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Top Tips for Celebrating the Platinum Jubilee in Your Care Home

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is almost upon us and the country’s longest-serving monarch is celebrating an impressive 70 years on the throne. Whether you are a firm fan of monarchy or not, completing such a lengthy reign is worth making a fuss about. At the very least, it gives us a great excuse to enjoy a good party over the extended Bank Holiday weekend.

Many care home residents will have happy memories of previous jubilee celebrations, with some remembering the Coronation itself. Here are some ideas to help your staff and residents celebrate the occasion – and some tips on how to use your care home management software to make the planning run smoothly.

Open house

Replicate the inclusive nature of street parties happening up and down the land by throwing open your doors to visitors to join you for some Platinum partying. Invite friends and families of residents, as well as regular visitors such as hairdressers, therapists, entertainers and more. Use your electronic visitors book records to pull together an invitation list. This will help you plan in advance how many people are going to attend so that you can find room and cater for them. On the day of your party, you can use the electronic visitors book to work out who is on site at what times to keep everyone comfortable and safe.

Fifties food

Plan a menu that takes people back to when the Queen first ascended the throne. As well as traditional Coronation Chicken, sausage rolls etc,. do some research into what people enjoyed eating and drinking in the 1950s. Ask your residents what they remember and what they would like to eat over the Bank Holiday weekend. Use the catering function on your care home management software to plan menus and budget for the special food and drink you plan to serve. Could you invest in some red, white and blue tablecloths, tea cups or plates for the occasion?

Day trips down the decades

An alternative way to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee without having a huge party in your care home is to plan day trips for residents who are keen to mark the occasion. Locations depend on where your care home is based, but some fun options could include royal residences, castles, National Trust or English Heritage properties or places with a link to 1950s music, culture, literature, history, scientific achievements or fashion. Use our care home management software to plan staffing, budget, risk assessments and residents’ requirements around medication while out and about.

Music and memories

For a gentler, yet no less nostalgic trip down memory lane, download some 1950s music and plan an afternoon of musical memories. Or work out a more diverse play list that includes tracks from all seven decades of the Queen’s reign. Ask residents for their favourite memories from the 1950s and other decades and invite them to talk about their experiences over tea and cake. You could encourage people to bring along photograph albums, dig out vintage clothing to marvel at fashions gone by or have an enjoyable few hours making patriotic bunting. The beauty of spending a few hours with your residents in familiar surroundings is that you can jog happy memories, mark the occasion calmly and bring everyone together for a lower financial outlay than a full-on day trip or party would entail. Less pressure on staffing requirements too!

Quiz night

Finally, get everyone’s grey cells working with a Jubilee themed quiz night (or afternoon). You can find questions about the different decades, royal family trivia, music, sport and culture online. Draw up teams – use the staffing rota function on your care home management software to work out which staff will be on site and put them into a team versus the residents. Check the electronic visitors book to see if any visitors will be around too, and happy to take part. Plan some Jubilee themed refreshments halfway through, such as tea and cake, a picnic spread or fish and chips wrapped in paper. The winning team get to be kings and queens for the next day.

Care Vision wishes everyone a wonderful Platinum Jubilee long weekend – however you choose to celebrate or spend it!

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