Home's happy to mark 50 years of caring

RESIDENTS of Swansea's very first purpose-built care home were kicking up their heels at a special party to mark the 50th anniversary of its opening today.

Rose Cross Residential Care Home in Penlan was opened by Alderman Rose Cross, the first female Mayor of Swansea in 1963, and her photo still has pride of place in the day room.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, Swansea Council staff have pulled together a collection of photos celebrating Rose Cross past and present.

Rose Cross manager Gaynor Matthews said: "These photos would be a real eye-opener for anyone who thinks a care home is somewhere where residents sit in front of a loud television waiting for the next meal — not in Rose Cross they don't! Activities and entertainment are very important to both residents and staff."

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She added: "Events are organised within the home, but many residents also go out and about with visits to the theatre, touring the recent TV shows such as Britain's Got Talent at Cardiff, ten-pin bowling sessions along with regular visits to beaches and beauty spots as far away as Pembrokeshire.

"People come into residential care much later in life these days. They're also living longer – we currently have four residents aged over 100 and we've lost count of the number of 100th birthdays we've celebrated in total."

She said Rose Cross prides itself on its friendly and welcoming atmosphere and its focus on building a community.

Pamela Spence has lived at Rose Cross for more than seven years and is the editor of the Rose Cross Bugle, its monthly newsletter.

She said: "I made the decision to move to a residential care home when my disability started making it difficult to live independently and as soon as I visited Rose Cross I knew it was the right place for me.

"Although leaving my flat was the worst day of my life, I settled in really quickly and I'm amazed at the number of new experiences I've had since I've been here." Mark Child, Swansea Council's cabinet member for wellbeing, recently visited Rose Cross.

He said: "This is a quality home with quality staff whose commitment to keeping residents active and happy is clearly paying off."