Care home residents made to feel 'young again' as they work the catwalk

The catwalk is typically known for younger models showcasing the latest trends and designs but care home residents in Suffolk were made to feel ‘young again’ as they strutted their stuff at a popular fashion show.

80-year-old Pat Thomas and 93-year-old Kate Suckling, residents at Spring Lodge, were “over the moon” to have all eyes on them and proved that age is no barrier to looking and feeling glamorous.

The Artichoke Collection Fashion Show had been looking for models to showcase their new range of dresses, tops and trousers when the deputy manager spotted the advert and suggested they try a different tack.

Deputy manager, Gemma Dennis, said: “I thought, I know some amazing ladies who would love to take part from our care home, so I emailed the organisers. We soon joined forces and had a wonderful morning strutting our stuff on the catwalk.”

She added: “Just because you are in a care home, fashion can still be very much part of who we are and make us all feel great. Our residents had a fabulous time and we will definitely be doing something like this again.”

Spring Lodge, a member of the Kingsley Healthcare group, delivers complex, specialist residential and dementia care for up to 46 residents and was rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in November 2017.

Ms Thomas, a resident at the home, said: “We had a lovely pamper morning with make-up, hairdressing and beautiful clothing. We loved the attention of being on the catwalk too”, while Mrs Suckling said: “I was over the moon to take part. It made me feel young again.”

Joe Simoes, manager of Spring Lodge Care Home, added: “The residents were really happy and enjoyed all the attention they were getting. They had a huge smile on their faces and were overwhelmed.

“This event showed that older people can enjoy the catwalk as much as younger people. They knew the attention was on them and they really liked that. They deserve to enjoy themselves as much as other people.”