Each weekday at the Home the morning begins with the reading of the Daily Guideposts over the intercom, which many residents thoroughly enjoy and greatly appreciate, and is generally followed by Morning Stretch. On Monday, June 28, residents were rolling their shoulders and whirling their arms as fast as they could go. Then the wrist and ankle rolls seemed simple. To get heart rates up, everyone had a blast boxing and punching the air. At the end of it all, many were huffing and puffing. In Wheel of Fortune, Bible quotes were used, which was fun and enlightening, too. After lunch, residents gathered back in the dining room to play BINGO. When getting 5 in a row, candy prizes were given; boy oh boy, do the residents ever love their candy. They also had fun conversing with one another throughout the game. On the evening activity calendar was Bible Study.
Tuesday’s Daily Guideposts from Psalms 118:24 “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” was a refreshing reminder that God gave us today. Yesterday is the past…tomorrow is the future…but today is a gift which is why it’s called THE PRESENT. During Crafts, residents gathered together in anticipation for a special project. It was painting fireworks to set the mood for the upcoming 4th of July holiday. Five bendable straws were taped together and bent out at the top. These were then dipped in red and/or blue paint and pressed onto a white paper. “Wow! This is really fun using paint!” remarked one resident while creating her designs. There were also small paint brushes available to touch up their creations. When everyone was done, it really looked like they were ready to celebrate Independence Day. A round of one-on-one visits were held in the afternoon. Activity staff members went around to ask residents what their favorite and most exciting activities are. Not surprisingly, BINGO was the #1 favorite activity followed by going outdoors and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. Also that afternoon for Active Games, word searches and other puzzles were passed out with themes of Remembering America and Dog Days. These types of games aren’t just fun but also educational with many learning the different types of breeds of dogs. The evening concluded with the Apostolic Christian Young Group singing. Residents joined together in the lobby while the youth sang outside the big window with a microphone to bring their beautiful voices inside. Several joined in and sang their hearts out with the young folks. Some of the residents asked when the Young Group can come back inside as they really miss the multigenerational interaction. The best answer right now is “It’s all in God’s hands; we just need to continue to pray very hard.”
Morning Stretch was off to a late start on Wednesday but slowly residents came out to the lobby to join the fun. They all burst out in laughter when swinging their arms like in the swimming in the pool. “We look silly” one resident stated through all the laughing. Later in the morning, BINGO was another success. Some residents got to play with their family members today with the Essential Caregivers program. Seeing visitors again really brightened everyone’s spirits. Courtyard Activities had some residents outside, enjoying some fresh air and sunshine. The evening concluded with the Apostolic Christian Church service available to listen over the intercom.
The new month started with these encouraging words during the Daily Guideposts reading…Waiting, trusting and hoping are intricately connected: like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain. Trusting is the central strand, because it is the response God desires the most from His children. Those who tuned in for Travelogue on activity channel 2 saw the “Amazing Earth” on the Discovery channel. This eye-popping global spectacle that probed the oceans and scaled the mountains to explain our planet’s catastrophic past and violent present. Did you know that each year an average of 18,000 meteorites hit the earth? In addition that morning, Friendly Visits from Activity Staff were scheduled. BINGO after lunch had residents having a blast playing their favorite game twice in one week. Lots of BINGOs were called and lots of candy was won. Yum! The evening activity for those who were able to stay awake was a Read-A-Long/Sing-A-Long.
It was very special on Friday for those residents who congregated and joined in for the first time since the beginning of last year for Catholic Mass. Many were overly thrilled that they could again partake in their religious events. The Father started off by introducing himself and going to each person to get to know them better. One resident mentioned that she went to St. Mary’s school as a kid. Mass then officially started. Once it was over, the Father then had the Healing of the Sick. Residents and their family members appreciated him doing that after Mass for it has been a while. Step Back in Time was later that morning. The afternoon was a Music Concert on activity channel 2. Also that afternoon Israel from Transitions Hospice arrived, festively dressed in a red, white, ‘n blue outfit. It was so entertaining to watch him wave American flags to the patriotic music while passing out cool, refreshing Bomb Pops popsicles. That evening the residents got a special treat while they watched a movie together in the activity room. Instead of the same old popcorn, they got to indulge in root beer floats. Many said they liked the change up. A 4th of July firework film was shown followed by the hilarious antics of Lucille Ball. Everyone always gets such a kick out of I Love Lucy.
For the holiday weekend, Lawrence Welk’s “To American With Love” DVD was shown on Saturday. Then after supper the activity department held a special evening event to Watch Fireworks Outside. Staff took the residents out to the parking lot to watch the Roanoke fireworks. Residents’ family members were invited to come and watch them with their loved ones. All were thrilled to enjoy the show with their families and friends. Individual bags of popcorn and small bottles of water were passed out as well as residents were asked if they would like to wear glow sticks. Many thought that was the neatest thing to have a glowing bracelet or necklace. When it got darker, new activity director Jenna Sizemore lit up sparklers and danced in patriotic costume in front of the residents to help boost the exciting event that’s about to take place. Residents and their families were mesmerized by the different colors and forms of the fireworks. After the fireworks were over, residents in wheelchairs were pushed inside again. One resident said, “I’ve seen many fireworks over the years, but it’s still fun to watch them at my age because they are always making new ones.” It was a very nice celebration of our nation’s independence and the freedoms valued in our great country.
SAVE THE DATE…August 27-28, 2021…is Homecoming Day! It has been decided to do an online auction again this year. Anyone who would like to donate a service or new item can drop it off at the Home during normal business hours, or call the Home to arrange another time. A fish fry is also being planning on Friday evening. Watch for further details when available in the newspaper as well as on the Home’s Facebook page and website.
NOTE: “The Cottage,” the new Countryside Barn used for indoor, climate-controlled window visits for residents and their families/friends, continues to be a great way to safely visit loved ones at the Home. This beautiful shed is located in the Home’s west parking lot in front of the building. Remember appointments MUST be scheduled in advance, using the link to Calendly on the homepage of the Home’s website: www.achroanoke.org