Seeing the benefits of arts in care homes for National Day of Arts in Care Homes 2023

Art can take many different forms, from singing and dancing, to visual arts, or even everyday creativity such as arts and crafts.

Arts and creativity are an important part of the activities we offer at Exemplar Health Care. Whether it’s a painting session, pottery class or singing to karaoke, we love it!

Creative activities in care homes bring joy, promote reminiscence and give the people we support the chance to take part in activities that matter to them.

This National Day of Arts in Care Homes, we’re sharing some of the ways we incorporate the arts into everyday life.

Singing the karaoke classics

Singing can be beneficial for memory, thinking skills and connections to emotions. It can also boost self-esteem and overall wellbeing.

Many of the people we support love to take to the microphone and treat their fellow residents to renditions of their favourite songs.

Lee from Otterburn loves an afternoon of singing, dancing and entertaining.

Singing in groups can also be therapeutic as it increases confidence and encourages socialising.

Here’s a photo from Lily Unit at Bennett Court care home in Pontefract singing along with Amanda from Singalong Days.

Celebrating people’s talents in Exemplar’s Got Talent

This Summer we hosted a talent competition where colleagues and residents came together to perform, dance, sing and enjoy showing off their hidden talents.

Throughout the afternoon, we enjoyed an enthusiastic performance from the team at Parkside, with their rendition of ’Is this the way to Amarillo’, including a giant Panda!

The ladies from Dearnevale gave us a beautiful performance of Patsy Clines’s classic ‘Crazy’.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Willowbeck took to the stage for their performance of ‘Somebody to lean on’.

Arts and crafts for awareness days

Hosting arts and crafts sessions can provide a creative outlet whilst promoting social interaction within groups.

The team at Willowbeck recently took part in an exciting project, taking donations of old clothes and transforming them into something new.

Everyone then took to the cat walk in a fashion show, to show off their latest wardrobe additions!

We also love making decorations and masterpieces for events and celebrations throughout the year, including Christmas, Halloween and special awareness days.

Janet at Longley Park View made and painted her own lamp to celebrate Hanukah in their home.

Dawn, Activities Coordinator from Longley Park View told us: “Janet says she loves joining in with arts and crafts she says she especially likes it when we do big projects such as paper mache animals.

“She also enjoys colouring in mindfulness pictures too.”

Making everyday creativity count

Not all arts have to be done on stage with a spotlight.

Everyday creativity can bring joy and fulfilment to people’s lives by keeping their minds active and sparking imagination. 

Residents at Quarryfields care home in Doncaster enjoy making tasty treats together.

By offering various activities for people to get involved in, people may find themselves finding a new hobby or forming connections with others through doing something that they love.

Here’s a photo from Cheshire Springs, unleashing their creative side by making their own pizzas for tea.

At Exemplar Health Care, we strive to make every day better for the people we support, in every way possible. Being creative can really bring out the best in people.

Are you interested in supporting people to bring out their best through the arts? Our care and activities roles enable you to do just that.

Visit our online job search to see our current vacancies.