All elderly patients at Dorset County Hospital will this year each receive a Christmas present – thanks to The Wessex Group.
The company has provided funds for staff to purchase gifts that will include socks, toiletries, chocolate, slippers, sherry and Baileys Irish Cream.
The older patients will number around 100 over the festive period and many won’t receive visits or presents because they have no family.
The Wessex Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and each month has given away “50 somethings” to a good cause or charity.
For November and December it decided to provide 100 presents for the elderly patients at the hospital in Dorchester.
Rachel Revell from Wessex Group presented the staff with a cheque and a Santa’s sack full of presents.
Hospital chief executive Jean O’Callaghan was there as well as staff who work on the wards where the elderly are treated.
Sam Ball, the Dementia Day Room Coordinator, said: “Our elderly patients often do not have visitors over Christmas and we try and make the day a bit special so this donation will really help.
The things that they will really appreciate are good quality slippers with grips on, warm socks and smellies. We will also buy chocolate and some sherry and Baileys to have with their Christmas dinner. Having a present to open will bring lots of smiles.”
We have a day room in our Barnes Ward which is full of nostalgic objects and decorations so the elderly patients with dementia feel more at home. We are extremely grateful to the Wessex Group for the donation.”
Rachel, from Wessex Group, said: “Often the elderly are overlooked at Christmas because everything is focused towards the children. So we are delighted to be able to provide presents for the older patients who are so well looked after by the staff at the hospital.”
Picture: Rachel Revell (left), HR Manager from Wessex Group, presents the cheque to Staff Nurse Holly Brown, while physio assistant Sharon Innings holds the sack of presents and chief executive Jean O’Callaghan is far right.
