‘Tolerance is the key!’ Leatherhead care home residents share Valentine’s Day advice

Residents at a care home in Leatherhead have been sharing their secrets to a long-lasting marriage as part of their Valentine’s themed celebrations. 

Residents and their spouses at Care UK’s Care UK’s Liberham Lodge, on Rectory Lane, enjoyed a special afternoon tea, thoughtfully prepared by the home’s Head Chef, which included a variety of pastries, scones, sandwiches and cakes.

Residents were encouraged to reminisce about their married lives and share their advice for younger couples.

Among those attending was couple, Michael and Janet Hogg, who joined Liberham Lodge in January. The couple, who have been married for 64 years, met at a swimming pool in Banstead, Surrey in 1954.  

A few years later, Michael popped the question to Janet, and the two married at Woodmansterne Church in Banstead. The couple share four children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren together. 

When asked what advice they would give to young couples, the duo agreed: “Tolerance is the key! You have to give and take with one another, even if you sometimes don’t agree.”

Keen for the home’s setting to match the theme of the day, team members ensured love was truly in the air by decorating the home’s dining room with rose petals, flowers, heart-shaped bunting and balloons.

Jagpal Singh, General Manager at Liberham Lodge, said: “We thought Valentine’s Day was the perfect opportunity to encourage residents to reminisce with their partners, while treating them to a special romantic afternoon. It was great to be able to organise a special ‘date’ for them.  

“Love truly is in the air at Liberham Lodge, and many of the residents have also been reminiscing and sharing fond memories of their own wedding days; it was lovely to hear their stories too. We’d like to say a big thank you to Michael and Janet for sharing their love story this Valentine’s Day.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Liberham Lodge incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The layout of the home has been configured to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.

To find out more about Liberham Lodge, please email Vicky Radmore, Home Admissions Advisor on Victoria.Radmore@careuk.com, call 01372 887982 or visit careuk.com/liberham-lodge