Cambridge care home resident’s seaside dreams come true

 

A Cambridge care home resident experienced a heartwarming trip down memory lane, reliving cherished childhood seaside adventures. 

Olive Scotchford, aged 93, a resident at Care UK's Heathlands House on Bullen Close, longed to relive the seaside trips she enjoyed with her family as a child. Once the care team found out about Olive’s dream of visiting the seaside they wasted no time making her wish a reality.

As a young girl, Olive frequently visited the coast with her parents and sister, where they would enjoy freshly caught shellfish. To recreate these fond memories, the team organised a special trip to Leigh-on-Sea for Olive and four of her fellow residents.

To make the day even more special, Olive's sister Janet joined the outing, and the pair spent the day together just as they had over 85 years ago. 

Olive’s daughter, Kim, along with her husband Tom and their daughter Amy, also joined Olive and Janet in Leigh-on-Sea. Olive was thrilled to reunite with her sister as it had been six months since they had last seen each other.

The group visited the Mayflower – a scenic, less crowded restaurant which holds sentimental value for Olive. Everyone enjoyed skate and chips, Olive’s favourite seaside treat. 

Reflecting on the day, Olive said, "It was just as I remembered – the sea air, the company, and of course, the shellfish. It brought back so many happy memories and I loved spending a day by the seaside with my family and friends!"

The trip was organised for Olive as part of the home’s Wishing Tree Initiative, which encourages residents to put wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with the past or try something completely new – from flying a plane to enjoying a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small. 

Razvan Stanbeca, Home Manager at Heathlands House, said: “Olive has often reminisced about her family seaside trips, particularly the shellfish she enjoyed so much as a child. We were thrilled to make this wish come true for Olive and to bring her family along, too.

“Olive’s wish was granted through our Wishing Tree initiative. Our ethos here at Heathlands House is to give residents fulfilling and active lives, and the Wishing Tree initiative is just one part of this. When residents are able to relive cherished memories, we see how much it benefits them and improves wellbeing, enriching their time with us. We loved seeing Olive enjoy her special day!”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Heathlands House incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities both indoors and out. The layout of the building has been configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge and dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.