Orchard House Care Home

Orchard House Light the Way for Epic Olympic Campaign with Spectacular Opening Ceremony

The global pandemic might have stopped the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but nothing was going to stop Orchard House Care Home from taking part in RCH Care Homes’ #RCHOlympians Campaign.

Residents and the team from the Residential Dementia and Nursing home have been busy scheduling and enjoying several Olympic and sporting themed events and activities over the two weeks the Olympic Games would have occurred had they gone ahead. One of the campaign’s aims was to highlight the active lifestyles on o er at the home, a lifestyle which encourages and enables residents to continue their passions and interests, and which helps them receive the many bene ts of remaining active as they age. Given the last 5 months, the campaign’s other aim was to simply bring residents and sta from all departments together to share stories, create memories, and to enjoy moments of fun, laughter and lightness.

Well, Team Orchard House did just that, taking up the baton and rising to the challenge to make their part of the campaign a gold-winning success.

The home in Wisbech helped launch the campaign with their very own alternative Opening Ceremony. Organised by the team and residents, the ceremony included a socially distanced parade around the gardens of RCH’s Olympians and torchbearers which included a celebration of the diverse nationalities of residents and team members who live and work at the home, followed by a lighting of an ‘Olympic Torch’. All of the Orchard House team got involved and supported the residents to take an active part in the Opening Ceremony. Home Manager Maxine Bain shared the highlights of the ceremony, “The Opening Ceremony provided a wonderful lead up to the start of the Games. During the Opening Ceremony, spirits were high and there was lots of laughter and cheer.”

Residents and members of the Orchard House team took part in their very own ‘Olympic Games’ including, football and tennis tournaments, shot put and discus competitions. The residents at Orchard House are, without a doubt, extremely competitive, pushing themselves to try and be their best to get a spot on the podium. As in the Olympics, heats were held and there were places for third, second and, naturally,  rst. The home wrapped up the campaign with a virtual Team Relay which crossed counties and other care homes before crossing the  nish line.

Maxine re ected upon the positive e ect the #RCHOlympians Campaign had, “The days were wonderful in terms of physical wellbeing and positive wellbeing through laughter and cheer. Due to the success of the events and participation, there are going to be more Team Orchard Events to come.’

The Olympic series highlights just one of many ways in which RCH Care Homes encourages and enables our residents to continue their passions and interests, and how age is not a limitation or obstacle to remaining active.