Member Article

A royal knees up to celebrate 100th birthday

Elderly Hull resident Jean Panton had more reason than most to celebrate the Queen’s recent 90th birthday.

Jean, who shares her birthday with the Queen, celebrated her 100th birthday with a royal themed party organised by her family, residents and staff at The Rowans care home in Kirk Ella, where she has lived for 11 years. The specialist dementia home is run by the Hull-based Hica Group.

Jean’s daughter, Sally, said: “Everyone had a fantastic time at mum’s birthday party. She was really pleased with her message from the Queen and enjoyed the day which was filled with her favourite things.

“The staff at The Rowans made a great effort and really made the day special. The theme and decorations were fantastic. They always go the extra mile for residents, it’s like a big family.”

Staff and residents came together to make special union jack themed decorations for the royal themed birthday party. Special red, white and blue treats were made in preparation for the party buffet for guests, who also enjoyed entertainment from a local singer and guitarist.

Jean was born In Hull during the First World War to parents John, a local yeast merchant, and Dorothy Rawstorn. She worked as a warden in Hull throughout the Second World War and a local bank before marrying Kenneth Panton, a local builder, in 1952 at Anlaby Park Methodist Church.

Jean went on to have a long and happy marriage with her husband, welcoming daughter Sally and later two grandchildren, Jenny and Nick, before he passed away in 2008.

Karen Harrison, manager at The Rowans care home, said: “Jean has been with us a long time and is a real character here at The Rowans. She is very sociable and enjoys coffee mornings with residents and the local community.

“Birthdays and special occasions are a time when residents and staff can all come together and prepare decorations, treats and entertainment. Everyone gets involved and excited and it creates a wonderful atmosphere in the home.

“We also enjoyed Jean’s favourite music, including war time classics, which were performed by one of her favourite local singers. He regularly attends the home and did a special birthday set for Jean, taking requests from her and the residents. They were all clapping, dancing and singing along to the tunes.”

The Hica Group is a not for profit organisation, which operates a portfolio of 20 residential care homes, five of which are for people with a learning disability, along with two retirement villages. The company also runs a home care service providing approximately 11,500 hours of support and care from four regional offices in the North of England.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Hica Group .