Bupa homes support UK Older People's Day

Launched by the Government, UK Older People's Day aims to create a positive view of later life, celebrate older people's achievements and ensure they feel included in society.

The day will be the focus of Bupa's Community Spirit Week, an annual initiative which helps tackle the problems of isolation amongst older people in the community.

This year over 200 Bupa care homes across the country are inviting local people to join their residents in a host of fun-packed activities ranging from quizzes and tea dances to afternoon teas and musical entertainment.

The local care homes taking part are Ancaster Court Nursing Home which will be hosting an afternoon tea party with musical entertainment on Wednesday from 2pm, and Grosvenor Park Nursing and Residential Home, which will stage a gymnastics display on Saturday October 4.

Jackie Travers, home manager at Ancaster Court Nursing Home, said, "UK Older People's Day is a great chance to bring communities together and celebrate later life. A lifetime of achievement and experience is something to be valued and we think it's really important to appreciate the role that older people play in our communities. Anyone who wants to come along and join us will be guaranteed a warm welcome."

Director of Bupa Care Homes, Dean Cowley, said, "We are delighted that so many events are taking place throughout the UK and that everybody is getting so involved. Both Bupa's Community Spirit Week and UK Older People's Day provide the perfect opportunity not only to recognise the contribution and achievements of older people, but also to ensure that older people feel valued and are an important part of our communities."

This is the fifth year that Bupa has organised Community Spirit Week, a joint project between Bupa Care Services and Bupa Community Connections. Since its launch in 2003, over 1,300 local Community Spirit Week events have been organised, with a record number of homes taking part this year.