Chartwell House Residents Take a Trip to Canada,

On Canada Day (1 July 2026), residents at Chartwell Care Home in Broadstairs packed their passports and headed to Canada. They were back in time for tea.

Armchair Travels is part of Chartwell’s Life Enrichment Programme, a framework built around six principles: to contribute, grow, reflect, feel, move, and connect. The idea is simple. Meaningful experiences don’t stop mattering as we get older. If anything, they matter more. And sometimes, the most powerful journeys are the ones that begin close to home.

This one began at a security checkpoint.

Before “boarding”, residents handed over their bags to ‘Officer Rachel’, who wanted to know whether they were carrying any liquids or weapons. Loose items were placed in a tray and sent along a makeshift conveyor belt. A gentle pat-down followed. Those who passed inspection were directed to the immigration desk, where ‘Immigration Officer Donna’ checked their passports, issued a Canadian stamp, and welcomed them to the country.

“We wanted to give residents the full experience,” said Taryn, Head of Lifestyle and Wellbeing. “Not just a video, but the real sense of going somewhere.”

With curtains drawn and lights turned down low, residents settled in to watch a travel guide to Canada on screen, maple and raisin pancakes in hand, with maple butter and maple syrup to match. For those in the room, it was about as close to a transatlantic flight as you can get without leaving Broadstairs.

The reactions told their own story. Christine had actually visited Canada, and spent much of the film saying “Oooh, I’ve been there!” before holding court afterwards with her own travel memories. May, who had never made the trip, was already looking ahead: “I thoroughly enjoyed that. I never went to Canada, so this was great. Where are we going next time?” Whilst Pat, filled the room with “oooohs”, “ahhhhs” and “wooooows” from start to finish.

Then there was Jeremy. He rarely joins in with group activities. At the end of the session, he sought Taryn out, shook her hand, and told her how wonderful it was.

“Seeing Jeremy do that, or watching Pat come alive during the film, those are the moments that stay with you,” Taryn said. “We can’t wait to see where we end up next.”

For Sarah, a newer resident, it was her very first activity at Chartwell. She arrived early, threw herself into it, and afterwards tracked down a member of staff with a question: her passport had been collected for safekeeping, and she wanted to know what happens when she needs it for the next trip.

Chartwell Care Home is part of Boutique Care Homes, a group of care homes across the South East built around the belief that exceptional care and a life well lived are not mutually exclusive.