Care Homes Stage their Own ‘Oscars Season’ with Awards and Music

Forget Hollywood, there was Oscars-style razzamatazz over here too as care home residents honoured the staff who look after them every day.

Team members at Colten Care’s Belmore Lodge in Lymington were rewarded for their hard work and friendliness with card trophies that residents designed and created in a fun ceremony amid smiles all round.

Nominees and winners included representatives from all home departments including clinical care, catering, administration, gardening and housekeeping.

Trophies were awarded for categories such as Best Sense of Humour, Best Smile, Loudest Laugh and Most Likely To Be Seen Running Round the Corridor.

The award for Best Twilight Performance went, perhaps unsurprisingly, to the whole nightshift team of nurses and healthcare assistants.

And there was much laughter when healthcare assistant Iulian Rusu was announced as winner of the award for Most Likely To Be Late, only to arrive five minutes late!

Home Manager Julie House read out the names of all nominees and announced the winners who then collected their trophies personally from the residents.

Colten Care Chief Executive Mark Aitchison, who attended the event as a special guest, said: “It was such a joy to see the joint fun between residents and staff. This was a fantastic idea by our residents keen to demonstrate their appreciation for everything that our team members do. After all the care sector has been through over the past couple of years, this showed a very different reality to what is sometime portrayed.”

Resident Maxine Pope said: “It was a nice way of bringing staff and residents together and specially to reward the hard work of the staff who selflessly ensure we are comfortable, safe and well looked after in such difficult times.”

Companionship Team Leader Sharon Semple said: “It was a lovely idea from our residents. They loved the afternoon and colleagues enjoyed their moment on the red carpet and the experience of winning an award.”

‘Oscars season’ at Colten Care also featured a concert of hits from film musicals at Avon Reach in Mudeford.
Companionship Team Leader and trained opera singer Chloe Akam delighted residents by performing songs from popular musicals.

She was accompanied on the piano by professional musician Kevin Pritchard while Colten Care’s Music and Arts Partner Fiona Pritchard gave rousing renditions of the Superman theme and other movie favourites on the French horn.

Residents received formal invitations for the concert and, on arrival, glasses of bubbly and party boxes of chocolates, diamante fabrics and party poppers. The lounge was specially decorated for the occasion with floating roses from florist Jules.

Resident Margaret Johnson said: “I thought it was fabulous. I really feel like I’ve been to the Oscars.”
Margaret’s thoughts were echoed by Noeleen Braisby who said: “I’ve had the most enjoyable afternoon. I loved the songs, I knew them well and they brought back wonderful memories of happy occasions.”

And Doreen Walls said: “I loved the whole thing. I knew as soon as the morning started and things were getting ready that we were going to have a wonderful time.”