Since the New Year, the weather has been unbearable. This has been a topic our residents have been discussing with staff and with one another for the past week.

We have canceled one of our bus trips due to the colder temperatures. We are thankful for the warmer temperatures so we can take our residents out on their trips. They look forward to get out and go on the trips.

Many times when we go shopping or out to eat, family members will meet their loved one so they can spend time together. We encourage our family members to participate in our activities with their resident. We have already started working on our February calendar and we will be having a full week of celebrating Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras and the Chinese New Year. Each year, the staff and visitors vote for Valentine’s Day king and queen from each floor. We keep it a surprise and call their family members to let them know they won, to invite them in for the celebration.

During Mardi Gras, we will be having foods from New Orleans for our residents to enjoy and the history about Mardi Gras. During our Chinese New Year celebration, we will be having Chinese food. We will be learning the Chinese zodiac, their culture, and tasting different kinds of foods from China.

The following week, we will be having activities to celebrate the Winter Olympics. We will be having games geared to the Olympics with modifications for our residents and celebrations for the winners of the games. During the Summer Olympics our residents had a good time and enjoyed the games with the Landmark Center residents. We are always looking and trying to find different kinds of activities for our residents. They really enjoy playing games, learning different things, and trying foods they aren’t accustomed to having.

When we have these weeks of different kinds of activities, we will try to have our bus trips to places to eat to go along with our celebrations. We also will have arts/crafts or games, music, and movies to integrate with the theme. This way, they might not get to go to the place, but they will be able to enjoy some of the culture and things they enjoy.

Sometimes we get with dietary and our meals go along with the theme. These weeks are also fun for the staff too. We try to integrate them in the themes by having dress down days and snacks for the staff.

If you are interested in performing or visiting with our residents, please call and we would love to put you on our calendar. Call Dee Dee Via at (276) 694-7161, extension 1804.