For residents in care homes, celebrating Christmas can evoke a sense of community and belonging. It provides an opportunity for them to come together, share experiences, and bond. This sense of togetherness is crucial for making a resident feel at home. To help your care home get ready for Christmas, we have pulled together our five top tips…
First up, whip up some festive recipes!
Chef Wayne’s go-to recipe is apple and cinnamon tea, a warm cup of Christmas! With minimal ingredients and a short cooking time, you can let the beautiful aromas flow through the home helping you create a festive atmosphere. This drink is also a great idea to help boost hydration in the winter. Simply place lemons, cinnamon, honey, apples, a small orange and water into a pan. Then, you will need to bring it to the boil, then leave it to simmer for thirty minutes. Strain and serve it warm in a mug.
For the full nutritional information and ingredients ask your Account Manager to add it to your Bidfood Direct account. Looking for more festive drink inspiration? Explore recipes from Bidfood here to see more.
Tip two, it is all about helping create a unique atmosphere to capture and engage the resident.
From pulling out your best decorations to adding some festive tunes on the radio, it can really make people feel joyful and a part of the celebrations.
To help support you with ideas, posters and recipes make sure you check out our theme days guide.
Tip three, add a bold Christmas twist to your menu.
Christmas is the perfect opportunity to get your residents to enjoy their meal times. From snacking to dinner, you can really twist their favourites with a sprinkle of Christmas innovation! You can also explore your style of service to make it more of an occasion, for example, can you carve the meat in the dining hall? This will not only help build the aromas in the room to entice appetite, but it will also bring your chef into the spotlight.
Why not treat your residents to the royal experience?
Take a look at our feast for royals here… Have you explored our wholesale Christmas food and drink range? It is filled with some excellent cutlery-free dining options, delicious desserts and more.
Tip four, get creative with your activities!
From gingerbread decorating to Christmas hat making, there are hundreds of activities that will go down a treat with your residents. Activities are also a great chance for family members to get involved! You could even host a competition in your home and get all the residents and staff to vote for their favourite entries… To help support you with just a few activity ideas, check out our latest theme day pack here and head to the Christmas section.
We would love to see what creative activities you get up to, make sure to tag us on social media (@BidfoodUK).
Tip five, bring some nostalgia to your home!
Christmas is a chance for everyone to feel a sense of nostalgia. Encourage your residents to share their favourite Christmas recipes, memories and stories. You could even encourage the residents to get creative by doing a joint collage with all their favourite cut-outs from Christmas-inspired paper and magazines. Whilst they are creating this artwork, you could bring some of their favourite childhood recipes in the kitchen (have you heard about Chef Wayne’s spam katsu sandwich?
Make sure you speak to your Account Manager today about this wholesome throwback treat). To help take your residents back in time, why not take a look at our nostalgic menu and activities? You can view those here or in our previous blog: How to bring Nostalgia into care homes.
We hope those tips help you feel inspired for all the festivities. Don’t forget to tag us on social media, we would love to see how your care home celebrates Christmas.
Read more about how we support our care customers here: Care homes food suppliers and menu ideas.
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