Hobbies & Interests
We understand that staying physically and mentally active can have a profound effect on our wellbeing. Newstone House has a dedicated Companionship Team whose role within the home is to plan, organise and deliver an exciting and engaging programme of activities specifically tailored to the wishes of residents.
Staying Active, Maintaining Independence
Our team actively encourages residents to remain independent and engaged, making decisions for themselves, maintaining existing relationships and making new ones, as well as offering residents the opportunity to continue long-held hobbies, or discover new ones.
Regular exercise classes are held to mix up traditional practice, including everything from chair yoga and stretch, to more progressive dance and movement activities such as Biodanza.
Our personal identity continues to develop throughout life, and by learning new skills, residents can feel a sense of achievement and personal progress.
Dedicated Companionship Team
Newstone House has a dedicated Companionship Team whose role within the home is to plan, organise and deliver an exciting and engaging programme of activities specifically tailored to the wishes of residents.
We are very conscious that providing residents with choice in 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.
Our activities are never ‘forced fun’ and our Companionship Team works 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 don’t want to.
Those who prefer not to join in 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.
Activities Calendar
Organised activities contribute to the sense of community at Newstone House. Activity helps to sustain both physical and mental health and it is important that our residents are able to maintain their interests and have opportunities to develop new ones.
Our activities organisers draw on the interests of each individual and try to reflect their views and ideas. We regularly organise visits by musicians and entertainers. We want our activity programme to have something for everyone, whether it is a pub quiz, a trip out of the home, or a visit by a local school or community group.
Maintaining a Meaningful Connection To The Local Community
Our job is not only to promote a sense of community within the home, but to help our residents maintain a meaningful connection with the local community our home serves.
This could be inviting the local community to an event held within the 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, not only learning about who they are, but who they want to be and what they want to do.
We’re committed to ensuring our residents live fulfilled lives on their terms, and so using a positive risk assessment approach, we do what we can to make our 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 virtual spitfire and riding a motorbike!
“The chat with other residents make me socially active and the activities here are wonderful. Especially the quiz, puzzles and cinema room experience.” – P S, resident at Newstone House
Thanks for the moments!
Enjoy a selection of snaps capturing the fun across the Colten Care family of care homes.
See if you can spot the residents and Companions of Newstone House!
Kathryn enjoying her painting session
Rita mixing the chocolate brownie mix
Rosemary planting bulbs in gardening club
Phillip helping out in the garden
Pat enjoying puppy cuddles
Linda with her beautiful flower arrangement
Kathryn picking fresh flowers from the garden
Barbara creating a portrait picture for the produce show
John planting flowers
Shirley decorating her cupcakes
Our Residents’ Charity Of Choice
It’s the residents’ choice who to raise money for each year and together they are coming up with some great ideas. Putting a charity focus into our activity programme is a lovely way of building links with other community organisations.
Residents and staff at Newstone House had a wonderful time holding some fantastic fundraising events to raise money for the homes chosen charity of 2022, Friends of Stour Connect.
All 21 of Colten Cares homes took part in raising money for their chosen charities, and raised an amazing combined total of £17,044.64 in 2022, with Newstone house contributing £459.50.
Friends of Stour Connect will be the charity of choice at Newstone House for 2023.
Keep Exploring
Nutritious Mealtimes
Food and drink are critical to our well-being in so many ways. Our chef will provide a diet that is not only full of choice, but is also wholesome, nutritious, well-balanced and right for our residents.
Minibus Trips
Our home has regular access to one of our four modern and well-equipped minibuses. The professional drivers liaise with the Companionship Team and residents to understand their preferences and provide access through half-day or full-day trips, getting out and about to enjoy the local sights, often taking packed-lunches, snacks, hot coffee and tea.
Music & Arts
Music and the arts play an important and powerful part in all our lives. Whether it be through music, movement, storytelling, singing, drama, reading or writing poetry, our home offers each resident the opportunity to explore the many ways in which music and creative arts can enrich their wellbeing.
Your Garden
Many of our residents have enjoyed a love of gardens and gardening throughout their lives. To ensure this passion continues, we strive to make our outdoor living spaces dementia friendly, accessible, interactive and stimulating and encourage residents to take a keen interest in the gardens.
Housekeeping & Maintenance
We take care of the daily housekeeping and maintenance responsibilities so our residents don’t have to. Feeling warm and safe in our homes and having peace of mind are just two of the benefits our residents enjoy from the personally tailored care we provide.
We’re Here For You
Whether you’d like an initial chat about the care we provide, you have a question about our all-inclusive fees, or you’d like more information about our beautiful home, we’re here to help.