafe. We also learnt about different breeds, styles of poodle haircuts and took part in a pet memory game together. The lovely Norah just adored seeing so many different dogs and was thrilled when they popped by to see her!

Den and Joan loved helping out at the yard sale and meeting all the locals with staff. Thank you to everyone who donated items and funds. We appreciate it ever so much! Together we raised £120!

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Weekly Activity Planner ✨

Take a look at our weekly activity planner for the week commencing on the 2nd of September 2024. Our planner is designed based on the resident's interests, hobbies, and passions, and it is used in discussions in our residents' meetings and during our special resident-of-the-day chats.

We have various activities planned including writing messages to children who are back at school and musical skills on the piano. This week the residents are off to the local book club and the monthly pub trip for a tipple or two.

We are also inviting the community to our new Monday Matinee, showcasing Davy Crockett. We hope to see you there.

Please note activities and outings may be subject to change.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Thursford Museum 🚂🚂

Residents and staff had an exceptional time at Thursford Museum last month. We were thrilled to see the world's largest collection of steam engines and organs and loved hearing Robert Wolfe one of the world’s leading theatre organists play the mighty Wurlitze! To finish we enjoyed a few turns on the fairground rides, thanks to the amazing team at Thursford.

Respite resident John with pure passion said, "Absolutely magnificent! They’re all in immaculate conditions!" He filled us all with knowledge and knew about every engine in the museum!

We'd like to say a huge special mention to Richard, Kevin and John for all their help and support getting the residents on the carousel rides.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

August Birthday Celebrations 🎉

We love celebrating birthdays at Hickathrift House and last month we had 4 special birthdays to celebrate!

Barbara adored her new purple blanket, hand made by the lovely Kim! Kathleen was delighted with her scrumptious chocolate cake. Barrie loved celebrating with his loved ones and bible study. And Marjorie adored her birthday card and cake with loved ones. A huge Happy Birthday to Marjorie as she celebrated her 90th birthday!

We'd like to say a huge thank you to our virtual volunteer, Rose, for all the residents' stunning handmade cards. This unique touch is just so wonderful and greatly appreciated!

We hope everyone has a fabulous day! At Hickathrift House we provided a cake of their choice, made by our talented Hospitality team and our wider team will always join the sing along. Additionally, a personal gift from chocolates to plants, and one-to-one time for special activities or requests.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our Activities Team, who’ll happily arrange special moments for you and your loved ones, from meals to outings.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home
or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Falls Prevention Workshop ✨

Falls are the forgotten killer, but simple steps can make a huge impact. Join our FREE Fall Prevention Workshop with one of our Barchester Fall Fighter Champions this Friday from 10:30am.

Please call to book your space.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

The Magic of Middle-earth Exhibition 💍

Residents and staff had an amazing trip to Kings Lynn St George's Guildhall to see the exhibition celebrating the incredible fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien. We were fascinated to see the various memorabilia, sculptures, paintings and the Lego sets!

Respite resident John said, "It was such an amazing, diverse display that had us all in awe. It was magic! I had a fantastic time".

We'd also like to say a huge thanks to the staff members, Julie and Margaret for the tour and support on that trip. They went above and beyond and showed us a newly discovered arch/doorway Shakespeare used to get into a dressing room too!

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Lynn VisitNorfolk Discover King's Lynn

Our September Newsletter has arrived 🌟

Diaries at the ready! We have lots in store for September 2024 and you're invited! Here you'll see what residents at Hickathrift House have to look forward to on our Monthly Activities Planner and what community events you are invited to at Hickathrift House!

This month we are hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning on the 13th from 10:30am to raise awareness and funds for this wonderful charity. We are also hosting an informative Dementia Cafe themed around life enrichment at home on the 2th of September.

As always, we hope you'll join us for these amazing activities and delicious refreshments. Please book your free space for our events by calling 01945 430636. Everyone is welcome!

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home
or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Gorefield Alpacas 🦙❤️

Hickathrift was full of animal mischief when a group of Alpacas came to visit the home’s residents, staff and friends who attended from the local community.

