A WOMAN who spent two years writing to residents at a Penarth care home has finally been able to put names to faces.

Elaine Davies contacted staff at MHA Morel Court, on Raisdale Road in Penarth, during the Covid pandemic – she was concerned about older people feeling isolated and wanted to help keep them entertained.

For two years Ms Davies and residents at the care home – which offers 36 places for residential care – wrote letters and postcards to one another, but she was unable to visit due to restrictions.

The exchanges were usually monthly, with letters and postcards kept by MHA Morel Court and shown to Ms Davies when she was able to visit the home for the first time.

Penarth Times:

Community coordinator, June Mansell, said: “It was the first time Elaine visited the home since being a pen pal for the residents.

“Elaine contacted me just over two years ago and wanted to befriend residents through letters.

“The residents were very happy to see her and spent a lot of time just talking or listening to her.

“On the day of her visit she went around the home asking residents their names and would then speak to them based on what they spoke about in the letters.

“She was very impressed when we showed her all the correspondence and said it was a lovely surprise.

“Hopefully now things are improving we will try and organise another visit for her, and I am sure it will be just as nice as this one.”

MHA Morel Court is near Penarth seafront and the town centre – it first opened in 1975 and underwent a £270,000 refurbishment in 2018.

Keeping people and loved ones in touch is important to all MHA homes – along with letter writing the care home encourages correspondence through:

  • Face-to-face visits (with safety measures in place);
  • Resident and relatives’ meetings in person or via video call;
  • Following the home on social media;
  • Famileo app and Gazette newsletters.

To find out more about MHA Morel Court visit www.mha.org.uk/care-homes/residential-care/morel-court/