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Last Update: 2 June, 2008 9:38 AM

28 December 2009
ANGELS ARE A GODSEND TO ELDERLY LLANDOUGH HOSPITAL PATIENTS

Wales News
Author: Gary Baker

LET'S have a nice big smile! It is only when people run out of the most common things in life and cannot get to the shops to replace them that they are missed most.

Take, for example, the trials and tribulations of families snowed into their own homes during the recent bad weather across the country.

It is a fact that, when elderly people are taken into hospital for treatment or care, they often arrive without the bare essentials.

These elderly patients may have no families to bring them their toileteries or their loved ones may live too far away to visit and provide for them.

But kind carers from Angels Care Services, who are creating 30 new jobs in Newport after opening an office in the city, have stepped in and helped make the lives of E-7 ward patients at Llandough Hospital, Cardiff, a little sweeter this Christmas by donating hundreds of items of toileteries.

It has only taken a month for the second annual gift-aid rally among the 50 carers of Angels Care Services to produce such a substantial delivery to the ward, with the company doubling each donation made by their staff.

Delighted doctors and nurses received the donation from Angels Care Services Registered Manager Hannah Matthews and Quality Assurance Officer Alison Lobb on Tuesday afternoon (December 22) and everything was warmly appreciated by the hospital staff.

Deputry Ward Manager Angela Bird said: "This is great and will really help our patients a lot. Often they have not got anything. We do provide little things for the patients but these donations are just amazing.

"There are towels, flannels, toileteries - the lot. It is just fantastic.

"You wold be surprised that patients often come into hospital with nothing, not even the basics. We have recently had a meeting of staff asking us to bring some more things in because it is surprising how much they use.

"The things we put by are very basic but now we have got these generous gifts - nice smelling shower gell, towels, flannels and toothbrushes - it will make a big difference. Thank you to Angels very much as it has really helped us this Christmas."

This is the second year that Angels Care Services, who provide home care services to the elderly, have held their carers' gift-aid rally.

Mrs Lobb explained: "Every year, we like to help an organisation. Last year we collected toys for a women's refuge in Barry and the carers donated a toy each, with Angels, as a company, matching this toy-by-toy."

Mrs Matthews added: "People are forgotten this time of year, particularly people who are in hospital. It is not the best place to be at Christmas time and we just like to try and give a little bit back to them.

"We try to concentrate on people are admitted in the middle of the night, don't have family near and cannot pack a bag because they are suddenly rushed in and have not got the essentials.

"That is what we asked the carers to provide, just basic things. Everything they donated, we matched. Everyone has the right to be clean and brush their teeth first thing in the morning, and people do run out of these things and it is sad to think that people cannot maintain daily cleaning habits because they run out of things.

"And it is such a simple thing which costs just a couple of pennies but which go a long, long way when people do not have the luxury of popping to the shops when they run out of items."

The scheme has proved so popular among the kind-hearted Angels Care Services staff that they are hoping to extend it further to gift-aid donations throughtout the year and not simply at Christmas.

That would certainly bring a beaming smile to other faces around the Cardiff and Vale areas.

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