Care home brings Spain to St Ives to fulfil resident’s wish

A resident at a care home in St Ives was delighted when her wish to relive the delights of her home country was made a reality.

When 92-year-old Trinidad (Trini) Jarrett, a resident at Care UK’s Field Lodge, on London Road, expressed that she was keen to experience the tastes, sights and sounds of her home country, Spain, the team were determined to bring the sun to St Ives.

Born in Algeciras, Trini spent her childhood in Spain where she grew especially fond of the weather and the cuisine. After training to be a nanny, Trini found a job in Gibraltar where she would commute to daily from her home on the mainland. There, she met her husband, John, who was stationed on the island with the RAF. The happy couple have been married for 67 years and both live at Field Lodge.

To make Trini’s experience as authentic as possible, the team decorated the home with Spanish flags and encouraged everyone to dress in red and yellow. Trini and her fellow residents were also treated to live entertainment from local flamenco dancers and guitarist, Sueños Flamencos, which had everyone tapping their feet long to the lively music.

Making the day extra special, the home’s talented head chef prepared a special Spanish-themed menu for the day which included churros for breakfast, chicken paella for lunch and crème caramel for dessert.

Commenting on the day, Trini said: “I was close to tears the amount of effort Field Lodge went to, to make this day so special and one to remember. Talking and dancing with the flamenco dancers was so much fun and I had some castanets to play with. The whole day was a highlight for me.”

The special visit was part of the home’s Wishing Tree initiative, which encourages residents to put wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or passion, or try something completely new – from flying on a plane to enjoying a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

Linda Martinez, Home Manager at Field Lodge, added: “When Trini shared her wish to experience her favourite Spanish home-comforts again, the team were delighted to make it happen.

“Our Wishing Tree initiative is a wonderful way for residents to share their passions and ambitions and it’s hugely rewarding to be able to make these a reality. Here at Field Lodge, we love learning about different cultures and celebrating each other – Trini is always sharing fond memories of her time in Spain and was delighted to relive these with her friends in the home.

“I’d like to extend a big thank you to Sueños Flamencos, as well as the team here at Field Lodge for making Trini’s day such a special one – everyone’s already requesting churros for breakfast more often!” 

Field Lodge is a modern, purpose-built care home providing full-time residential, nursing, and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has a choice of lounges and dining rooms, along with facilities such as an activity room, cinema and hair salon.