THE sister of a Reigate care home resident has urged people to share positive stories and memories of the home to help save it from closure.
Park Hall in Reigate and Dormers in Caterham – as well as four other homes in the county – could be closed next year under plans proposed by Surrey County Council.
The sites are said to be ageing and need drastic improvement, according to the authority.
Public meetings and the popular Save Park Hall Facebook page are some of the ways protesters are trying to garner support.
But now Beverley Randle, whose 53-year-old sister Caroline, from Tadworth, has been a resident at Park Hall since 2011, has launched a campaign to try and demonstrate to the council "the vibrant Park Hall community from the residents' perspective".
Dr Randle, who has attended meetings organised by Surrey County Council to explain the consultation, told the Mirror: "It seemed as though the council did not realise how special Park Hall is, how loved Park Hall is, and how necessary Park Hall is.
"I do not think the staff [at Park Hall] realise how valued they are and how wonderful they are to the people they look after.
"We feel that, by expressing our love of Park Hall, we may be able to help secure the future of this council residential home."
But Dr Randle, who works in biotechnology in Bristol, added: "We appreciate the incredible problems Surrey County Council have got.
"I hope everyone can come together and find an alternative. It will be from the point of view of saying, 'this is a real living community, this is the evidence of peoples' stories'."
"What I do not want to do is to put poor old Surrey County Council on a back foot so that they are spending all their time defending themselves.
"They are consulting and, if they are consulting, then let's consult."
To submit a memory, e-mail Beverley at: ourparkhallstories@gmail.com. Contributions are welcomed from current and past residents, their families and friends.
A public meeting regarding the future of Park Hall will take place on Saturday in the Harlequin Theatre, Redhill, at 2pm.
A consultation on the homes' futures runs until December 19. If the closures proceed, they could be shut within 18 months.
The council says it will redeploy as many staff as possible as well as help residents find alternative accommodation.
Park Hall resident Caroline Randle's story, as told by her sister Beverley
"When I saw my sister Caroline for the first time after she moved into Park Hall, she burst into tears. Caroline had just had her first bath in over a year. It had been a revelation to her. She had forgotten the joy of this simple pleasure we take for granted.
That was the start of a journey that transformed my sister's life. The journey has been made possible by the nurturing environment and the support, care and compassion of the staff of this very special Surrey County Council residential home.
Caroline has severe learning disabilities. She is unable to communicate easily. My sister also has advanced rheumatoid arthritis. It was diagnosed late, when the irreparable damage to her joints had already occurred. After a hip and two knee replacements, Caroline remains in constant pain, requiring supervised daily medication. She has weekly medication as well, to retard the progression of the arthritis to her wrists, ankles and neck. Caroline has no concept of time, no understanding of when to take her medicine.
Caroline came to live at Park Hall when our father Bill broke his leg and needed hospital treatment. Arriving at Park Hall, Caroline could not stand upright. Even with her Zimmer frame, she was unable to move more than a few steps. Her lack of movement had stopped activities such as bathing, going outdoors and socialising.
At Park Hall, Caroline immediately experienced new companionship and hope. Initially she left her bed only at mealtimes, shuffling with difficulty on her Zimmer frame to join others in the Abbey Wing. Park Hall's community grouping and wonderful staff began to work their magic on Caroline.
Caroline's mobility increased sufficiently to visit Park Hall's Day Care Centre. She explored the other communities of Embers and Orchid, each wing having its own characters and special atmosphere.
My sister began to engage with life in a way I had not seen for over 20 years. Encouraged by the staff, Caroline began to paint. 'I have breakfast and then I paint in the Day Centre until lunchtime', she tells me. Her work adorns her room, the walls of Park Hall, my home and the homes of staff and other friends. She is very proud that her painting of a wood under a starry night sky is hung at the centre of this year's Hallowe'en display in Park Hall's entrance foyer.
Caroline's paintings allow her to express herself and to engage with others. She has been reluctant to join in with the Hall's excursions for residents. She worries about moving too slowly, she worries she may fall, worries that 'it might hurt too much'. Caroline 'does not want to be a bother' to others in her new exciting life. Then, just before Christmas last year, she went in the home's minibus for the first time. She joined the other residents for a drive through Reigate to see the Christmas lights. My sister's face is aglow with joy as she tells me of her adventure. She is so happy and she paints her joy on canvas.
Since Caroline heard that Park Hall might close, she has started having nightmares. Closure of Park Hall would devastate Caroline. Park Hall is the only council residential home for those with learning disabilities. The exceptional staff and the closely knit community wings of Park Hall have allowed my sister to engage and live her life as she never has before. 'I am happy. Park Hall is my home' she says.
Park Hall has supported and changed the lives of so many of its residents and their families beyond recognition. Surrey County Council has a truly valuable resource. It would be easy to underestimate how exceptional Park Hall is. How loved Park Hall is. How necessary Park Hall is. With all this strength and purpose, how can the Council be considering closing this residential home? Does the Council really want to lose such a respected and loved community? For the sake of my sister, the other residents, the staff, the families and the people of Surrey, I hope not.
