Stockport care home resident reveals secret to a long life on her 100th birthday

 

A 100-year-old Stockport care home resident has revealed her secret to living a long and happy life – “plenty of uninterrupted sleep”

Doreen Farn, a resident at Care UK’s Ladybrook Manor on Dairyground Road, shared her advice to mark her newly-minted centenarian status, while celebrating with those nearest and dearest to her. 

To celebrate Doreen’s milestone birthday, a surprise party was organised by the team at Ladybrook Manor with a birthday cake prepared by the home’s Head Chef. 

Doreen was born on the 27^th October 1924 in High Wycombe, before relocating to Skegness two years later when her father's furniture factory burnt down. During her younger years, Doreen pursued a career as a hairdresser while also working in a wool shop until she married her husband Alf in 1945. 

The pair met during the War when Alf, a member of the RAF, was stationed nearby. After the War, Doreen moved to Coventry to be with her husband and worked for the electoral role in the council. Together they had three children, Jackie, Christine and Alex and seven grandchildren into the family who often visit Doreen at Ladybrook Manor. 

Throughout her life, Doreen has always kept busy with hobbies including birdwatching, knitting, playing the piano accordion – and even watching the grand prix racing, hobbies she continues to enjoy at Ladybrook Manor. 

Susan Cameron, General Manager at Ladybrook Manor, said: “We were so excited to celebrate such a joyous day with Doreen. As a much-loved resident at Ladybrook Manor, it was wonderful to mark this tremendous milestone with her and hear her advice for living a long and happy life.

“Here at Ladybrook Manor, everything we do is centred around our ethos of ensuring residents live happy and fulfilling lives – and Doreen’s 100^th birthday celebration was no exception. It was lovely to see how her surrounded by those closest to her on her special day.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Ladybrook Manor, which remains open to potential residents, incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The building has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.