Hobbies & Interests

Staying Active, Maintaining Independence

Our Companionship Teams work with residents every day to actively encourage independence and engagement, and to build new friendships with other residents.

Through a programme of carefully planned activities, we give residents the opportunity to continue their long-held hobbies or to discover new ones, sharing those experiences with other like-minded residents.

Regular exercise classes support residents in their ability to maintain independence. We do everything from armchair yoga, tai chi and stretch and flex, to more progressive dance and movement activities such as cardio drumming.

Dedicated Companionship Team

Our dedicated Companionship Teams’ role within our homes is to plan, organise and deliver an exciting and engaging programme of activities specifically tailored to the wishes of residents.

We’re very conscious that providing residents with choice with how and where they spend their day is extremely important, and that may mean choosing to be alone and not take part in group activities. Its whatever works for the resident that is important.

Activities are varied and our Companionship Teams work hard to continuously adapt the programme to reflect residents’ individual tastes and preferences.

There will always be some residents who cannot take part in the full range of activities and others who simply choose not to.

Those who prefer not to or those who cannot join in group sessions can still enjoy the company, conversation and practical help of a Colten Companion who will visit them in their room or elsewhere in the home, offering time to help with day-to-day tasks, pastimes and activities or simply time to sit and chat one on one.

Maintaining a Meaningful Connection To The Local Community

Our job is not only to promote a sense of community within our homes, but to help our residents maintain a meaningful connection with the local community close to our home.

This could be inviting the local community to an event held within a home, attending a summer fete or Christmas festival, welcoming school children to the home or raising money for a local charity.

Community means as much to us as it does to our residents, and we work hard to maintain our position as a pillar of the local community.

Making Resident Wishes Come True

Our philosophy of care “All About Me” allows us to really get to know and understand our residents.

We’re committed to ensuring our residents live fulfilled lives on their terms. Each resident has a ‘This Is Me’ file to help everyone involved in their care get to know their likes, dislikes and preferences. We use a “can do” approach to ensure we’re always doing what we can to make residents’ wishes come true.

For some, a wish can be as simple as stroking a horse in a field again, but we have made some more adrenaline-filled wishes come true in the past, such as flying a spitfire and riding a motorbike!