Mother, 98, moves into care home to look after son, 80

A 98-year-old woman has moved into a care home so that she felt that her 80-year-old son needed more care and support.

Ada Keating decided she needed to join son Tom at Moss View care home in Huyton, Liverpool, where he has been since 2016. Tom never married so they have always lived together and are inseparable, spending time playing games or watching Emmerdale. Ada said: ‘I say goodnight to Tom in his room every night and I’ll go and say good morning to him. I’ll tell him I’m coming down for breakfast. ‘When I go out to the hairdressers he’ll look for me to see when I’m coming back. When I get back he’ll come to me with his arms outstretched and give me a big hug.

‘You never stop being a mum.’

Tom said: ‘They’re very good here and I’m happy to see my mum more now she lives here. ‘She’s very good at looking after me. Sometimes she’ll say “Behave yourself”.’ Ada and late husband Harry had four children – Tom, Barbara, Margi and Janet, who died at the age of 13.

Before his retirement Tom was a painter and decorator at HE Simm building services, then located on Prescot Road. Ada was an auxiliary nurse at the former Mill Road Hospital. Ada’s granddaughter Debi Higham and other members of the family are regular visitors to the care home on Page Moss Lane, and say they are happy Ada and Tom can be together again. Debi said: ‘There’s no parting them. It’s reassuring for us that they’re both getting looked after 24/7.’

Care home manager Philip Daniels said: ‘It’s very touching to see the close relationship both Tom and Ada share and we are so pleased we were able to accommodate both of their needs. ‘It’s very rare to see mothers and their children together in the same care home and we certainly want to make their time together as special as possible. ‘They are inseparable.’

Source: Metro