If you took a group of people on a tour of our nursing units on any given day, they would most likely describe them as bright, clean, and pleasant. If you took that very same group of people on a tour of our nursing units on February 17, they would definitely have a VERY different description of them. In fact, they may not have even thought they were at Holy Family Residence! Why would they think this you ask? The answer is simple. It was Mardi Gras Day at our home, and we were going to take our Residents on a virtual trip!
Beginning at noon on the second floor’s St. John of God unit, our Residents were amazed to return from Mass to see that their dining room and sitting area had been converted into Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The tables were adorned in purple, green, and gold balloon centerpieces, plates, cups, napkins, and tablecloths, and the walls were adorned with silhouettes of jazz musicians. Luckily for our Residents, they didn’t have to just imagine what the smooth tunes might sound like flowing from those musicians’ instruments because our activities department brought in live saxophone and clarinet players for all of us to enjoy!
As we listened to the live music, we feasted on numerous types of New Orleans style foods including gumbo, jambalaya, and king cake. Following lunch, a group of employees performed a hula dance for the Residents which was not only entertaining but also served as a sneak preview of the next stop on our imaginary trip.
As evening arrived, we also arrived at our next destination – the South Pacific! Complete with tropical flowers, pineapples, and palm tree decorations, it was certainly hard to imagine what was once the St. Anne Unit was now something that looked like the set for a Rogers and Hammerstein musical.
While the dinner of South Pacific native foods and pineapple upside down cake for dessert certainly was a great treat, our Residents also enjoyed another great and unexpected treat – ukulele music!
Following an evening of enjoyable entertainment, it was time for us to return to our destinations, and return our nursing units back to their normally pleasant state. While the party may be over, the memories from it will certainly last.
Until Next Time,
Jackie
