On Christmas morning the local vicar, Debbie, picked up myself and my sister to go and visit my brother-in-law, who has Alzheimer’s disease and is in a residential home maintained by Croydon Council. It is a very difficult place to get to and takes my sister three buses and almost two hours so normally she gets taken by very kind neighbours.

This was Christmas day and I wondered what we would find. In the bright and cherry living room Christmas carols were being played and there was an opportunity to read the words which were on a live monitor. Frank was there in a Christmas jersey. He muttered somewhat when we came and did not recognize me at all. I had been warned about this so it did not bother me.

He looked quite good physically anyway so we went into the room and Debbie the vicar gave us communion. It was a very simple service and we all took part. On the way out I told one of the assistants, (I don’t think they are nurses, but they must be used to doing most things) that the atmosphere was very warm and pleasant. There was another resident in the sitting room so we asked whether she had had her lunch yet. She stared at us but was unable to make a verbal response. Well done Croydon Council for such a good quality centre.