At Orford House, our Coulsdon-based residential care home, the Care Team has hosted a moving Lights of Love celebration of life and remembrance service for families of residents who are no longer with them.
The emotional memorial event, which took place just before Christmas, saw relatives of past care home residents join the Orford House Care Team, current residents and their family members come together to celebrate, reminisce and remember the lives and loves of those who are no longer with them.
“Christmas and the festive period can often bring about unpredictable feelings alongside old and happy memories of loved ones who have been lost – recently or many years ago,” said Michelle Kennett, the Registered Manager at Orford House. “At Christmas, it’s extremely hard to escape the feeling that a loved one is missing from the festivities. With that in mind, and as The Care Team and I are still close to relatives of residents who have left us, we thought it would be a lovely idea to bring everyone together to remember them in a joyous and happy way.”
The Lights of Love evening included The Lights of Love Memorial Tree, a Remembrance Service and Carol Singing with mince pies and mulled wine. “The guests all wrote messages of love to their lost loved ones on angel-shaped note paper and hung them on the Memorial Tree,” continued Michelle. “The Reverend Esther Foss of St. Andrew’s Church in Coulsdon led the moving and touching Remembrance Service which was followed by everyone joining in with an uplifting Carol Concert.”
“The emotional, but happy Lights of Love event, had a warm community ambiance and was the perfect way for relatives to remember their loved ones, the happy Christmases they shared and reminisce in a welcoming and accepting environment,” added Mary Bradley, the Activities Coordinator at Orford House.
“At Orford House we are a family and continue to keep in touch with all the relatives of our past residents. One relative who attended lost her Mother 12 years ago, but we still keep in regular contact. She was very happy to come along, meet other relatives, share memories and be part of the poignant evening,” continued Michelle.
Everyone who attended said what a beautiful evening and a lovely idea The Lights of Love was and it is now going to be a regular Yuletide event at the care home. “The Orford House Care Team and I are grateful to all the relatives who came along and hope that in some small way The Lights of Love evening gave them peace and happiness. One relative said that by coming along to the evening and joining other relatives it felt as though she now had permission to enjoy Christmas. Another said he would be thinking of his parents up in Heaven singing Carols and celebrating with the Angels and we couldn’t ask for more heart-warming and positive feelings than that,” concluded Michelle.
Find out more about Orford House care home by calling 020 8660 2875 or emailing enquiries@fote.org.uk.