Orchard Care Homes give activities some Oomph!

Orchard Care Homes, one of the UK’s leading care providers for the elderly, is pulling out all the stops to create fun, engaging and inclusive activities for its residents.

The organisation has partnered with Oomph!, a company that aims to enhance mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of people through innovative exercise and activities, in an activities programme for all of its 40 homes across the country. 

Tom Brookes, CEO at Orchard Care Homes, says the company will continue to deliver the very highest standard of care to every resident. He commented: “My commitment to the residents across all of our care homes is to have hope and optimism for their future and to enjoy life to the full. Activities in our homes are tailored to the wishes, needs, life stories and interests of our residents and our partnership with Oomph! enables us to provide activities that create a genuine connection between the past and present.”

Taking a whole-home approach to activities, staff have undergone training on Oomph!’s Wellbeing Leadership programme, designed to give them the skills to create and sustain a person-centred plan of varied exercise and activities for residents to enjoy.

The programme includes a series of skills workshops, including Oomph! Nature, which has been designed in partnership with Kew Gardens. Homes have already completed a vast range of skills workshops, including one which focused on music therapy and one which focused on mindfulness and relaxation. These workshops aim to encourage residents to try something new – or rediscover lost passions. 

Through Oomph! Nature, residents will be encouraged to get outdoors and appreciate nature more – or have the opportunity to bring the outside in, through adaptations to fit their needs and abilities. The new content will ensure that the wellbeing programmes at the homes are continually fresh and exciting.

Additionally, engaging days out to a range of destinations will be run, with trip experiences created through partnerships with the National Trust and HQ Theatres. The trips aim to connect residents to the people and places that matter most to them and have previously included unexpected locations, such as gin distilleries, monkey sanctuaries and racing tracks. Getting out and about is an essential part of both mental and physical wellbeing, and these trips will provide stimulating and fun experiences for both residents and staff alike.

Jackie Murray,  Regional Director for Orchard Care Homes, says; “Oomph! Out and About is an amazing programme that has impacted massively on residents’ health and wellbeing throughout our homes in the North East. The feedback from residents, families, managers and staff is always so positive and uplifting.”

Ben Allen, Oomph!’s CEO and Founder, said: “Oomph! is delighted to be working with the Orchard Care Homes’ team. It’s a privilege to be an integral part of the organisation’s activity provision. We share the same values and drive for innovation and are delighted to be adding additional fun and engagement to resident activities!”