Gardeners and gardening.

At the start of autumn, it's time to think about spring in the garden.

Despite the grey skies, Mick and Nathan are hard at work in the grounds, and have done some fairly radical work on the walled garden outside the dining room.  There are plans to introduce more raised planters in this area to increase the opportunities for residents to have their own part of the garden to take care of.  We shall also be updating the garden room, which will open up this area, and make it much more usable.  

The existing raised planters on the main terrace needed some new plants, as the summer bedding was starting to get a bit tatty. A few of us went out to the garden centre to some bulbs and winter pansies.

 
The following week, the gardening club set about the physical work of stripping out the old plants from the containers and re-planting for the winter.

Shy and retiring?

This month we said goodbye to Jeanette from the housekeeping team, who has retired.  It was her intention to leave 'without a fuss', before lunch, avoiding the traditional speech in the dining room.... 


However, we simply got all the residents together, and ambushed her with a coffee morning instead!

Music at Sharnbrook House - at the heart of well-being

We have a regular programme of music sessions at Sharnbrook House, many of our visitors will be familiar with our afternoon and evening concerts. Some sessions are also participatory events, whether structured workshops, or a more informal sing-a-long format. It has long been accepted that music is a very powerful tool for accessing memory, so quite apart from the enjoyment that residents derive from these sessions, music helps to reinforce their sense of self, reminding them of the people they are.

Music Therapy

In addition to the regular social programme, we are mindful of the the needs of residents who are isolated by increasing frailty. It is always our aim to provide person-centred care, and an important part of this is ensuring that residents continue to have the opportunity for enjoyment and self-expression. We are delighted to be working with the Tibbs Dementia Foundation to provide individualised music therapy sessions for selected residents. Residents work with a qualified music therapist, who visits once a week. The Tibbs Dementia Foundation also runs 'Music for Memory' groups in the Bedford area.

The Fruits of Autumn

A serious business.....

It's that time of year again, when the prudent housekeeper looks forward to the festive season, and starts planning for the months ahead. Among the most important of the tasks of late September is making the sloe gin that enlivens the Christmas table.

 After the sloes have been pierced with a fork, the sugar and gin is added to the Kilner jar.  The jar should be shaken gently once a day until the sugar dissolves.  Keeping it in a dark place helps to preserve the colour. In early December we will strain out the sloes and bottle it, so that it will be ready for Christmas day.

And here's some we made earlier......

last year's production was a mixture of hedgerow fruits; sloes, damsons and bullaces.

For quality control purposes, it was thought necessary to sample the 2013 vintage to check that it is still drinkable. Residents selflessly volunteered for this duty, commenting "Ooh, that's quite strong isn't it?" and "This glass isn't big enough". Once made, the sloe gin will keep almost indefinitely, and the taste will mellow as it ages.