'It is often a jolly time to work in a nursing home over Christmas' - How care staff sacrifice a family Christmas for care home residents

With Christmas fast approaching, the UK’s care homes will remain open as staff sacrifice spending time with their own families in order to provide care and a fun, festive atmosphere for residents.

Some residents may not have a family to visit and others may find it too stressful to leave their care home over the festive period.

Sanctuary Care Ltd's homes provide a traditional Christmas to residents ensuring older people enjoy the festivities.

Len Merton, Sanctuary Care’s director of care said: “Our teams are exceptional and always go that extra mile to make Christmas special for our residents and their loved ones.

“At this time of year you will find all of our homes alive with festive decorations and a full on activity programme, including numerous school choirs and nativity plays coming into the homes.

“This is a special and emotional time of year for our residents and our dedicated teams do everything they can to make sure that they celebrate Christmas in a way that is very personal to them.”

At Sanctuary Care’s Westmead Residential Care Home in Droitwich, residents wake up to a home-made stocking at the end of their bed on Christmas morning.

The care team ensures each stocking is filled with gifts especially chosen for the resident. Manager, Sue Stokes said: “It makes it special and personal to them and is a tradition in our home.

“Many of our residents then enjoy a traditional tipple of whisky in their tea or coffee to start the day.”

Later, the residents open presents personally delivered by Father Christmas, specifically chosen for them.

To make the day special and festive, the majority of Westmead Care Home’s residents enjoy a traditional home-cooked Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Their loved ones are also invited.

Ms Stokes added: “We always light the brandy on the Christmas pudding and dress it with a spring of holly. A member of the team makes stunning homemade crackers, again with gifts inside that are selected for each resident.”

She said the team are genuinely happy to be at work, making the day extra special for their residents: “They enjoy themselves. It is such a nice and relaxing atmosphere and there is a real buzz around the home with so many loved ones popping in.”

Ms Stokes added: “The majority of our residents do spend Christmas here, although some choose to go out to visit relatives or attend carol services outside the home.

“In the run-up to the day we always have lots of events going on for our residents, and of course their loved ones, to enjoy, such as a fancy dress party for the grandchildren, which is always very popular.”

Christmas merriment is taken seriously at Sanctuary and its homes invite choirs and brass bands and local school and nursery children along to entertain residents.

The residents love watching youngsters performing nativity plays and singing carols and their faces light up when they hear them sing.

At Park View Residential Care Home in Sheffield residents welcomed children from the local primary school who performed a special carol concert around the Christmas tree, followed by mince pies.

Many of Sanctuary Care’s homes are transformed into bustling winter market places hosting festive bazaars for their residents.

At Beach Lawns Residential and Nursing Home in Weston-super-Mare, different stall holders come in each day for ‘Christmas Market Week’, selling everything from handmade chocolates to jewellery.

It makes it an easier and more relaxing way for the residents to purchase gifts for their loved ones, without having to fight their way through the crowds on the high street.

At Regal Care Trading Ltd care homes, staff go out of their way to put on an eventful, festive Christmas. Geoff Lane, chief executive of Regal Care Trading Ltd said: “Christmas is a very special time of year for the majority of people.

“Some of our fondest memories are often of family Christmas’s gone by, and at Regal we try and recreate this for the people we care for.

“We’ve always had a reputation for providing homely living environments in our homes, and at Christmas time we pull out all the stops to ensure each home is filled with festive cheer.

“Through activities, concerts, traditional decoration and food, cards and presents we try our best to ensure that all our residents and staff have a memorable Christmas.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our fantastic staff who give up some, or in some cases all, of their Christmas to make it a special time for the residents they care for.”

Senior leisure therapist Fiona Newton from Regal’s in Cliftonville, Margate enjoys working at the home over Christmas and said it’s “my favourite time of year to be there.”

She added: “It can sometimes be a lonely time of the year for elderly people, but not at Ashcroft, as we make it a very special time.”

The home hosts a variety of activities and lively entertainment for the residents to enjoy including musical performances from singing sailors and cabaret acts.

The home has a mobile cinema and puts on festive films and social evenings so that families are able to join in the fun with their loved ones after work.

Ms Newton said: “Other seasonal events include a visit from the local primary school choir, who traditionally come every year and visit the home and sing Christmas carols for our residents.

“Some of our residents do not get to see their grandchildren, for one reason or another, and they always love to have children coming into the home at any time, but especially at Christmas.

“This year, we are especially excited to have the Salvation Army brass band coming by to play for us. I know it will be a very special treat for everyone, as there is something very Christmassy and traditional about a brass band playing at that time of year.”

Ashcroft House holds a Christmas dinner for residents and their families in mid December. Ms Newton said: “This is a very special event, where relatives can join their loved ones for a meal and have a lovely and traditional Christmas dinner with them, seated in the festive atmosphere of our lounges, that we turn into a "five star" restaurant-feel for the day!

“We all dress up, and adorn the tables with white linen tablecloths and beautiful fresh winter flower centre pieces that have been made by staff with the help of residents. They are auctioned off after dinner to raise money for our residents’ fund.

“The event is usually followed by carol singers coming in to perform for us, and is a perfect end to a very special and festive day.”

Ms Newton said: “It is often a jolly time to work in a nursing home over Christmas as the vibe is always warm and welcoming, and there is always something going on.

“Some of the residents have the opportunity to go home to their families over the Christmas period, and stay a day or so with relatives, and we always support them in this and aid them in preparing for it.

“Most however stay in the home for various reasons and this is why we recognise the great importance of celebrating this time of year and making it feel special for all those who call Ashcroft their home.”

Deputy manager, Jackie Catley at Regal's Alpine Lodge in Sevenoaks, Kent said: “We make Christmas special for residents, especially those who do not have a family. We buy them a gift and make them feel part of everything.”

Home manager Lesley Ship agrees and said: "Christmas is a time to celebrate. It’s all about making Christmas time for the residents as special as possible. It’s a great time of year”.

The majority of residents spend the whole Christmas period at Alpine Lodge as some find it distressing to change their routine.

Staff make the day special with presents and family visits. A traditional Christmas lunch is served with crackers and party games in the afternoon.

The home arranges festive activities for residents including a carol service provided by the local church.

There is entertainment from bell ringers, a Christmas pantomime and a Christmas party for all residents, staff, families and friends.

There is also a visiting zoo and children from the local primary school come in to sing carols to the residents.

Alpine Lodge resident Audrey Downes said: “I remember last Christmas day, it was a really nice day. The decorations were wonderful, and Christmas dinner was great, especially seeing all the visitors”.

Enid Geer also lives at the home and said: “Christmas is made special by the staff attending to all of our Christmas needs, whatever they may be.”

Resident Marie Rolfe appreciates all the effort the staff go to and said: “My favourite things about Christmas are having a nice glass of white wine, and seeing the lovely Christmas tree all decorated.”