Mumsnet users share how they have been reuniting with their family with McCarthy & Stone

[YanaMumsnet]

This sponsored discussion is now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part.

For many of us, not spending quality time with our families and loved ones was one of the most difficult things to accept during lockdown. With social distancing measures easing, we can now spend some precious moments with our families, even if a few metres apart. From a barbecue in the garden, to virtual birthday parties for those still shielding, most of us have a story of reconnecting with family and loved ones during these challenging times.

With that in mind, McCarthy & Stone Retirement Homes want to hear more about your story of reuniting with your family and loved ones during lockdown and beyond.

Here’s what they have to say: “A McCarthy & Stone apartment provides much more than a lovely home. It gives access to a vibrant, caring and supportive community of friends and neighbours, and as recent events have shown, nothing is more important.
We couldn’t be prouder of the way our homeowners have stepped up to support each other during this challenging period.
We recently surveyed 95 friends and family of McCarthy & Stone homeowners. Of those who gave an opinion 86% of people felt their friends/family were safe or extremely safe.
The already strong community spirit has flourished. Despite the restrictions, we’ve seen our homeowners adapt to new ways of socialising, with everything from exercise classes to gin nights — as well as innovative ways to celebrate things like anniversaries, birthdays and VE day. Meanwhile 400 of our staff volunteered to help with shopping and other essentials in our Buddy scheme. As a result we’ve been inundated with moving messages of thanks.

So we are asking you how have you reunited, or are planning to reunite with your family? What about reuniting with family members who might live in retirement homes? How have you been taking care of your older loved ones and how are you supporting them through the lockdown? What are your tips for staying connected to your loved ones while apart? Any funny stories of family reunions you want to share?

Whatever your story with your family reunions during lockdown, post on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for a store (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ
Insight Terms and Conditions apply

My mum is very vulnerable, so we put her in the greenhouse .

We prepared an afternoon tea in advance using proper aseptic technique (used to be a nurse), and the rest of us met in her garden, and she chatted and watched from her garden chair throne.

It was brilliant!

We've been having patio parties. Food , games and laughter!

I’ve been leaving food parcels for an elderly (And shielding) aunt and uncle on their doorstep - they’ve particularly loved the handmade goodies and pictures from the DC. Looking forward to a cuppa in their garden when they are ready for it too.

My sister lives abroad and my mum is widowed and lives alone, and although we have 'zoomed' throughout the lockdown period, which was lovely. I took my mum for afternoon tea, as soon as our local deli re-opened.
We have plans for my sister and her children to come over and plan to hire a holiday home in the Lake District.

We have been doing a quiz once a week on FaceTime with family. It's really helped keep us connected.

I've been delivering food to my mum since lockdown started (we couldn't get her an on-line delivery and then it just became a thing that I did every week). It was nice to be able to pop a few treats into the shopping - a bar of chocolate, her favourite magazine - that she wasn't expecting. Since we've been allowed to have a 'bubble', she's been in ours, so has been to stay with us a few times now.

We are having a party/ BBQ on 14th August because it is my Granddaughters 2nd birthday and my daughter is having a reveal balloon as she is expecting and we will all find out at the same time if she is having a boy or girl, Everybody in my family will be there which will also make it special as we ain't seen each other since we went into lockdown. So all my fingers are crossed that we do not go back into lockdown before then.

We were delighted when support bubbles meant we could reunite with my sister and niece - some very happy cousins! We've found that Zoom etc have been great for the adults but the kids struggle to engage.

I started out by helping with my granddaughter's maths home schooling via skype but since the beginning of June, when my daughter returned to work, I've taken over completely and am now delivering the whole syllabus in person-literacy, maths, history, science and art.

Lots of phone calls and text messages and now also some lovely social distanced meet ups in the garden.

After many cancelled trips the kids now have their cousins down from Scotland for a fortnight. They are having a great time even if it’s a lot of extra work!

I took my children to see mum and dad after 10 weeks of not seeing them (apart from facetime) - she had made enough sandwiches and make a table full of butterfly buns - and a magnificent trifle - the sun shone, the paddling pool was filled, and we all had a splash and ate ate ate and I have never had a happier day.

As a single mum, I've formed a support bubble with my elderly mum. We had previously been using Facetime which is great, but nothing beats seeing your own mum in person.

We've been drinking copious amounts of tea, visiting the local garden centre, and having a good laugh.

Not being able to be with her for 4 months has made me appreciate her a lot more.

We are scattered across the uk and beyond as a family, so zoom and FaceTime have been hugely important, especially to our elderly parents. Also use of WhatsApp as a means of grandparents and teenage grandchildren keeping in touch. It involved some considerable time at the start of lockdown to help our parents to feel confident in using the technology but now they are up and running and happy with it. We have weekly meetings involving close, wider and extended family members. It has actually increased our family communication a lot.

We have been keeping in touch with friends and family using FaceTime. We are now beginning to start socially distance meet up with different members of the family.

I am blessed with a lack of family, but I'm looking forward to a point in the distant future when I can see my in-laws again. They are not in a retirement home just yet, but I'll be sure to recommend McCarthy and Stone to them when the moment arises.

My dad, who has had a liver transplant was shielding since lockdown, has not set foot outside his flat. We delivered food parcels, zoomed, and worried about his mental health during lockdown.

I was so glad to feel his tight cuddle (albeit in lots of PPE still) and to see the tears in his eyes, well that will never leave me.

I'm in Wales and my brother is in England, so unfortunately we have not been able to see each other but have been keeping n touch on the phone. Hopefully we can meet up soon.

We had a socially distanced bbq with our friends from on other household after about 3 months of not seeing each other, it felt as though no time at all had passed.

We have been able to reunite with family and introduce our baby son to them. He has been a shining light in this tough time. We have been sharing photos but being able to reunite and introduce him in person has been so special.

I have recently started going into my parents’ house ( they are in their early 80s & have been shielding) but I so miss hugging them! Have been FaceTiming other family members & met up with my sister in law & niece a few weeks ago. Still social distancing of course. Really missing my friends as they have been home schooling etc so not free to meet up. Hoping to arrange some beach trips over the school holidays ☀️😎🍦

After not seeing my parents since February our reunion with this a week ago was fantastic. My two young children were so excited to actually be able to see Nanny and Grandad in real life again. They'd be shielding so we'd only seen them on video or from a distance when we'd drop off their shopping.

We have been telephoning my parents either every day or every other day, which is more often than usual. There are 4 in our household so we have been taking it in turns to phone, just so that my parents are not just speaking to me every time and are getting a more varied conversation.

We have had one meet up and are due again tomorrow - a socially distanced picnic in my parents garden. I ordered food (afternoon tea) from a cafe local to my parents to be delivered so it's a treat for everyone. Fingers crossed the weather will be good for us tomorrow.

We celebrated my (Shielding) Mother's birthday last week by having a social distanced party. We each sat in our bubbles and I served BBQ food waitress style, with sanitising regularly and wearing a mask. She really misses Bingo so I bought bingo tickets and we had a few games of that and then a quiz I made including Key Years from her life. She really enjoyed the day.

My Mother's McCarthy & Stone block was sold to Fairhold, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. She now pays service charges to a subsidiary called FirstPort. This may or may not be what you envisage when you go to buy?

Given that McCarthy stone are not allowing visitors to any of their homes and my mother is housebound this is a sore point right now