Worth her weight in gold - incredible Stroud resident named care home hero

Home news

Aug 17, 2020

A resident at a care home in Stroud, who beat coronavirus, has praised team members for their dedication, hard work and passion throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

97-year-old Laurice Clark, a resident at Scarlet House, on Westward Road, was named a ‘Care UK Hero’ for beating coronavirus just weeks before her 97^th birthday.

The nomination was shared as part of a nationwide search for Care UK Heroes throughout its 122 care homes. From outstanding colleagues, to residents who have ensured morale remains high, this competition aims to shine a light on these exceptional people.

In March, the 97-year-old was diagnosed with coronavirus, and was nursed at the home. With strength and resilience in her nature, Laurice soon bounced back, and recently celebrated her 97^th birthday at the home, with lots of cake, presents and facetime calls to relatives, all while surrounded by her Scarlet House family.

Laurice, who has lived in Stroud all of her life, spent her younger years travelling around the UK showcasing her beloved daschunds, and her four-legged friends were also crowned winners of Crufts in 1971.

Known for her positive attitude, which always brings a smile to the team, the incredible lady also began lifting weights on her 80^th birthday to help build up her strength, after beating abdominal cancer. Laurice has continued to weight lifts at Scarlet House since she moved in just under a year ago.

Laurice said: “I am delighted to have been crowned as a Care UK hero. I had a fantastic time celebrating my 97^th birthday with my Scarlet House family and as always, I was overwhelmed with the kindness and love shown to me by everyone.

“The team at Scarlet House are the real heroes. I cannot fault the way that the team cared for, and looked after me while I was ill – they were marvellous. I wanted to remain with people I know and trust, and thanks to everyone at Scarlet House, I was able to recover quickly and get back to being with my friends.”

Kate Stevens, home manager at Scarlet House, said: “Laurice’s kind nature and positive personality is an inspiration to us all, and her strength really has lifted the spirits here at Scarlet House.

“From our nurses and lifestyle coordinators, to our housekeepers and chefs, everyone has done a tremendous job over the past few months, and I want to echo Laurice’s gratitude in thanking the entire team for their hard work in making Scarlet House a wonderful place to live.”

Scarlet House is a state-of-the-art care home provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The care home, which features 86 en-suite bedrooms, has been designed to enable its residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hairdressing salon and café.

To find out more about Scarlet House please call Katerina Pippi on 0333 321 0932 or email katerina.pippi @careuk.com

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/scarlet-house