“To me the staff are everything, a joy in my life” Nicky’s story

When Nicky arrived at Ivydene, she was seriously ill and had lost a huge amount of weight. She never imagined she would recover, let alone live to experience the new friendships she’s made and the happiness she feels.  

Fast forward nine months and she is thriving at our nursing home in Ivybridge, Devon, where she is visited daily by her friend Mavis, who says Nicky is “having a ball!”  

Today Nicky is quite simply unrecognisable. Thanks to the home-cooked meals prepared by Ivydene’s award winning chef, which she describes as “beautiful”, she has gained weight, her hair has grown back and she quite literally has a new lease of life.  

“I mean this from the bottom of my heart, if it wasn’t for the staff here, I wouldn’t be alive today", Nicky explains. “To me they are everything and my days have really been blessed.”  

Nicky spent most of her life in Zimbabwe, where she was one of the only female soldiers. After moving back to England, she worked in care for over 25 years, in another nursing home in Plymouth.  

After retiring she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and lived in her own home until earlier this year, when she became seriously ill with a lung infection and was found unconscious.  

“I was a bag of bones - I was in a terrible state,” she explains. “If it wasn’t for the staff I would not be here. I have such a good relationship with them. They have chivvied me a long and encouraged me - they are a joy in my life.”    

A truly memorable day recently was when her niece Nicole came over from America and she, Nicky and Mavis were chauffeur driven to some special sights around The Moors, to see the wild ponies and visit the spot where Nicky’s mother’s ashes are scattered, followed by a drink at a local pub.  

Nicky has been at Ivydene Residential and Nursing Home during its refurbishment and says the new look is “absolutely beautiful.”  

But for Nicky, it’s the company of the team and her fellow residents which means the most. “I don’t have any other family in this country, and I have met some true friends here,” she adds.  

For more information about life at Ivydene, one of Sanctuary Care’s nursing homes in Plymouth, our Enquiry Support Team are here to help on 0800 331 7422.