Maryport Carers Who Have Worked The Last 48 Christmas Days Between Them Are Bringing More Festive Fun To Their Residents
Two team members at Four Season’s Riverside Court Care Home in Maryport are helping to make another Christmas extra special for the residents who live there.
Trish Robinson and Lisa Fort will be working their 29th and 19th Christmas Days in a row, having never missed one since they started working at the care home which provides residential, nursing and dementia care.
December 25th starts early for the pair, who run the Magic Moments Activities programme for the residents at the home. The tables in the dining room are dressed with festive decorations ready for breakfast and preparations made to welcome the local choir who kick off the celebrations at the home with a rendition of carols.
A quick change sees the ladies transformed into Santa’s helpers ready to greet residents in the lounge and deliver presents to those who prefer to spend the morning in their rooms with visitors. Then it’s time for everyone to come together for lunch, including residents’ families who are invited to join in. Trish and Lisa are kept busy making sure glasses are topped up, crackers are pulled and jokes read out.
Lisa explains: “Our residents are our second family and they are the reason we have worked every single Christmas day. We both have daughters who are grown up now, but when they were younger, they used to come into work with us on Christmas Day. They loved spending time with our residents and of course our residents loved making a big fuss of them!
“We both feel very lucky to spend the day celebrating with those that we help care for and their families. Whether it’s handing out presents, organising party games or sitting quietly with someone who wants a chance to reminisce about Christmases gone by, we just want to make the day as special as we can.”
Trish and Lisa have been running a packed timetable of activities leading up to the big day, with visiting singers and musicians, including the Flimby Saxhorn brass band, pantomime performers and children from local schools coming to sing carols. Residents have also been enjoying trips out in the community including a dinner dance at The Royal British Legion and parties and nativity plays at local schools.
