‘The staff at Ivydene are so fantastic, I moved nan in’ – receptionist Kelsey’s story

Having worked at our nursing home in Ivybridge for 10 years, when her grandmother Peggy needed full-time care Kelsey immediately knew the best place for her to be.

Peggy had lived alone following her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s with Kelsey supporting her daily, but eventually moved into Ivydene Residential and Nursing Home in 2019.

Kelsey recalls: “I loved having her here because I knew she would be so well looked after and I absolutely trusted this was the best place for her.

“The staff here are absolutely fantastic, I could sing their praises all day - I knew this was exactly where I wanted her to be.”

Peggy was quite an anxious lady, so Kelsey hadn’t expected her to settle in quite so quickly.

“Straight away she said how much she loved it and how pretty it is here. There was so much going on and with so many people around her, she never felt lonely and her anxiety dropped away because she was so content and happy to be here.”

Sadly Peggy, who was also living with cancer, passed away in April 2022, but Kelsey continues to work at Ivydene and is comforted by the fact that it is such a happy place.

“My nan looked after me all my life, so it is nice to be able to be around the residents at Ivydene. It’s like I’ve got 55 nans! It gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling.”

For more about life at Ivydene or any of our other Sanctuary Care homes, our Enquiry Support Team are here to talk on 0800 917 0478. Or to find out about working for Sanctuary Care, please visit the recruitment pages of our website.