National Skilled Nursing Care Week, first established by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) in 1967, recognizes the essential role of skilled nursing care facilities in caring for America’s seniors and disabled. The week starts each year on Mother’s Day, and is celebrated through the following Saturday. This year’s celebrations were held across the nation from May 9-15.
In Marquis facilities, it has become tradition for every day of this special week to be given a different theme. Staff are encouraged to dress in costume, and special treats or meals are brought in to make the themes extra special. Because the celebration kicked off on Mother’s Day, Marquis Piedmont hosted their second annual Mother’s Day Parade.
This Piedmont tradition began in 2020, when indoor visitation wasn’t allowed as facilities and the greater community worked to protect our residents from COVID-19. As a result, Piedmont staff got creative and invited family and friends of residents to decorate their cars, roll down their windows and create a ‘drive-by’ Mother’s Day Parade. It was such a huge success that they plan to make it their annual ‘kick-off’ event, celebrating both resident and staff moms at the facility.
Covid 2020 didn’t break us. It just made us stronger as a team. Knowing that we made it through the unknown.
From across Marquis and Consonus, our Virtually Vital Facebook group overflowed with photos and videos of staff and residents celebrating National Skilled Nursing Care Week. Themes included “Fall Sports”, “Tropical Vacation Days,” ‘Western Wear” and “Disney Day,” to name just a few. In addition to costumes and fun meals, staff also participated in lawn games and called in treats from food carts.
Jeana Canizales, staff member at Marquis Springfield, may have summed up the week of celebration best when she posted in Virtually Vital, “It may be silly little theme days all week, but it sure does get your mind off of all the work you are doing. Just to get to be silly for a day, and it brings a lot of smiles that brighten the day. Covid 2020 didn’t break us. It just made us stronger as a team. Knowing that we made it through the unknown.”
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