Residents at HC-One’s Sutherland Court care home in Newcastle have been reunited with each other, as couples from around the home are finally allowed to see each other after weeks apart.
At Sutherland Court the team are lucky to have three sets of married couples in the home, so on Friday June 5th, Colleagues within the home decided to organise an afternoon tea in the home’s cosy café.
Alan & Sheila Purvis, who have been married for 60 years reside on separate floors and haven't seen each other for a few weeks. For them both the reunion was very emotional, as well as for the team at the home. Alan cheered up the mood as he joked about trying to keep himself two metres apart from Sheila.
Alan Purvis, a Resident at Sutherland Court said: “Everything was nice, the cakes were special and the main surprise was seeing Sheila.”
Dimitri & Jean Malik, who have been married for 61 years reside on the same floor, sharing two rooms between them. Mr and Mrs Malik found the afternoon tea a treat, just leaving their rooms and being able to come onto a different floor was a nice change for them.
Finally, Gordon & Doreen Hayes, who have been married for 61 years, have not seen each other since February. Doreen arrived at Sutherland Court for respite and is on a separate floor to Gordon. Instead of an afternoon tea for Mr and Mrs Hayes, the team at Sutherland Court decided to take the married couple into the garden to enjoy the sunshine, Doreen said: “I haven’t seen Gordon for so long, but he looks so well. I have missed him very much.”
Judith Snowdon, Sutherland Court’s wellbeing coordinator said: “At Sutherland we encourage family members to be together, and it was so emotional that I had to walk away as I was so overwhelmed by our Residents happiness and they have for each other.”
The team at Sutherland Court like to encourage family members to be together, they have two sisters and an Aunty & Niece living with them, as well as the three married couples, so it really is a family home.