It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And with the holiday season in full swing, the residents of Marquis Companies have been taking advantage of all that the holidays have to offer – with the help of our amazing Activities Directors, of course.

Making the Holiday Season Merry and Bright

Marquis Eugene Assisted Living and Memory Care recently organized a hot cocoa bar for their residents on a chilly winter day. With peppermint sprinkles, whipped cream, and lots of other delicious toppings, residents, and staff were able to connect with meaningful conversations while staying warm and toasty indoors.

Meanwhile, the residents of Marquis Wilsonville Post-Acute Rehab have been enjoying the season by decorating sugar cookies together and reminiscing about holidays past. One of the amazing staff members at Marquis Wilsonville PAR made sugar cookies and frosting, even bringing in their sprinkle collection for this amazing activity.

Residents also enjoyed watching The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, then decided to paint their very own windowsill nutcrackers. This engaging craft allowed residents to reflect on the first time they heard The Nutcracker story while socializing with others about the holiday season.

Their community is also looking forward to National Eggnog Day on December 24, when they’ll be having an eggnog-tasting event for residents to experience.

As we look to the future, I’m so excited to see how our Activity Directors bring resident programming to new heights and showcase our residents experiencing a life, well lived.” — Lynne Hughs Jensen, Recreational Activities Consultant for Marquis Companies

Have you ever heard of 3D ornaments? Well, the residents of Marquis Vermont Hills are experts at crafting these beautiful pieces, thanks to the hard work of Amanda Perl, Recreational Activities Director. Amanda’s dedication to this project started last holiday season when she took slices of the bottom of Christmas trees and dried them, so they would be ready for this year’s craft project.

Later in the month, residents were able to take part in a Hanukkah party which included, Hanukkah Bingo, spinning dreidels, “lighting” electric candles, reminiscing and telling stories, and eating delicious doughnuts.

Marquis Plum Ridge staff have been spreading holiday cheer for their residents by caroling through the hallways, crafting snowman bottle cap ornaments, and making gingerbread garlands to help dress the community in festive fashion.
While making the snowman ornaments, residents and staff shared their favorite holiday traditions – including their favorite holiday sweets. All the residents in the group agreed that pecan pie was the winner.

Residents of Marquis Wilsonville Assisted Living recently visited the Grotto in Portland to see their holiday light display, set on their beautifully landscaped grounds. Six residents were able to attend this outing, alongside Activities Director Stephanie Larsen and Administrator Stephanie Swayne. While visiting the Grotto, the group was able to hear a local high school choir performance inside the Marilyn Moyer Meditation Chapel.

“The Grotto is such a peaceful, calming place to go. And it is beautiful. It’s a wonderful place that adds to the joy of Christmas.” — Margaret K., ALF Resident

In addition, residents were able to participate in the “Gifts from the Kitchen” program at Marquis Wilsonville Assisted Living, which is a program taught by resident, Margaret K. All by using the microwave, Margaret shared how to make peanut brittle, chocolate fudge, salted turtle candies, and peppermint bark. Participants were able to partake in the bounty of homemade candies by taking them home in a decorative box.

New Year, New Programming and Engagement Opportunities

Talking with Lynne Hughs Jensen, Recreational Activities Consultant for Marquis Companies, Lynne had this to share about the amazing Activities Directors at Marquis, “With the new year, comes new opportunities for continued resident engagement and activities. In the last several years, our entire programming team has risen to the challenge and created new ways of connecting with our residents, and keeping families connected.”