Windsor care home resident shares secret to long life on 101st birthday

 

A 101-year-old Windsor care home resident has shared her advice for living a long and happy life – “avoid fast food and grow your own healthy produce”.

Kathleen Lewis, a resident at Care UK’s Mountbatten Grange, on Helston Lane, shared her valuable advice to mark her newly minted centenarian status, while celebrating with those nearest and dearest to her. 

In honour of Kathleen’s milestone birthday, a lively celebration with balloons, banners and a delicious cake was organised by her family and team members at Mountbatten Grange.

Kathleen was born on 18^th December 1923, in Langley, Buckinghamshire, before her parents moved to Henley when she was four years old. 

As a teenager, Kathleen was sent to Windsor to help care for her aunt. There, she met and married her sweetheart Horace Lewis, and the pair lived in the town ever since.

Kathleen and Horace were married for many decades and were blessed with three children and three grandchildren. Every year from 1955, the couple took their children camping overseas, leading to many wonderful adventures and touring France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Guernsey. 

Kathleen said: “Horace didn’t see the ocean until he was 21, so we felt it was very important for our children to see the world.”

Former office worker Kathleen has always had a passion for gardening, knitting and dressmaking. She was thrilled to be surrounded by friends, family and team members as they came together to celebrate her momentous birthday. 

When asked what her secret was to living a long life, she said: “Working hard and keeping your brain active is important. It’s also vital to avoid fast food and instead choose to cook and grow your own healthy produce. 

“Have fun at family gatherings and always have something to look forward to.”

Debbie Winwood, Home Manager at Mountbatten Grange, said: “Kathleen is a lovely lady who has led a colourful life with lots of travel.

“As a much-loved resident at Mountbatten Grange, it was wonderful to mark this tremendous milestone with her and hear her very good advice for living a long and happy life.

“Here at Mountbatten Grange, everything we do is centred around our ethos of ensuring residents live active and fulfilling lives – and Kathleen’s 101^st birthday celebration was no exception. It was lovely to see how happy she was to be surrounded by those closest to her on the day.”

Mountbatten Grange is a care home that provides residential, nursing and short-term respite care, as well as specialist dementia care. The home features 72 en-suite bedrooms and enables residents to live active and fulfilled lives while also promoting independence. Mountbatten Grange has its own café, hair and beauty salon and cinema.