Care homes share Forget-Me-Nots and champagne to remember past residents

Loved ones who have died in the past year in care homes across the South were remembered with poetry, Forget-Me-Nots ...and champagne in a ‘Celebration of Life’ day that attracted family members.

Dozens of families, whose relatives had died, returned to the care homes they used to visit to share funny memories of the deceased with care staff and older people.

Families visited 20 care homes in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and Sussex for a ‘Celebration of Life’ day organised by the care homes’ owner Colten Care.

The manager at Kingfishers’ care home in New Milton, Beata Brozozowska said: “The day was a lovely opportunity to celebrate people’s lives. It was very emotional. Of course there was sadness but we also shared good memories.”

Each care home had their own ideas about how to remember the dead. Some people read poems, sang songs or planted trees, while others had mass or threw a tea party.

At Kingfishers, residents, staff and visitors were invited to write messages about those who had died which they tied to a Japanese cypress conifer sapling.

While the day honoured the dead, the living including care staff got the chance to reflect on the close bonds they had developed with residents. A poem was read out by the home's longest-serving staff member Tania Ruzheva in tribute to all the men and women who had died in the last 12 months.

’Memory water feature’ and Forget-me-not seeds

At Fernhill, Colten Care’s dementia care home in Longham, 15 families arrived for the event. This time, the lives of lost loved ones were toasted with a glass of bubbly while a new 'memory water feature' was unveiled.

Cakes featuring Forget-Me-Not flower decorations were served and families were invited to write in a memorial book. Afterwards, a ceramic pot, Forget-Me-Not seeds and soil were given as gifts to visitors.

In a message of thanks, one family member wrote: “The fountain is delightful and a super memorial to your late residents. We are looking forward to seeing the flowers grow too. The pots were a lovely touch.”

‘No one was in a hurry to go’

Meanwhile, more than 40 people attended a service at Braemar Lodge in Salisbury, which was followed by a tea party in the garden.

Care home manager Alison Bremner said: “Everyone was chatting to each other and remembering old times and friends. No-one was in a hurry to go.”

In Poole, Canford Chase care home welcomed 16 family members who were joined by many of residents for a religious service.

Care home manager Charlotte Wilson said: “The atmosphere was buzzing, the sun shone through the windows and although some people had a few tears during the service, the tea, cake and informal chat afterwards cheered everyone up.

She added: 'I have been asked by many of our guests and by the church members too whether we would make this an annual event and I feel we should, given the very positive and enthusiastic feedback.”