Care Home Idol is on the hunt for a star in UK's care homes

Care Home Idol is on a quest to find the care home residents with the best singing voices and the fanciest footwork.

The popular contest, which has just launched, sees residents from all over the UK showing off their talents.

Many people living in care homes lead active and fulfilling lives and this is an opportunity to see what they get up to.

Will Blackwell, chief executive of carehome.co.uk, which hosts the online competition, said: “We are delighted to be running Care Home Idol again. The contest is very important to us as it enables people to see the warm relationships that exist between residents and staff.

“It also breaks down the barriers between the care home and the outside world by giving a fascinating glimpse into residents’ lives.

“In the past we have had the Oldest Choir in the World, a Welsh ladies choir as well as a touching video of a care worker dancing with a woman with dementia to the Monkees’ ‘Daydream Believer’.

“We have also had short films, choreographed dances and heartwarming duets. We look forward to receiving everyone’s entries.”

Winning Care Home Idol makes a big difference to care home residents and staff.

In 2016, the competition was won by a Welsh women’s choir at Alastair House in Rhyl, with their rendition of ‘Any Dream Will Do’. Care home owner Lakhansi Keshwalla, said: “The video enabled us to share this beautiful moment with everyone.

“Daily activities play a vital role at the home and the residents love participating in choir singing every week, it is a joyful experience for them. We are a dementia care home and daily activity helps our residents to stimulate their mind and body.”

Alan Sheldon, the owner of Mayflower Care Home, which was a Care Home Idol finalist back in 2013, recalls “we had so much fun making the video and even more watching it online. There is a bit of a stigma surrounding care homes but hopefully Care Home Idol goes some way to counteracting these opinions.”

The winner of Care Home Idol will be selected in February 2019 and will be awarded a cash prize and a trophy.

Care homes can upload their Care Home Idol entries via their carehome.co.uk control panel.

For more information and to view entries from previous years click here