Love is all around as Colten Care residents and staff celebrate Valentine’s
Love was in the air and heartfelt messages were exchanged as care homes across the south held festive get-togethers to mark Valentine’s Day.
All 21 of our homes in Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire joined in the fun of the annual celebration of love.
At Brook View in West Moors, Dorset, husband and wife residents Pam and Trevor Clark shared the romantic limelight with a married couple among their care team, Healthcare Assistants Shadreck and Laetitia Rushambha.
Both couples were presented with surprise gifts of flowers and chocolates during a pink-and-red-themed community Tea & Togetherness afternoon.
Dorset couple Pam and Trevor, who have been married for 58 years, lived in Ringwood and Wimborne before retiring to nearby St Ives.
Pam said they had never especially celebrated Valentine’s until they both moved to Brook View three years ago.
“We’ve made up for it now,” she added. “Everyone pushed the boat out this year and we had a very happy occasion. The dining room was decorated with traditional red roses and pink balloons. It was beautiful.”
After witnessing Trevor putting a rose between his teeth, Pam was even heard to joke with carers: “I think it’s the most romantic thing he’s ever done.”
Adding to the romance of the occasion was visiting singer Bee Chumley who performed a selection of 50s and 60s love songs.
Companion Rebecca Grimsey said: “We all shared the love at Brook View and relished the friendly community atmosphere
“To top it off, our chef Jack Wood baked and served a beautiful cake which delighted our residents and guests.”
At Amberwood House in Ferndown, the Valentine’s focus was on heartwarming connections between young and not so young as the children of team members presented roses to residents.
Each flower carried a message about love or friendship. One read: ‘Life is best when it’s got plenty of good friends and great adventures’.
Companion Kirsty Richmond Cole said: “Gifting the flowers was a small gesture but a touching way to remind our residents how loved and valued they are. The children’s presence filled the room with smiles, laughter, kindness and togetherness.”
Among Valentine’s celebrations at other homes, two resident couples at Bourne View in Poole, June and Keith Osborne and Margaret and John Taylor, were presented with flowers and chocolates during morning coffee.
At The Aldbury, a dedicated dementia care home in Poole, residents created a heart-shaped artwork adorned with written messages about love and friendship.
A ‘picnic on the love bus’ was on offer for residents at Abbey View in Sherborne courtesy of a minibus trip to the Bulbarrow Hill viewpoint overlooking the Blackmore Vale.
And there were Valentine’s-themed lunches, afternoon teas and other events at homes such as Castle View in Poundbury, Newstone House in Sturminster Newton, Kingfishers in New Milton and Whitecliffe House in Blandford.