Care Homes

Rita Celebrates Her 100th Birthday with a Surprise Visit from Down Under

At Friends of the Elderly’s RNNH Care Home in Bournemouth, Dorset, one of its residents, Rita Crumplin, has been celebrating her landmark 100th Birthday which was topped off with a wonderful surprise treat – a visit from her son, Paul, who flew all the way from Australia to share in his Mum’s special, centenary day.

Rita, who has been a resident at RNNH for two and a half years, is a ‘Bournemouth born and bred’ lady. She attended East Howe School, which over a century ago was the first purpose-built school in the area, with the only other schools at the time in the vicinity being St. Mark’s at in Talbot Village and Kinson School.

Rita’s milestone birthday was a rollercoaster of surprises, not only with the amazing visit from Paul, but she also received her commemorative telegram from Friends of the Elderly’s Royal Patron, HRH Her Majesty The Queen.

Two days before her 100th birthday, the care home team started the celebrations with a pre-birthday party with all Rita’s care home friends. Rita was showered with flowers, gifts and cards – as well as enjoying a scrumptious birthday cake. Rita’s festivities continued on her actual ‘Centenary Day’ with a family outing for a delicious birthday lunch at a local golf club.

Alan Johnston, the Care Home Manager at RNNH said:

“Rita is a very popular resident at RNNH, she spends much of her time knitting and attending our activities. She has a good sense of humour and an infectious smile. We are all so glad Rita had a wonderful 100th birthday, she’s a special lady and we wanted to show her how much she means to us.”

“I had a really lovely 100th birthday, it was a very special and memorable day. Seeing Paul and all the family was magical. I thoroughly enjoyed my wonderful lunch and afternoon birthday tea. I could not have wished for a better day.

“The other day I was asked what was my secret to a long and happy life? That’s easy, a loving and supportive husband and family,” Rita concluded.