Children join Chester care home residents for spook-tacular Halloween celebrations

A care home in Chester is ‘creeping it real’ with local children this Halloween.    

Residents at Care UK’s Deewater Grange, on Chester Road, were joined by youngsters from local childminding group, Nature’s Nest, for an afternoon of pumpkin picking fun. 

The team organised a special visit for residents and youngsters to local pumpkin patch, Magical Malpas Pick Your Own Farm. Residents Margaret Bugh, aged 89, Eileen Wagstaff, aged 82, and Sally Webster, aged 86, were delighted to welcome the children to help pick the best pumpkins for this year’s Halloween decorations at the home.

After picking their favourite ones, the pumpkins were placed in the home’s lounge to help everyone get into the spooky spirit.

Commenting on the fun-filled day, Eileen said: “Every time I see the children it’s lovely, it makes my day – they all looked so cute in their pumpkin costumes I can't help saying aww!" 

Margaret added: “I love seeing all the children, and we've started building friendships with them now. Having the children there with us made it extra special and the best part of my day was seeing how happy they were and watching them splash in the muddy puddles. It reminds me of when I was small!” 

Sally Cooper, Home Manager at Deewater Grange, said: “Our pumpkin picking activity certainly got everyone into the spooky spirit in the lead up to Halloween. Here at Deewater Grange, we are always looking to plan interesting and exciting activities for residents, and Halloween gave us a great opportunity to organise some ‘hocus pocus’ fun with our younger friends. 

“Special events like this one are a fang-tastic opportunity to encourage residents to reminisce. Many remember decorating their home, carving pumpkins with their children or helping pick a costume, and it was great to hear residents sharing their stories of Halloween’s past with the youngsters. 

“We’d like to say a big thank you to Nature’s Nest for a wonderful afternoon and for helping us pick our gourd-geous new decorations. The pumpkins now feature in our front window and will certainly give passers-by ‘pumpkin to talk’ about this Halloween.”

Deewater Grange is a state-of-the-art home which provides full-time residential, dementia and nursing care. The home has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, and incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities, including its own café, bar, cinema as well as a hair and beauty salon. The layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.