Stansted care home resident has a field day reconnecting with farm life

A Stansted care home resident spent an afternoon reuniting with some of her favourite animals and reconnecting with her farming background.

When Lilian Holmes, aged 85, a resident at Care UK’s Mountfitchet House, on Old Milverton Lane, told team members she would love to spend a day back at the farm, the team quickly got to work to arrange a special trip to Daisy May's Farm in Elsenham. 

Lilian, who was born in Little Bardfield, grew up on her family’s farm, where she spent her entire life before moving into Mountfitchet House. Her family farm had a variety of animals, including pigs, chickens, cows, and horses; and Lilian worked hard alongside her mum, dad and sisters to keep the animals fed and cared for. Her love of animals extended to her two childhood dogs, Sally and Bonnie, who she has many happy memories of. 

When Lilian was working on the farm, her favourite job was riding her horse, Marmaduke, and going out to collect the chicken eggs. 

On the day at Daisy May's Farm, Lilian helped feed the goats and baby lambs, and held the baby chicks and ducks.

Commenting on the visit, Lilian said: “The whole experience was lovely, but the best bit, was seeing all the animals up close again!”

Lilian made her wish to visit a farm in person on the Mountfitchet House Wishing Tree, a special Care UK initiative that enables residents to revisit old hobbies and passions or try something new. Whether it’s a fish and chip supper, a skydive or watching a football match, no wish is too big or small for the team to try and grant.

Joanna Duke, Home Manager at Mountfitchet House, said: “At Mountfitchet House, we regularly organise activities and events that promote positive wellbeing and bring back happy memories from residents’ careers and younger years. It has been so rewarding to see how much of a positive impact the ‘Wishing Tree’ Initiative has in creating new memories for residents.

“The visit brought back many memories for Lilian, and she shared many lovely stories about living on a farm with her family. It was a fantastic day that we’ll all remember for a long time.”

Mountfitchet House is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The care home incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.