'It was a delight to see': 93-year-old grandmother's wish comes true
When care home resident Brenda, 93, was invited to her granddaughter Pippa's wedding, Gurprit Gill, owner of Walfinch home care in Sutton Coldfield, was determined to help.
Gurprit says: “We provided home care for Brenda before she went into a care home, and when the wedding came round, her family asked us to take her. I did the preparations and asked our carer Favour to take Brenda along.”
Favour, who dressed for the wedding, says: “I helped Brenda into her wedding outfit and took her to the ceremony, at All Saints Church, Four Oaks, and then on to the reception in the church hall afterwards. We even had a little dance together!
“She loved it, and although she has quite severe dementia, she recognised lots of family members, particularly Pippa, and knew it was her wedding day. It was a delight to see, because Brenda had not always recognised family in the recent past.”
Helping families celebrate together
The wedding also fulfilled a personal ambition for Gurprit. “This was one of the reasons I started my Walfinch home care business. I have always wanted to help grandparents get to family events, as sometimes my own grandma could not attend our family celebrations because she received care. She remained at home, and my uncle stayed to care for her.
“It was heartbreaking that they could not be there, so now I want to make it possible for people to enjoy their lives, including family events.”
Community commitment
Gurprit and her team's caring attitude extends into their local community. “We run four Walfinch Thrive Club sessions a month in co-operation with St James' Church, Mere Green, which are free to everyone. One is called Sip and Paint, where people can paint pottery while enjoying refreshments, and another offers art and crafts, where people can learn oil and watercolour painting. We also have two dementia-friendly art and crafts sessions monthly.
“The art and craft sessions are all led by artist Cathy Cocks, and as well as painting, include making paper roses, drawing fireworks, and colouring – things which stimulate the brain. The sessions also combat loneliness and isolation. We provide transport, because many elderly people cannot afford to get to them,” says Gurprit.
The sessions also enable local people to find out more about care services, from Walfinch team members. “We have gained new care clients, and helped people understand what care services we provide, including helping people get to family events,” says Gurprit.
Gurprit's team are also organising a forthcoming care and wellness day at St James' Centre, to include a breathwork class, arts and crafts and pampering sessions.
