Care provider set to make residents' wishes come true this Christmas

Hallmark Care Home residents are being encouraged to write their hearts desire on a star this December as they enter the companies Christmas wish-granting competition.

Over 1,000 residents with residential, nursing and dementia care needs will be encouraged to enter the ‘Lucky Star’ competition which launched last year.

Managing director of Hallmark Luxury Care Homes, Avnish Goyal, said: “We decided to launch this competition because we wanted to give our residents an opportunity to do something or have something they thought they’d never get a chance to do again. It could be anything from seeing their favourite show in the West End to visiting their place of birth or a long lost relative. It is also a great reminiscence activity, particularly for our residents who live with dementia.

“All of our resident’s get Christmas presents from Hallmark on Christmas Day, but by getting to know what they would really like to do or have, gives us an opportunity to truly enhance their happiness and make a difference. “We hope by making some of these wishes come true, we can expand on our current relationship-centred care approach and show how much we care.”

Lucky star is a festive competition that runs from 1 December to 6 January and encourages residents to make a wish, no matter how big or small, and hang it on the Christmas tree within the home.

Each resident will have assistance to make a wish from the home’s nominated fairy godmother, who will dress up and positively engage with the residents throughout the Christmas period.

In the New Year, Mr Goyal will review the wishes that have been made and make at least two wishes come true from each of the 15 care homes across England and Wales.

Wishes granted last year include reuniting a resident with his teenage sweetheart after 20 years apart, and taking a resident to celebrate her 95th birthday at the Ritz.

Hallmark’s Admiral Court Care Home in Essex will be taking part in the competition again this year. The home’s customer relationship manager, Kelly Adams, is helping to co-ordinate the resident’s wishes.

“We are very excited to make some of these wishes come true for our residents,” she said. “Since we have encouraged our residents to think of a wish, we have found out some great things about them, which we would never have known.”

“Whatever wishes we cannot grant, we will take a note of and look at making the wish come true either on the residents’ birthday, or 'Pay It Forward Day' in April, which encourages individuals to take part in a random act of kindness.”

Hallmark Care Homes was established in 1997 and provides nursing, residential and dementia care.

click here for more details or to contact Hallmark Luxury Care Homes