A resident at a care home in Sutton Coldfield has celebrated her 102nd birthday in style by sharing her secret to a long and happy life.
Joyce McCliskie, also known as Joy, who lives at Care UK’s Mercia Grange, on Lichfield Road, marked her milestone birthday with her family. To celebrate the special occasion, team members decorated the home with banners and balloons and treated her to a birthday cake prepared by the home’s Head Chef.
When asked for her advice for the younger generation, Joy said: “Stay active, busy and connected with other people”. Joy was born on Monday 5th November 1923 in Oldbury and later became a nurse at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham, where she worked for eight years.
Alongside nursing, Joy loved to sew, knit and cook, often sharing her passions with her loved ones. She met her husband, Douglas, when they were both in their 20s.
The couple went on to have two children, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, whom she regularly connects with. Since moving into Mercia Grange in 2022, Joy has become an integral part of life at the home and was even nominated by her fellow residents to serve as a Resident Ambassador last year.
Michael McNelis, Home Manager at Mercia Grange, said: “We love to celebrate special milestones at the home and Joy’s birthday was no exception.
“Joy is a much-loved resident at the home, so it was lovely marking her 102nd birthday with her loved ones. Her calm and cheerful attitude reminds us that perhaps the key to a long and fulfilling life is living fully in the now and taking joy in the little things.
“Happy birthday, Joy, and here’s to celebrating many more milestones!” Mercia Grange is a state-of-the-art care home that provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care.
The three-storey home, which features 67 en suite bedrooms, has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilling lives, while also promoting independence. It incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies, and includes its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and pub.
