Care home residents dance and sing in plea to families ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’

Residents and staff at a care home dance and sing on video to send a message to their families that morale is high and to “spread a bit of happiness”.

The video made at the Avenue Care Home in Fareham, Hampshire, is entitled “This is our happy place!!” and was recorded to the music of Bobby McFerrin’s Don’t Worry Be Happy.

The footage, which has been posted on the centre’s Facebook page, starts with staff singing in their office before the residents are shown dancing and singing along in the lounge.

Manager Lisa Hawkins told the PA news agency: “We have a Facebook page where we have put lots of pictures and the families have been very grateful because they can’t visit their loved ones, so I thought about doing the video as an extra bit of fun to cheer up the staff, residents and the families.

“The staff are always up for a laugh here and the residents are up for a party, so everyone was happy to partake.

“We wanted to spread a bit of happiness, care homes are working so hard at the moment looking after residents so we wanted to focus on the positive, happy work we are dong for the residents as well.

“The staff are so genuinely caring, it’s a really nice atmosphere.

“The residents are philosophical about the situation, they say ‘We have had this before and we managed to get thorough it’.”

Ms Hawkins said staff are taking extra precautions to isolate themselves when they are away from the care home to avoid bringing coronavirus into the complex, which has 22 residents aged between 76 and 100.

She said: “A couple of homes have caravans for staff, at the moment we are looking at contingency plans so that is a possibility.

“The staff have completely isolated themselves, limited themselves from any contact and taking it so, so seriously.

“We are terrified, if it came in the home it would be devastating.”