Everyone at Hickathrift House was pleasantly surprised to see their new furry friends roaming around the garden as Gorefield Alpacas paid a visit. The lovable animals, known for their beautiful soft fur, were welcomed with cheers, gasps, and laughter.

Everyone enjoyed stroking and feeding these stunning animals. The adorable animals even visited residents in rooms. We loved learning all about these incredible animals and company from owner, Krystal.

A huge thank you to Krystal, her team and the alpacas from Gorefield Alpacas !

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Monthly Monday Matinee 🎬🎥🍿

We are launching our newest reoccurring community event, the Monthly Monday Matinee! Join us on the 1st Monday of the month at 10:30am for our community film club, watching and discussing a different film each time.
We are kicking off with Davy Crockett. The area will be decorated accordingly, and an assortment of snacks provided. Please call to book.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Sandringham Outing

Residents took a wonderful trip in our minibus to Sandringham last week. Everyone enjoyed a hot cup of tea in the sunshine while reminiscing about past visits, a stroll around the beautiful greenery, a visit to the stunning St. Mary Magdalene Church, and an amazing picnic from our Head Chef Nicci. Before heading back we couldn't help ourselves and popped to the shop for a spot of retail therapy.

Nen shared stories of visiting here many times and Betty about when she visited with her husband as well as many other fond memories. Barbara was in awe of the church and we learnt about it's history while visiting.

A huge thank you to our lovely staff for joining us on the trip and making it even more special. If you'd like to join your loved one on any upcoming trips please don't hesitate to contact our Activities Team.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Employee of the month 🎉

Announcing last month's Employee of the Month...Violet!
Care assistant, Violet, was nominated by residents and staff for the Hickathrift Employee of the Month award. Residents commented how dedicated, compassionate and kind Violet is. Colleagues also commented how she's willing to help anyone and a very kind person who provides a personal centred care approach.

We appreciate all Violet does and thank you for your hard work and dedication. Well done Violet! We hope to celebrate many more over the years.

For more information about our team at Hickathrift House please visit: https://www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home/meet-the-team or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Weekly Activity Planner ✨

Take a look at our weekly activity planner for the week commencing on the 26th of August 2024. Our planner is designed based on the resident's interests, hobbies, and passions, and it is used in discussions in our residents' meetings and during our special resident-of-the-day chats.

We have various activities planned including the Barchester Bingo Bonanza Virtual Event and mobile library visit. This week the residents are off to Peckover Gardens, the Luxe Cinema for Andre Rieu show and our monthly shopping trip.

We are also inviting the community to our bi-monthly Knit and Natter group on Friday from 2:30pm. We hope to see you there. Don't forget to visit our entrance for our month-long community swap and sale event, so please feel free to browse the bookcase and swap your books, jigsaws and CDs!

Please note activities and outings may be subject to change.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Afternoon Tea Week ☕🫖

We celebrated this national occasion with a flavoured tea tasting trolley, tea themed poetry, tea cup flower arranging and recipe writing for the perfect baked food to go alongside a cuppa tea. Our recipes have been sent off to Lakeland Dairies for their Afternoon Tea Competition. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Gladys said, "What a beautiful set of poems. Makes me appreciate a cup of tea even more".

It was a lovely occasion that we all thoroughly enjoyed celebrating and socialising over.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

National Activity Providers Association

Read all about our entry and how we made second place ! 🏆

Ice cream sundae competition brings fun and creativity to Fens care home A care home in Wisbech has bagged the runner-up prize in a national Ice Cream Sundae contest.

Summertime 🐟⛱️

Residents have been thoroughly enjoying the summertime here at Hickathrift. We took a classic trip to get fish and chips and ice cream on the Hunstanton beach front, explored virtual tours of UK beaches with Oomph Wellness and listened to traditional seaside music while playing beach ball toss.

Gillian said, "This has been my favourite trip so far! It's been lovely watching the world go by at the beach and enjoying some good food. Everyone's been so nice and chatty to us too".

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Pimp my frame! 🛠️

A few weeks ago we asked residents if they'd like to deck out their frames and the response was amazing! Everyone loved choosing from their favourite images and discussing what they'd like on their frames.

