Yeah, yeah…blogs are supposed to be stuff you write. But this was too good not to share—
A friend of mine on the management staff of a Nursing Home sent me this missive on great fun at her Home.
I am many years away from needing a nursing home, but after reading this, I am so ready to go now!
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Hi GnuKid,
We are celebrating Nursing Home Week in our usual over-the-top manner at Friends. This year we’ve taken our residents to Camp Run-A-Muk. Everyone is on a team – Red Rattlers, Dancing Deer, Lil Stinkers, Horny Toads, and Groovy Grizzlies (my team) – and we have bandanas with our team colors. Every other team has a single color, but the Groovy Grizzlies have tie-dyed bandanas (that’s why we’re groovy)! On Monday we had a cookout with sing-along and storytelling around the campfire. Well, not exactly! Due to the rain we moved inside, so there wasn’t really a fire. The fire pit we had dug outside was full of water – more like a little pool!
Yesterday morning the teams participated in a scavenger hunt. Staff paired up with wheelchair-bound residents, and we were racing all over campus in search of our prizes. The residents laughed and laughed, and the staff got some badly needed exercise! In the afternoon we had karaoke and a visit from Elvis. Last night the casino and bingo hall opened so the residents could win Friends Bucks to spend in the gift shop.
Today we had all kinds of camp crafts, as well as a visit by 6 exotic birds and parrots. Tonight we are having an Eastern European dance troupe, followed by a drive-in (wheelchairs, not cars) movie, “Ernest Goes to Camp.” Tomorrow is field day, and the contests include watermelon seed spitting, horseshoes, corn toss, and pin the tie on the administrator. In the evening we are having a luau, complete with REAL pig, and then a talent show featuring Tapcats [Ed. Note: an amateur tap-dancing troupe], residents, and staff. On Friday we have our special brunch in which residents are served made-to-order Belgian waffles, omelettes, and tons of other great breakfast foods – always a highlight of the week!
I’ve been very busy embellishing tote bags for the gift shop. Last week we all picked up lots of tote bags at the OHCA convention, and I covered the company logos (mobile x-ray, pharmacy, etc) with decorative fabrics. The residents love tote bags, and that is an inexpensive way to provide them! Most of my cat bags have already “sold.” I also helped with the decorating and am taking photos (300+ so far) and printing them daily – the residents really get a kick out of seeing them posted so soon. Tonight I’m a car hop for the movie, so I’d better get dressed soon. I’m wearing roller blades – the residents got such a kick out of them the last time I wore them.
The Wilds of Ohio 