☀️ A Summer to Remember at Orchard Healthcare ☀️
Fish and chips by the seaside, competitive games of boules, boat trips, live entertainment, music, laughter and milestones that once seemed a long way off – this summer has given us so much to celebrate at Orchard Healthcare.
As the summer draws to a close, we have been looking back at some of the moments that made it so special. And while there have been plenty of days out, activities and adventures along the way, what stands out most isn’t simply what people have done – it’s what those experiences have meant to them.
For the people we support, this summer has been about choice, independence, new experiences, personal achievements and making happy memories. For our team, it has been about finding ways to make those moments possible.
From two very different holidays and a laughter-filled summer sports day to an incredible personal milestone following more than a year of bed rest, there is a lot we are proud to share.
So, before we welcome autumn, we wanted to celebrate a few of the people and moments that made this a summer to remember.
🧳 Two Holidays, Two Very Different Adventures!
This summer, two of the people we support were able to enjoy their own holidays – and although their holidays looked very different, they were both planned around exactly what each person wanted to do.
One holiday was all about taking things at a more leisurely pace.
There were shorter walks during the day, trips out, fish and chips and, of course, plenty of ice cream! 🍦
A visit to the lavender fields was a particular highlight, including a trip to the distillery to learn more about how some of the drinks and cakes are made.
There was also time for the slot machines, where our service user could pretend they were taking part in their very own episode of Tipping Point! 🎰
The holiday entertainment was thoroughly enjoyed and helped make the evenings just as memorable as the days.
Our second holiday was a little more fast-paced!
There were miles and miles of walking, a coastal boat trip and the opportunity to hear the fascinating story of a shipwrecked pirate ship said to have been smuggling gold. There was also a visit to the Sea Life Centre and plenty of opportunities to explore.
Once again, the evening entertainment was a big part of the holiday, with Blues Brothers night being a definite highlight! 🎶🕶️
💙 Making It Possible
Both holidays were made possible with the support of our amazing Assistant Manager, Alison.
Alison accompanied both service users on their separate holidays, making sure that each person was able to pack in the things they wanted to do while enjoying everything at their own pace.
Supporting someone on holiday takes a huge amount of planning, responsibility and commitment, but it can also provide opportunities and experiences that are incredibly important to someone’s quality of life.
Alison is now creating individual photo albums for both service users so they can look back at their adventures and the happy memories they made.
Thank you, Alison, for going above and beyond to make both holidays so special. 💛
🏅 Orchard’s Summer Sports Day
The fun didn’t stop there!
We also held a Summer Sports Day at one of our supported living bungalows, bringing together service users, family members, friends, support staff, management and directors.
There was plenty of laughter, encouragement and, naturally, some healthy competition!
One particularly memorable moment was a very tense game of boules, with everyone watching to see who would come out on top!
But perhaps the perfect way to finish the day came when one of our service users sat down at the keyboard and showed everyone just how beautifully they can play. 🎹
What made the performance even more remarkable was knowing that they taught themselves to play.
It was a wonderful moment and a reminder of why creating opportunities for people to share their interests, talents and achievements is so important.
💛 Celebrating Progress
Some of the biggest achievements aren’t measured by how far someone travels or how many activities they complete.
Sometimes, something that might appear small to somebody else represents months of perseverance, teamwork and determination.
One of the people we support had been on bed rest for over a year due to complex health needs. Thanks to the dedication of everyone involved in their care, they have now reached the stage where they are able to spend periods of time out of bed in a specially selected recliner.
This has been a significant milestone.
It has only been possible through close collaboration with the wider multidisciplinary team (MDT) and the commitment of our fantastic support workers, who have carefully followed professional guidance and supported the person consistently throughout their recovery.
Just as importantly, our team recognised that prolonged bed rest affects far more than someone’s physical health.
Throughout this period, staff have continued to provide positive social interaction, conversation, companionship and meaningful engagement, helping to protect the person’s emotional and mental wellbeing while their physical recovery progressed.
We are incredibly proud of everyone involved.
🌻 More Than Care
Looking back over the summer, these moments capture what we want support at Orchard Healthcare to be about.
It is about the holiday.
It is about the ice cream.
It is about laughing over a competitive game of boules.
It is about playing the keyboard for an audience.
It is about achieving something today that might not have seemed possible a year ago.
And it is about having people around you who recognise that your interests, choices, relationships, experiences and happiness matter.
As we say goodbye to summer and head into autumn, we would like to say a huge thank you to our service users, families, friends, support workers, management team, directors and wider professionals who continue to work together.
Most importantly, congratulations to the people we support for everything they have achieved.
Here’s to the next season, the next adventure and many more memories to come. 💙💛
Orchard Healthcare