‘Be true to yourself’ is the key to a long life, reveals 100-year-old Woking resident

Home news

Jun 20, 2021

A Woking care home resident revealed the secret to living a long life as she celebrated her 100^th birthday – “Look after yourself and always be true to yourself!”.

Joan Reynolds, a resident at Care UK’s Kingsleigh, on Kingfield Road, celebrated becoming a centenarian on 9^th June with friends and team members at the home.

Known for being the life and soul of the party, the team went above and beyond to ensure Joan had a celebration like no other, complete with balloons, a special home-made cake, and a card from the Queen. Raising a glass for the occasion with her Kingsleigh care home family, Joan revealed her secret to becoming a centenarian: ‘enjoying life, looking after yourself and always be true to yourself!’.

Joan said, ‘I had the most amazing day, nothing is better then being surrounded by the people you love and who make you laugh and smile’.

Kelly Kelleher, Home Manager at Kingsleigh, said: “Joan attributes her long life to the simple things, like worrying less and enjoying time spent with loved ones – a reminder for us all to learn from.

“Everyone had a wonderful time celebrating Joan’s birthday, and she was particularly pleased to receive her official card from the Queen. Here at Kingsleigh, we always strive to make an occasion of birthdays, and Joan’s 100^th was no different – we certainly marked the occasion in style.”

Joan was born in Middlesbrough, in 1921. During her working years, Joan was a shorthand typist in the Women’s Royal Naval Service. Passionate about writing and communicating, Joan loved her time spent typing, and being part of a large team that worked together on essential documents during the War. Joan has been married twice and has three children: Christopher, Julie and Natalie.

Enjoying an active lifestyle, Joan continued playing golf into her eighties, and also liked traveling to Australia to visit family. She has always enjoyed being part of a bigger community, having fun and socialising – activities Joan has continued to enjoy at Kingsleigh during her two years as a resident.  

Kingsleigh has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides residential, respite and specialist dementia care, surrounded by beautiful secure gardens in a quiet residential area of Surrey.

To find out more about Kingsleigh please call 01483 331948 or email Home Manager, Kelly Kelleher, at kelly.kelleher@careuk.com

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/kingsleigh