Cheshire care home helps resident complete bucket list

Carers at an Alderley Edge care home have been helping a resident live out her dreams and tick off her bucket list.

Lynda Hurstfield, a resident at Brookview Bupa Care Home, is a former medical secretary and children’s social care worker from Alderley Edge who has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Celebrating every day now as it comes, she has made an ambitious bucket list to help give her some focus, strength, and fulfilment over the coming months.

So far Lynda has got her first ever tattoo and visited Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play a match against Liverpool. Nurse, Jen Lloyd and activity coordinator, Colette Mills from Brookview have a very close relationship with Lynda and have been helping organise the activities to date.

Lynda commented: “I have been a Manchester united fan for nearly 60 years and still support them. I was so delighted to go back to Old Trafford, as I haven’t been there in a few years. I was so pleased when Colette surprised me with the tickets to go and see the legends of the north vs. Liverpool. We were sitting right in front of the Liverpool supporter’s area. We had a great day, laughing and shouting a lot.”

Lynda has been a loyal supporter of Manchester United since a young age. She recalls her father taking her to her first ever football match at age six, when George Best entered the United scene, and her attendance at two European cup finals in Wembley in 1968 and Barcelona in 1999. Sport has always played and continues to play a big part in Lynda’s life, so reliving the experience of a live match and all its atmosphere was always going to be high up there on her bucket list.

Cat-loving Lynda also chose a tattoo design of a black cat and heart to go on her arm in memory of her childhood pet, Pixie, and her seven other cats that she has missed dearly since moving to the care home.

On her visit to the tattoo parlour, Lynda said: “The lady who did the tattoo was very good, it did hurt a little bit, but it was bearable.”

Colette Mills, activities co-ordinator at Brookview, said: “It was my privilege to assist Lynda to go to Old Trafford. Just to see her reaction was amazing. I showed her that anything is possible in a wheelchair, and she just loved being out again.”

Lynda moved to Brookview in June 2021 on respite and decided to stay there. Commenting on her time at the Bupa care home, Collette continued: “Lynda brings a lot to the home. She is a very sociable person – funny, with a brilliant zest for life and always chatting with other residents. Lynda loves to help as much as she can, she has made many friends here and she’s also a very positive lady despite her diagnosis, she will always give everything a go despite reduced mobility and only the use of one arm.”

Lynda continues to add to her bucket list. She is an adventurous character and is up for an adrenaline rush. Some examples of her brave aspirations include zip-lining, parachute tandem jumping, swimming with dolphins, and feeding lions. Her carers hope to assist her wherever possible on her journey.

Brookview Bupa Care home is situated in Alderley Edge and welcomes residents in need of nursing or residential care, including those living with early-stage dementia, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s. For further information, please visit https://www.bupa.co.uk/care-services