A Glasgow care home had Santa and his reindeer drop by this week to visit the residents and help kick start their Christmas celebrations.
Bupa’s Darnley Court Care Home welcomed Dasher, Blitzen and friends to bring the festive spirit and all of the residents and over 100 local children were given the honour of switching on the lights to decorate the home and its outdoor Christmas tree.
The school children from two local primary schools, St Angela’s and Darnley Primary, attended the event to sing traditional carols and Christmas songs, with residents and staff encouraged to join in the sing-a-long.
Residents and guests, including Santa, then enjoyed a range of festive treats, including mince pies, all washed down with a cosy hot chocolate or mug of mulled wine. The children were also gifted a selection box each, to say thank you for singing.
Rachel Ainsworth, home manager at Bupa’s Darnley Court Care Home, says: “As Christmas can be a lonely time of year for many people, we always have lots going on for the residents in December and encourage activities that will help spread a little joy during the holiday season.
“With this in mind, we wanted to kick off the festivities early so the residents are able to fully enjoy everything we have on offer in the month ahead.
“We all very much enjoyed having Santa come and spend the day with us and it was lovely getting to meet the reindeers. As well as being fun, spending time with animals can also be therapeutic for our residents as it is relaxing and social activity.
“It was also great for the local school children to be able to come along as our guests. The children had obviously worked really hard to learn the songs and it was so rewarding to see everyone singing along. Carol singing is one activity in particular our residents look forward to at Christmas time, so it was fantastic for them to be able to take part this year.”
