Two care home workers who postponed their wedding due to the pandemic, but finally married in July in Romania, will be spending their third Christmas working in a local home.
Admin assistant Malina-Alexandra Lancu and her husband, head chef Antonio, have worked at Hailsham House since October 2019,
Malina said: “I always love the atmosphere at the home on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. As we are both from Romania, we are away from our families but being with our colleagues and the lovely residents at this time of year, it feels like we are with our extended family and that’s really special.”
Antonio, known as Toni, added: “Working on Christmas Day is a joy for me – I love to cook, especially when I get such wonderful feedback from the residents. I always put a lot of love into the food I cook, but I add a little extra for Christmas Day!”
The residents are looking forward to Toni’s Christmas dinner.
Pamela Lord, a resident at Hailsham House said: “Having a traditional, home-cooked Christmas dinner brings back so many lovely memories for me – Toni’s food is superb and I love sharing my lunchtime with him.”
Care home manager Katie Brewster added: “Toni and Malina are a credit to the home and we’re so grateful for their dedication and commitment, not just on Christmas Day but throughout the year. The bonds we build with the residents, and with each other, are what makes our job so special. We are like a big family so it’s lovely to spend Christmas together.”
“The family atmosphere we have here is really important to us, it helps us to create a ‘home from home’ for our residents, and boosts job satisfaction for our staff.”
Hailsham House, on the outskirts of Hailsham, provides residential, nursing, and specialist dementia care.
