North Devon care home resident fulfils dream to get new tattoos

A resident at Kenwith Castle Care Home near Bideford has ticked a cherished wish off his bucket list after staff arranged for him to ‘get inked’ with a tattoo 54 years after his last one.

Alan moved into the Care South home at Abbotsham in December and shared staff his long-standing wish to get several new tattoos bearing the names of his loved ones – and the care home’s logo!

As part of the company’s Make a Wish initiative to help residents fulfil aspirations in the later stages of their lives, the home team then contacted Ragnar Drabinski of Wolf Tail Tattoos, who was happy to make Alan’s wish come true.

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Ragnar visited the home to discuss Alan’s tattoo ideas in detail and later returned to carefully ink his arms with the names of his children, grandchildren, extended family and friends, all alongside the care home logo.

Alan said: “Over 54 years ago, I promised myself I would never have another tattoo as I know some people can become ‘addicted’ to having more done.

“However, after all this time, I’d got bored of staring at the same ones on my arms every day. These new tattoos are all for a reason and that includes getting the Kenwith Castle care home logo as it’s in keeping with my journey, especially as the team are looking after me so well. My family, friends and the care home team are all so important to me.”

Above: Alan gets new tattoos of the names of his loved ones and people important to him as well as the Kenwith logo, courtesy of Ragnar Drabinski of Wolf Tail Tattoos. Credit: Care South

Tattoo artist, Ragnar, added: “After meeting Alan and hearing about his reasons and ideas for the tattoos, it was an honour to help to fulfil his wish.

“As I worked on each tattoo, he was telling me stories about his life, which was amazing to hear. He also spoke so highly of the Kenwith Castle team and the care they provide to him. He’s already talking about ideas for the next tattoos he hopes to get.”

Make a Wish is one of the many initiatives run by the team at Kenwith Castle. It encourages residents to share hobbies, passions, or experiences they once enjoyed, or have always dreamed of trying, but may not be able to pursue without the home’s support.

The team then works safely and thoughtfully to bring those wishes to life, creating meaningful moments and lasting memories.

Home manager Jo Passmore said: “We have never had a request like this before, but we believe in enabling and empowering the residents, being guided by their own choices and wishes, whatever they may be.

“Alan was thrilled when we told him Ragnar could make his dream come true. It is a real pleasure to play a part in Alan’s life journey, as he’s an incredible man with so many stories to tell and we are glad that we could help him to honour his loved ones with new tattoos.”

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Care South is a not-for-profit charity that runs residential and home care services across the south of England, with care homes in Dorset, North Devon and Somerset and home care offices covering Dorset and Somerset.

For more information about the care services at Kenwith Castle, visit https://www.care-south.co.uk or call 01237 879594 to book a tour.