On Monday, March 29, when entering Holy Week, everyone was reminded of the HOPE that Easter gives. The HOPE that all can have in Jesus. Jesus was resurrected and we can be, too, when He returns. Isn’t it exciting that just like the earth will be renewed and restored, we also can be renewed by trusting in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice He made on the cross for all of our wrongdoings?! The Holy Spirit further assures our hope by allowing us to experience God’s presence and power now until Jesus returns.
During Manicure Mondays, the ladies had special Easter pastel colors to choose something springy for the holiday. A little later a replay of Sunday’s church service was available on activity channel 2. The trays of candy prizes for BINGO that afternoon looked extra special with foil wrapped eggs & rabbits, small packages of jelly beans, large marshmallow eggs, and pastel sixlets along with the regular goodies. The evening activity included reading history of the local area communities from the Eureka High School ACS books. One of the couples we read about was the story of Bill & Lydia Hohulin of Goodfield written by Faith Ford & Meghan Morrow. It shared about Bill being a “jack of all trades” and that he taught at Eureka High School. Together we read a few more accounts of locals and enjoyed reminiscing about our communities.
Residents and their families/friends have certainly be enjoying the use of “The Cottage,” the new Countryside Barn used for indoor, climate-controlled window visits! Resident Carol Sauder’s family creatively blessed her birthday with a special family lunch in The Cottage. In the center back of this photo, Carol and her sister Rachel Schroeder, who is an Essential Caregiver, are both on the other side of the glass while the rest of the siblings are all on the visitor side of The Cottage. Remember appointments MUST be scheduled in advance to use the Cottage, using the link to Calendly on the homepage of the Home’s website: www.achroanoke.org
The Goodwill Club on Tuesday morning gave residents the chance to write to notes to family and friends.
After lunch the activity was an Easter Celebration and it was even more fun because residents were able to gather together in the activity room now with group activities starting up again! There were spring green and pink plates with Easter napkins to make the room have a festive feel. Raspberry sherbet punch was served in clear cups. Soft sugar cookies with light yellow frosting and sprinkles were served. The cookies tasted so good a few residents had 2 or 3 while sharing Easter memories. One resident commented “Our Easter was celebrated with a bucket of fresh eggs... and that’s it!” But back then it was probably as much as some families could afford for their children. The Window Hymn Sing in the evening with the Eureka/ Congerville/ Roanoke Apostolic Christian Young Group was such a blessing to have the youth singing praises outside the lobby window. The residents truly cherish these precious times singing together.
The Daily Guidepost reading Wednesday got everyone thinking again about the upcoming events being celebrated the end of the week and over the weekend. A Collingsworth Family Gospel DVD shown on activity channel 2 further lifted hearts with their talented singing of hymns. Time passed quickly with another hour of BINGO.
A unique Easter Egg Coloring activity was held this year, experimenting with a different type of egg coloring using shaving cream swirled with food coloring. While wearing gloves, the hardboiled eggs were rolled around in the colored shaving cream. It was fun to feel the shaving cream and squish it between your fingers. After letting the eggs set, the shaving cream was wiped off and then rinsed. The eggs were a very pretty light color. Earl Kuebler of Eureka was admitted to room west 21 on the 31st because Anna Marie Reutter was able to return to her Country View apartment on the 26th after a short stay at the Home.
Thursday the weekly Word Searches were passed out with titles “It’s April,” “Easter Sunday,” “Father Forgive Them,” and “Egg-cellent Egg Hunt.” Many residents take these puzzles each week and work on them all week long. Inspirational Stories that afternoon was a hit! We read inspiring stories of spring and Easter. Residents were brought back to the days of dressing up nice for church on Easter Sunday with their parents and wearing an Easter bonnet or hat. We read about spring flowers blooming to which one resident commented “God is good! He made everything so detailed!” It was also Popcorn Pop-In & Movie on activity channel 2 that afternoon. Many residents were excited to play What’s in the Bag? that evening.
Good Friday was the Children’s Scavenger Hunt Outdoors. It was a delight to see children and families from the community outside everyone’s windows on the grounds of the nursing home doing an Easter Scavenger Hunt. Thank you to parents and grandparents who brought children to hunt for items on the list including a lamb, chick, ham, sunshine, chocolate egg, and many others. Thanks to the activity staff for organizing this modified version of the traditional Children’s Easter Party again this year with the COVID restrictions.
In this picture, Halen and Henley Banwart were happy on Saturday to help their mother, who is the Activity Director at the Apostolic Christian Home of Roanoke, pick up the items she had hidden for yesterday's Children’s Scavenger Hunt. Halen is holding a large chocolate egg which he later sampled while Henley is holding a canned ham which he did not sample!
In the afternoon was the movie “The Greatest Story Ever Told” that told Jesus’ life’s story. The Good Friday Church Service at the Roanoke Apostolic Christian Church was available both via the intercom as well as livestreamed on resident’s TVs.
In addition, this week Come Sit By Me resumed. This small group activity is for specific individuals with impaired cognition due to dementia who benefit from sensory stimulation activities that engage sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It’s wonderful that this program can start up again for those residents whom it directly benefits.
Saturday was a beautiful spring day with temperatures in the afternoon warm enough to take some residents out in the courtyard for a little while. Oh how the air smelled so fresh and the sunshine along with the light breeze felt so good! The evening activity had residents guessing letters and solving puzzles during Wheel of Fortune.
NOTE: The Apostolic Christian Home of Roanoke is looking forward to hosting another Drive-Thru Fish Fry Fundraiser on Friday, April 16, from 4:30-7:00 pm or until sold out, whichever comes first. This take-out only dinner is $10 which includes: fried fish w/ tartar sauce, green beans, coleslaw, rye bread, and a chocolate chip cookie. It will be held in the multi-purpose room, on the back side of the nursing home on Davison Street. Traffic will enter from the west on Davison Street and move to the east to get the carryout meals on the backside of the nursing home. All proceeds directly benefit the Apostolic Christian Home of Roanoke.