There was fun, cake and…Elvis at a party held to celebrate 20 years of Durham County Council’s Extra Care service.
Residents of Sycamore Lodge Extra Care scheme in Spennymoor were also treated to song, dance and impressions.
It was a particularly special day for 92-year-old Mary Shaw, who was one of the first to move in when the scheme opened in 2004.
“This is a lovely place to live,” she said. “I have friends here and we enjoy getting together on a Friday, especially when we have fish and chips! The staff are like family to me.”
The Cabinet member for adult and health services, Cllr Chris Hood, said: “This picture speaks a thousand words and you only have to see the looks on people’s faces to know how much they’ve enjoyed themselves.
“If you’re not sure what extra care means, it’s a service that supports people to live independently as an alternative to moving into a care home. It’s for older people or people with needs associated with old age and it’s more like moving house than moving into residential care.
“We have seven extra care schemes across the county and they combine self-contained apartments with facilities such as shared lounges and gardens and hair and beauty salons.”
For more information on Durham County Council’s Extra Care service visit www.durham.gov.uk/extracare.
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
