Coronavirus UK: Care home residents reveal their advice for happiness this year

Care home residents have offered a few titbits of advice for staying happy as the UK is plunged into its third coronavirus lockdown.

Staff at Pinehurst Care Centre in Crowthorne, Berkshire, wrote its elderly residents’ advice onto a piece of paper along with their names and ages.

And some of the responses were priceless, including 96-year-old Helen who suggested ‘plenty of whisky’ was the best approach to getting through the year.

Their answers were posted to social media with the caption: ‘We asked our residents for advice that they would give us or any suggested new year’s resolutions! Here is some of their answers (with their ages)!!’ 

Staff at Pinehurst Care Centre in Crowthorne wrote its elderly residents’ advice onto a piece of paper along with their names and ages. Helen (pictured), 96, said: ‘Drink plenty of whisky (any given amount)’

Nancy, 96, told others not to write her, or themselves, off quite yet. 105-year-old Claire had a stoic expression as she held up a piece of paper with the words: ‘Be as wicked as possible’

Peggy, 97, said to ‘kick men up the bum’ if facing relationship woes and Nancy, 96, told others not to write her, or themselves, off quite yet.

105-year-old Claire had a stoic expression as she held up a piece of paper with the words: ‘Be as wicked as possible’. 

It comes as the UK was plunged into a third national lockdown because coronavirus continues to spread with ‘frightening ease’, according to Boris Johnson.

Eileen, 96, advised plenty of exercise – which is still allowed according to the latest Government guidelines. But exercise can only be taken outside once a day and only within your local area

Peggy (right), 97, said to ‘kick men up the bum’ if facing relationship woes and Doreen (left), 90, said to ‘keep breathing’

Joan Patton (pictured), 96, said: ‘Don’t bother giving advice because they don’t take it’

Clare (left(, 91, harked back to the days of the Second World War as she said: ‘Keep the home fires burning until the boys come home.’ Right, Muriel, 84, said to ‘count your blessings’

Other great tips for staying upbeat in 2021 included to ‘count your blessings’, according to 84-year-old Muriel, and to not bother giving any advice at all, according to Joan Patton, 96.

Eileen, 96, advised plenty of exercise – which is still allowed under the latest lockdown guidelines. Exercise can be taken outside once a day but only within your local area.

Clare, 91, harked back to the days of the Second World War as she said: ‘Keep the home fires burning until the boys come home.’

And Kathleen, 100, pretended she was 21 before telling others not to tell fibs and to ‘make the most of opportunities’. Doreen, 90, wrote: ‘Act your age, so take a rest but don’t stop breathing.’

Kathleen, 100, pretended she was 21 before telling others not to tell fibs and to ‘make the most of opportunities’

Margaret Jenkins, 97, advised others to ‘be gentle to children’ while Marion, 90, said: ‘Try to live a good live’

Meanwhile, Britain today breached 1,000 daily coronavirus deaths for the first time since April and declared another record-high number of cases with 62,322 more positive tests.

No10 is now desperately trying to speed up its mass vaccination programme, which is considered the only way to escape the never-ending cycle of lockdowns. 

The Prime Minister pledged to vaccinate the most at-risk 13million Britons by mid-February with the ambition of easing restrictions — but today he conceded there would not be a ‘big bang’ release from the current national lockdown. 

Defending England’s third national lockdown, the Prime Minister told a recalled House of Commons that his hand had been forced after a new variant of the disease was found to be spreading with ‘frightening ease’. 

Mr Johnson said No10’s mass inoculation programme meant nearly one quarter of over-80s had already received jabs and England had vaccinated more people ‘than in the rest of Europe combined’.