We got lucky when Nancy moved in here at Tribute At Black Hill in Germantown, Maryland. She brought her piano with her, and she’s always playing songs for and with the other residents.
Now that holiday season’s here, Nancy’s brushing up on Christmas and holiday carols…and Tom is more than happy to join in on carol practice!
Nancy’s skill with the ivories is just one part of Tribute’s holiday celebrations. Marcy and our Memory Care residents are creating some amazing hand-made ornaments. Our Assisted Living residents are putting the finishing touches on their holiday paintings. We’re making wreaths, stenciling snowmen, decorating doors, and stringing up popcorn. For even more fun, our residents have had a ball tossing fake snowflakes at the Christmas tree!
Of course, these holidays figure to be like no other. We all know about this historic, dangerous pandemic’s winter wave sweeping across the country, keeping people frustratingly apart for now.
But we’re an active community here at Tribute. Our culture emphasizes and encourages beautiful experiences and social connections throughout our independent living, assisted living, and memory care neighborhoods. That’s never more important than during the holidays to our senior friends and relatives – COVID-19 or no.
So, we’re ready to safely celebrate the holidays with our residents here at Tribute At Black Hill – and we have some great ideas about how! Here are Five Fun Things To Make the Holidays Even Better For Your Favorite Seniors in 2020!
1. Play Santa for your loved one.
Stuff a stocking with decorations, cards, a favorite candy or two, maybe a few photos to spark some great memories, or a CD by one of their favorite bands.
Package the stocking up and mail it, or present it to your loved one at their home if you can safely visit.
There’s another great way to play Santa for the greater community of senior citizens near you. Whether you’re a neighbor of ours here in Germantown MD, or you live in another community, find the local Santas For Silvers or Santa To A Senior program in your area and get involved. You’ll make someone’s Christmas brighter and better!
2. Sing holiday songs over video call.
Music is essential to living here at Tribute At Black Hill and across the entire Cadence Living family nationwide – so getting together to sing holiday songs is only natural!
The fact is, singing in close proximity risks spread – but technology has an answer: Share the joy of caroling together over the Internet! Have a caroling party together, or just entertain your loved one by performing an exclusive concert just for them.
Connect over a video chat program like FaceTime, Zoom, Google Meet, or whichever you and your senior loved one prefer. Set up the tablet or smartphone by the piano, get everyone’s voices warmed up, and Jingle All The Way!
3. Send holiday cards, letters, and crafts!
This is a fantastically fun family activity around the holidays, especially for young kids and the young at heart!
Take some paper, a few colored pencils, and a dash of creative inspiration, and make a personalized greeting card – just for your senior loved one. Add in some photos or drawings for an extra personal touch.
Write a heartfelt, uplifting holiday message in a card or letter, and send it to them. There’s something special about getting a letter in the mail.
Or take some craft supplies and create your own decorations. They might become family heirlooms!
Children’s drawings and pictures make unforgettable holiday gifts – plus your senior loved one will get a big kick receiving a gift made by hand, just for them.
4. Bake some festive cookies.
A great family activity during the holidays is a cookie exchange. Make sure to share the sweetness with your senior loved ones!
Before you fire up the oven, ask them about their favorite cookie, or maybe they have an old recipe. Vanilla butter sugar cookies, chocolate crinkles, peppermint snickerdoodles, gingerbread men, the ones with green and red icing in the shape of candy canes…you really can’t go wrong!
Bake ’em up and take ’em over (or mail ’em over) – then be sure to connect on video so you can enjoy them together! (Otherwise…there’s always fruitcake!)
5. Watch your favorite holiday movies together – even if you’re not together!
It could be Movie Night or Movie Matinée, but schedule Movie Time with your loved one to enjoy a movie together! Whether you both have it on tape or you’re sharing a streaming service, it’s tremendous fun to watch movies with people you love!
Shed a happy tear when Santa is proven real in A Miracle On 34th Street, or bust a gut laughing as Tim Allen tries to negotiate The Santa Clause. Just be sure to share the experience together.
Make It A Great Holiday Season For Your Favorite Seniors
It’s the holidays, so we’re ready to share the spirit and joy with all our residents here at Tribute At Black Hill. We invite you and your senior loved ones to enjoy the festivities any way you can.
Call us at 410-401-5262. We look forward to orchestrating your safe visit with your loved ones here at 312 Baltusrol Drive in Germantown – or, we hope you get to share time together some other way.
Got more Fun Things To Make The Holidays Even Better For Your Favorite Seniors? Tell us on Facebook. Happy Holidays to all!
