Hickory Creek at Sunset celebrates National Nursing Home Week

Monday, May 18, 2009
Thelma and Earl Sloan wait to have their picture taken by Samantha McGranahan Wednesday at Hickory Creek at Sunset. As part of National Nursing Home Week, Hickory Creek had Roxy Studios of Terre Haute come photograph residents. The Victorian photos will decorate the facility and can be ordered at www.pictage.com/655475

The focus of National Nursing Home week on May 10-16 was on "nurturing" this year. According to the American Health Care Association (AHCA) the theme, "Nurturing a love that lasts," encourages everyone to think about the generations of family members nurturing loved ones.

Local nursing homes traditionally celebrate this week with fun filled events for their staff and patients.

Hickory Creek at Sunset had a packed week of events starting with a balloon liftoff featuring Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray. It also included games and Victorian pictures along with special meals and other events.

"As nursing homes embrace culture change and the concept of resident-centered care, the environment becomes more conducive to nurturing and sustaining relationships. That's because it is clearer to see residents as parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, mentors, heroes and, in general, people who have nurtured -- and often continue to nurture -- a family member, relative, friend or other significant person. The elderly or disabled person in this scenario needs nurturing too," says the AHCA.

"Our nursing home staff is sensitive to nurturing the spirit, as well as caring for the physical needs of residents. People with chronic conditions or disabilities are often long-term nursing home residents and the nursing home becomes a close-knit social and medical community," said Hickory Creek at Sunset Administrator Gayle Camonte.

At Mill Pond Health Campus, they don't celebrate the week of National Nursing Homes because they do so much rehabilitation and have a large assisted care facility.

"Increasingly, for many people, living in a nursing home is a short-term experience to heal, mend and rehabilitate in order to return to their own home and social circle," said Jayne Harwood, Director of Resident Services for Mill Pond Health Campus.

"Really here we don't celebrate National Nursing Home Week. We call our residents elder Americans and do special things for them everyday. Our company is a firm believer celebrating elder Americans all year long," explained Harwood.

"We just had a DePauw professor come in who makes freelance movies and she let the residents play with her cameras and shoot movies and take pictures. We try to do things like this every week," said Harwood.

Having the spirit and a willingness to nurture is a key part of creating a quality environment and having residents and families satisfied with the nursing home and life in general says the AHCA.

"Regardless of how long residents stay, for them, a nurturing spirit and nurturing environment promotes the recovery and rehabilitation process and brings "going home day" closer," said Camonte.

"Nursing home staff, residents and volunteers provide a caring environment that values communication, relationships and partnership," said Camonte. "We're happy to honor all those people this week."

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  • What a thoughtful and creative idea. Good job Hickory Creek at Sunset! Looks like it was a fun event.

    -- Posted by New Guy on Mon, May 18, 2009, at 9:48 PM
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