Brenda selected the Wisbech Market because she went there on the train many times and holds fond memories. Barbara wanted red flowers and Ray wanted puppies. Kim is all about noodles and couldn't think of a more appropriate image for her frame. Everyone was so pleased with the final result and Majorie said she wanted her picture of Wisbech St Mary on the wall instead!

This project has not only sparked conversations but also helped residents recognise their own frames which are designed for them.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Calling all dogs and their owners!

We hope you'll join us this Monday for our Dog Cafe! Come enjoy a hot beverage with some treats for you and your pups!

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Retail Therapy 🛍️

Residents loved this fun filled trip to our local shops for a spot of retail therapy! These trips all started with residents suggesting them in our Residents' Meetings. Now we organise monthly shopping trips to wherever the residents wish, from clothing stores to supermarkets.

This month we grabbed new nail varnish colours and bingo prizes from chocolate to bath foam! We also loved exploring the local charity shops, reminiscing about what we've owned or our parents and of course the giant dog toy was very impressive!

Retail therapy trips help to encourage independence, provide a sense of familiarity and are so much fun, boosting our esteem. What local stores shall we suggest to visit next?

A huge thank you to our lovely volunteer, Myfanwy, one of our amazing Housekeepers for joining us!

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Meet the Team Tuesday 🌟

Senior Care Assistant - Carla

Introducing one of our Senior Care Assistants, Carla! Carla joined Hickathrift House in April 2021. Carla's role is to support the team and residents in medication, assessments, care plans or care reviews. In addition to helping residents enjoy each day by making sure they get the quality care and support they deserve.

Carla said, "My favourite part of the day is when I see the residents smile and knowing I helped make that happen".

For more information about our team at Hickathrift House please visit: https://www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home/meet-the-team

or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Book Lovers at Hickathrift 📚❤️

What a fantastic themed time we've had here at Hickathrift House. We had the pleasure of joining locals at the community book club at Marshland Hall and loved discussing the monthly book together. Staff dressed up as their favourite book characters for a fantastic book themed afternoon tea, where an assortment of books were provided to spark conversations and encourage new reads. Each table had a different theme from Westerns to The Great Gatsby. Our monthly book trolley was adored by everyone with an assortment of fiction and non fiction as well as large print and audiobooks available for all. Residents also enjoyed looking through an array of games about books together and discussing a variety of topics, from Winnie the Pooh to Jane Austen.

We've all had an incredible time and discovered several new amazing reads.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Weekly Activity Planner ✨

Take a look at our weekly activity planner for the week commencing on the 19th of August 2024. Our planner is designed based on the resident's interests, hobbies, and passions, and it is used in discussions in our residents' meetings and during our special resident-of-the-day chats.

We have various activities planned including celebrating National Fishing Month and our Hickathrift Carnival Day. This week the residents are off to Sandringham for a picnic, the Thursford Steam Engine Museum, fishing lakes, the Magic of Middle Earth exhibition in King's Lynn and our monthly Church service trip to the local Methodist Church.

We are also inviting family and friends of residents to the Relatives Meeting on the 23rd of August from 2:30pm. We hope to see you there. Don't forget to visit our entrance for our month-long community swap and sale event, so please feel free to browse the bookcase and swap your books, jigsaws and CDs!

Please note activities and outings may be subject to change.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Sunflower Outing🌻

We had an incredible time picking sunflowers at the Fairview Events in Emneth. The bright vibrant colours from the sunflowers danced in the sunshine. We just adored reminiscing about our own gardens and then helping brighten up the home with our assortment of sunflowers. The trip was made even more special as Carer, Julie, knitted each resident and staff member a beautiful sunflower to wear and keep to remember the experience!

We had a scenic drive back to Hickathrift as we enjoyed seeing the Emneth Scarecrows dotted around the village! It was so much fun seeing this amazing community event.

A huge thank you to the staff at Fairview Events and to our superb volunteers and staff for making this trip possible. Additionally to Julie for taking the time to make these beautiful keepsake sunflowers. And a huge thank you to everyone who took part in the Emneth Scarecrow Event, it really made our day!

