Hill House treats guests to Christmas dinner to help combat loneliness

Community spirit shines at Hill House Christmas Dinner

Hill House care home in Honiton laid on Christmas dinner for a number of people from their local neighbourhood, in order to help alleviate loneliness in the community.

The home invited 10 guests who would otherwise have spent Christmas Day alone, including eight relatives of current residents and a family member of a former resident who had passed away.

The day began with a visit from Father Christmas and his elves, who brought presents for everyone (as it transpired that everyone was on his ‘good list’!), followed by a rendition of The Superman Song with all the actions.

The guests then sat down alongside 25 of the home’s residents and staff for Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. They were joined by a longstanding volunteer, Edward Hopkins, who had lunch with a resident, Joan, whose family were unable to visit her.

Hill House also welcomed back Steven, who had spent time at the home for respite care – a short stay designed to provide a break for a person’s carer, help with post-hospital recovery, or serve as an introduction to long-term residential care.

He said, "I feel honoured to have been invited.

"I would normally have been on my own on Christmas day, but here I have had such a lovely afternoon."

Melody Taylor-Brown, Care Home Manager at Hill House, explained, “Many people would prefer to be with others at Christmas, and we wanted to ensure that those who could not spend the day with family or friends had somewhere to go for pleasant company, a good meal and a festive atmosphere.

“Organising events like this, which help to build friendships and put us at the heart of local society, is something that comes naturally to us. We are always delighted to welcome visitors through our doors, and to bring a bit of Christmas cheer to people’s lives.”

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