STAFF at a nursing home in Purton have celebrated its 30th anniversary by recreating a photograph that appeared in the Swindon Advertiser three decades ago.

Keith and Mary Trowbridge, who are both registered nurses with almost 80 years of care experience between them, still own and manage Ashgrove Nursing Home.

This week, to mark the occassion, they threw a service of celebration and afternoon tea, with a 1930s and 40s-themed party, before posing for a photograph just like the one that appeared in the paper all those years ago.

The 28 residents were joined by members of their families and staff, past and present, in the gardens of the home.

The home specialises in care for the elderly and people with dementia, as well as those with physical disabilities and terminal illnesses aged 30 and above. The home organises regular activities for residents and encourages them and their families to treat the home as their own home, with no set visiting times, a family kitchen and bedrooms that the residents are encouraged to personalise and decorate.

Keith said: “Our approach to care is that entering a nursing home is not necessarily something that people do only at the end of their lives, but residents can – and should – be able to live life fully for as long as possible. We have residents at Ashgrove who have been with us for almost 10 years and everyone feels just like family.

“Care has changed a lot since Ashgrove House first opened. There is a lot more paperwork involved now, which in some homes means that they have less time to spend with their residents. At Ashgrove we invest in our staff to ensure that residents receive the best care – sometimes we even have more staff on site than residents.”

The home has exciting plans and will shortly start work on an extension to provide six new rooms, including two designed and equipped with specialist equipment for bariatric patients – a first in the area.

The extension is due to open in 2015 and will take the home’s capacity back to 34. Since the home removed the option of shared rooms there is a current maximum of 28.

For more information on Ashgrove House Nursing Home, visit www.

ashgrovehouse.net or call 01793 771449.