‘Making their lives happy’

Monday marks the beginning of National Skilled Nursing Care Week, and local nursing homes are doing their part to go above and beyond with the care they provide their residents.

“The most rewarding part of the job is to see the residents smile,” said Lori Harvey, administrator at Creston Specialty Care. “We become family at the facility and enjoy being a part of making their lives happy.”

Established by the American Health Care Association in 1967, National Skilled Nursing Care Week, formerly known as National Nursing Home Week, recognizes the essential role of skilled nursing care centers in caring for America’s frail, elderly, and disabled.

Traditionally, nursing home facilities celebrate with differing activities for residents each day. Creston Specialty Care began their activities Sunday with a Mother’s Day Celebration, featuring corsages and a music with Leonard Hudson, with accomodations being made in accordance with social distancing guidelines.

“We were able to still have an entertainer for Mother’s Day but they had to stay outside under the car port and we cracked the windows so all could hear inside,” said Harvey.

Activities are a regular part of the day-to-day life for residents and staff, as various weekly and annual activities take place in the facility.

“We provide a wide variety of activities year round,” said Harvey. “Bingo is our all time favorite activity here as we provide this twice a week. We have spiritual services twice a week. The crafts and art that we have had to be adjusted as Blake is unable to visit at this time.”

Special activities for the week include making fairy gardens with students from Discovery Pre-School, different musical performances, dress up days and an antique road show activity with Fred Shields.

“The Antique Roadshow are antiques from the past,” said Harvey. “The residents many times know what they are better than we do and explain how they used them in the past. Last year we had several items that were used for work horses and of course staff had no idea what the item was used for so the residents had a good time explaining how it was used in the past.”

The week is also an opportunity to highlight the work nurses and staff do throughout the year.

“A good nurse is not only a good assessor, but they listen to the resident and understand how their diagnosis effects their well being as well as from the medical perspective,” said Harvey. “They show compassion and understanding to the resident.

With the ongoing threat of COVID-19 changing many aspects in everyday life, Harvey said her staff have excelled in their handling of the situation and adjusting to the changes.

“I am very proud of all my employees,” said Harvey. “We have changed many aspects of how we do things and they have embraced it and done very well trying to keep our residents safe.”