National Activity Providers Association (NAPA) challenge 2014. - Ashgrove House

Recipient: Ashgrove House

Date: Wednesday 01 Oct 2014

The NAPA Challenge is open to all care homes in the country and challenges for the best participants in a themed event. The Challenge this year took the theme of Around the World.

The home regularly enters the NAPA Challenge and came runners up in the competition two years ago. However, the approach the home took had to be adapted due to the vast differences in capability, skills, interests, abilities, needs and tastes of residents at the 34-bed home.

Most residents are highly dependent and frail, aged between 48yrs and 102yrs. Their problems vary from moderate to late stage dementia, bariatric, stroke, brain injury or physical disability

To decide how to enter the Challenge, Ashgrove staff set up residents groups to discuss and agree how to best tackle the Challenge and what they would like to do. Residents were keen to experience different foods and drinks from around the world and to find out more about different cultures and different ways of living around the world.

The complete range of activities chosen centred on residents’ own experiences and interests. Each resident chose their favourite holiday destination and staff created a postcard of each place. If someone had difficulty expressing their interests, their relatives helped with the information so everyone could be involved. This alone provoked a lot of memories and talk about holidays and differing ways of life.

The cards reached across the globe – from Hawaii to Australia and from Italy to India

Activities included food tasting, introducing residents to tagliatelli, moussaka and Moroccan lamb for instance and an Indian pamper evening with henna tattoos, head massage and sari demonstration. Residents were also encouraged to take part in plate smashing, exotic gardening, using Skype to communicate with America and songs from around the world.

The Challenge entry was led by Activities Manager, Hilary Grout and her assistant Tracy Cowley, who also brought several local entertainers as well as staff from Westonbirt Arboretum into the home which residents enjoyed.

The NAPA judges said they were particularly impressed by the inclusivity and resident decision making, the staff enthusiasm and the sheer variety and innovation of the activities.

Keith Trowbridge, owner of Ashgrove House, said: “We have such diversity amongst our residents that having a comprehensive and innovative range of activities to appeal to everyone is a key priority at Ashgrove House.

“Winning this NAPA Challenge is a fantastic achievement and a great recognition of the efforts put in by Hilary and Tracy, with the support of all the staff here helping to make Ashgrove House such a happy and inspirational environment.’’

For more information on Ashgrove House Nursing Home, visit www.ashgrovehouse.net or call 01793 771449.