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Caribbean Community BBQ & Party 🍖🌺

Wow! We had a fabulous time together with family, friends, residents, staff and volunteers today! We spent the afternoon chatting away over a glass of Pimms and plates full of delicious barbequed food prepared by our Head Chef Nicci! Residents also loved being joined by Walpole Whippy for a scrumptious ice cream!

After filling our bellies, we sang and danced to the lovely singing by KJ & The Catt! Residents, their loved ones and staff enjoyed dressing up for the event and singing summer time songs together.

It finished with a birthday sing along as it's KJs birthday today and Dan's tomorrow. Happy Birthday! We truly hope everyone who joined had a fabulous time.

A huge thank you to all the superb staff for making this such a spectacular event for all the residents and their loved ones. A special thank you to Lisa for volunteering and KJ and Dan for joining us on their birthday weekend ! A huge thank you to family members and community locals for joining us, with a particular shout out to Betty and Ken for helping with the garden the day before.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

Caribbean BBQ here we come ! 🍖🎶🥥

Residents and staff are getting prepared for this week's Caribbean BBQ with Gratitude 43 ! Debbie and residents have been busy making decorations and cutlery holders for our scrumptious Caribbean BBQ! Don't they look fabulous! Well done everyone.

We can't wait to see you on the 17th of August from 1pm to 3pm for a fantastic BBQ from our Head Chef Nicci and live entertainment from KJ & The Catt.

Everyone is welcome from loved ones to locals! Please call to let us know you'll be joining us to help us cater to all who attend.

For more information about life at Hickathrift House please visit: www.barchester.com/home/hickathrift-house-care-home or call: 01945 430636 to speak to a member of our friendly home team today ☺️

🍰 Happy 107th Birthday, Joyce! 🍰👏

Everyone at Kingswood Court Care Home in Bristol was over the moon to celebrate Joyce's 107th birthday recently.

On her special day, Joyce received nearly 900 birthday cards from well-wishers near and far! She was truly amazed by everyone’s outpouring love and support.

What's even more amazing is that ITV News and the BBC visited the home to capture this memorable occasion. Joyce's story is spreading joy far and wide.

A big thank you to all involved in making Joyce’s celebration such a success.

Join us in wishing Joyce a very happy birthday! 🎉

To find out more about life at Kingswood Court Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, please visit their website: https://www.barchester.com/home/kingswood-court-care-home

⭐ Staff and residents from Henford House Care Home in Warminster are rooting for their hard-core General Manager, who is taking on a mammoth 100km running challenge along the oldest path in Britain. ⭐

On Saturday, 13th July, Trish Alton will attempt to run the 100km Race to the Stones to raise money for Barchester's Charitable Foundation, which supports hundreds of vulnerable individuals and small charities in local communities, helping to prevent isolation and loneliness.

Trish first started running in 2020 after unintentionally signing up for the London Marathon, she got a charity place and so couldn’t turn it down. Since then, she has completed three marathons but admits she has never taken on a challenge this big before! She will be digging deep and using all of her grit, guts and determination to try to complete the gruelling 100km race towards the 5,000-year-old Avebury Standing Stones.

Everyone is hugely proud of Trish for attempting this run. 👏

🔗 If you'd like to support Trish, please click the link below:

Trish's 100km run for Barchester's Charitable Foundation Help Patricia Alton raise money to support Barchester's Charitable Foundation

👏 We are happy to share that Upton Bay Care Home in Poole has been awarded the ultimate accolade at the Dementia Care Awards - Best Dementia Care Team in the UK. 👏

The Dementia Care Awards celebrate outstanding practice in dementia services and recognise a commitment to deliver outcome-focussed, person-centred care for people living with dementia. The awards ceremony took place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, where teams from care homes across the UK competed for the prestigious awards, acknowledging accomplishments at all levels within the social care sector.

The team from Upton Bay was named the winner at a gala ceremony where their achievements were celebrated, and they were announced the winners of the Best Dementia Care Team category. The judges commented: “A truly amazing care home team who put the residents at the heart of their work. Fantastic projects and initiatives and the willingness to share best practice is what really set the Upton Bay team apart.”

Congratulations! 🥇

To find out more about life at Upton Bay Care Home - Barchester Healthcare, please visit their website: https://www.barchester.com/home/upton-bay-care-home