Dedicated care home in Bearsden reunites three sisters in their 90s –connecting families in Glasgow

The sisters' story begins in the 1930s, thousands of miles away in South America. Their parents, originally from Paisley, answered a calling as missionaries, and raised the girls in Tarabuco, Bolivia.

Their days were spent studying at an English boarding school, while their evenings were filled with the chatter of Spanish as they mingled with the locals. However, as the Second World War drew to a close, the sisters boarded a troop carrier bound for Scotland so they could finish their education. They arrived in Liverpool on June 15, 1945 then travelling north to settle in Kilbirnie. It was quite a culture shock to the sisters as, living in the Bolivian mountains, they had been sheltered from the reality of WW2.

As adulthood arrived, life inevitably took them in different directions: Leana dedicated her life to others as a senior nurse and midwife, eventually settling in the Broomhill area of Glasgow in the 70s. Margaret became a teacher at Beith Primary School, making her home in Kilbirnie, Ayrshire. Mary, the eldest, married and crossed the Atlantic to start a new life in Canada with her husband and children, John and Elaine.

Neither Leana nor Margaret ever married and for years their bond remained unbroken. Leana would travel every Sunday to visit Margaret, where they would attend the Kilbirnie Gospel Hall together and write letters to Mary in Canada.

But as the years went by and health faded, time and distance took their toll. The sisters’ visits stopped, letters ceased, and they became estranged.

The path to their reunion began when Leana required residential care. Ian Briggs, a dedicated solicitor from J & J McCosh’s, arranged for her to move into Abbotsford House, an award-winning luxury care home in Bearsden.

Sometime later, Ian Briggs contacted the home again with an uncanny request. He was looking to support Leanas sister, Margaret who desperately needed residential care.

"The sisters had not been in contact with each other for quite some time," explains Wilma Docherty, Director at Abbotsford House and it is wonderful that they are now reunited

“Margaret and Leana now share a room in Abbotsford,” continued Wilma. “They are very much alike – you can tell they are sisters, they even wear their hair the same way and they both like to sit together in the lounge in the afternoon. Becoming reunited has helped both sisters immensely.”

Dementia and ill health meant Margaret, now 88, and Leana, now 91, lost touch, but it also meant communication with their eldest sibling Mary, who has just turned 95, was lost.

But, thanks to Mary’s daughter, Elaine Deligdisch, solicitor Ian Briggs, and the staff at Abbotsford, the three sisters are now back in touch, with regular communications, calls and letters.

Elaine explained, “Mum met my dad in Kilbirnie and soon after he emigrated to Montreal Canada, Mum joined him and settled there.”

“We had several vacations in Scotland touring around as much as possible and connecting with Mom's family. Aunt Leana and Margaret also came to Canada a few times.”

Elaine continued to explain that from 1956 to 2010, the two sisters in Scotland wrote to Mary in Canada every week. And each week she replied, until around 2010 when she began to lose her eyesight. Letters made way for phone calls and in 2018 Mary’s husband passed away from dementia, and then Mary herself began to show signs of the illness.

Elaine didn't realize that her mum had stopped calling her sisters because of her dementia. She continued, “It took me a while to track down Aunt Leana. I had no telephone numbers or addresses of any of the relatives in Scotland.

“All I had was a telephone number that no longer worked. I called the hospitals in the area and was able to find her.”

Finally, Elaine was told to contact solicitor Ian Briggs, where she learned that Leana was living at Abbotsford House in Glasgow, and was able to once more rekindle communication between the sisters.

Kishan Aldridge, director and daughter of Caroline and Surjit Sokhi who set up Abbotsford 35 years ago, says this family connection is hugely important in dementia and elderly care “Family connection is so important for wellbeing and keeping people’s minds active,” says Kishan. ”We want to help the sisters as much as we can by reminiscing about that time in Bolivia and keeping that connection.

“Emma, our Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator, receives emails and photos from Mary’s care home in Canada which she shares with Leana and Margaret and then sends emails and photos back to Mary.”

Elaine commented, “Now although dementia doesn't allow my Mum to correspond, I can bridge the gap between the sisters. We send pictures back and forth and Mum loves knowing that her sisters are well cared for.”

Abbotsford House is a family run care home that has always gone the extra mile to keep connections with family, friends and local community - even building a visitors pod during the pandemic to ensure residents and families stayed connected.

Living at Abbotsford means having an active and enjoyable life. The beautiful mansion is home to 29 residents and offers respite stays and permanent homes to older people needing some extra support and to those living with dementia. Occupational therapy is centred around the people who live there. For example, a recent Italian day with a ‘virtual’ tour of Rome, real Italian ice-creams, and practicing a few words, meant one bi-lingual resident could enjoy speaking his first language again.

Whilst it is an older property, its standards and outlook are modern and constantly updated. With the next generation of the family continuing to deliver exceptional care, Abbotsford House looks forward to creating many more meaningful connections like this exceptional story of three sisters reunited.

With two respite care residents about to return home, there will be openings available for new residents.

Find out more about the home here or phone to arrange a chat with one of the friendly staff members or to look round.