The Nazareth Home activities staff inspire, engage and enrich the lives of those we serve as they promote everyone’s well-being at the Highlands and Clifton campuses. This week, as we celebrate National Activities Professionals Week, we recognize our activity staff for their creative spirit, enthusiasm, energy and compassion.

A robust activity program is essential to the elders and is at the heart of hospitality and enhancing quality of life. The elders at Nazareth Home went from working, taking care of family, cooking and cleaning to living at a place where those items are now taken care of for them. The elders find themselves with more time on their hands, and offering various meaningful, nurturing and engaging activities is a wonderful way to fill their extra time. 

Over the past year, activity programming has changed because of COVID-19. The elders need stimulation and interaction through activities now more than ever. It’s important for them to participate in their favorite activity, spend time engaging with others and, when possible, leave their room for a change of scenery.

Our activity staff has worked tirelessly and courageously to develop new, innovative and meaningful activities that allow for social distancing. These have included activities such as: 

• • • Daily hallway exercise.
    • Hallway games such as Bingo, Bunco and card games. Each elder has their own cards, dice or game pieces to limit contact. 
    • Art and painting projects in their doorways or in a small group setting when able.
    • Virtual concerts by local musicians. 
    • When meeting in a small group for socialization like happy hour is restricted, the activity staff goes room to room with a bar cart with snacks. 
    • Hallway parades, which are always a favorite. 
    • The staff has found new ways to use the closed-circuit TV to allow elders to share with one another. For example, at the Clifton campus, elders are writing down some of their favorite home remedies they or their parents used, and then share with everyone on campus through the closed-circuit TV channel.
    • The staff always make sure there are plenty of in-room activities available such as word searches, crossword puzzles and books, to name just a few.

The pandemic has brought more consistent use of technology as a means to communicate with family. Facetime and Zoom meetings have been instrumental in keeping the elders in touch with their families. The mobile It’s Never Too Late (iN2L) technology is also used frequently for hallway activities that include music, games and education. As we move into the future, technology will continue to play a large role in the activities schedule.

Not only are the activities teams facilitating programs to keep the elders engaged, but they also are going above and beyond in many other areas.

• • • They facilitate window visits and, when able, in-person visits with social distancing.
    • They assist with many tasks that the elders’ families have historically done, from organizing rooms, putting laundry away, and even helping elders pay bills. The activities staff make themselves available to the elders in any way needed.

The teams also work closely with the pastoral care team at both campuses, as they provide additional time for prayer and other religious activities that are so important to the elders.

The intent is the activities at Nazareth Home fit into our person-centered care approach. The activity teams identify each elder’s interests and needs and involve them in ongoing activity programs designed to enhance their physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being.

Our goal is to not just fill time but to enrich the lives of the elders who live at Nazareth Home. Thanks to our activity staff who do just that each day.

Excitement is in the air at Nazareth Home as residents and staff members of both campuses have now received their first vaccination for COVID-19. Everyone has been looking forward to this day for quite some time. We are thankful and blessed we are some of the first to receive the vaccine. 

We are looking forward to the day when elders and their families can return to a sense of normalcy with communal dining, activities, and daily moments of physical connection. We know we still have a journey ahead of us before we get there; however, getting the first vaccination was a giant step toward that goal. 

Along with receiving the COVID-19 vaccinations has come several questions from family and friends.

When will the second vaccine be distributed to our communities?
Both campuses have already received the first vaccination for COVID-19. Our communities will update families with more information once we have a set date from CVS on administering the second vaccination. It will be between 21-28 days after the first vaccination.

Will family members get access to the vaccine?
Unfortunately, due to the limited supply of the vaccine, the U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program determined the first group to have access to the immunization includes residents in long-term care facilities and healthcare personnel. The CDC states that the vaccine will be more widely available to the public later this year.

How much will the vaccine cost?
There will be no cost. The vaccine is purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars and is given to elders and staff members at no charge.

Once the second dose is administered, will activities and visitors return to normal?
The vaccine is only one tool that our community will use to prevent the COVID-19 virus. For now, we will continue to adhere to national and state government guidelines, infection protocols, social distancing, and the use of personal protective equipment. We will notify all families once we can invite families, visitors and volunteers onsite again. Please visit our website and Facebook page regularly to stay up to date on our latest guidelines.

For now, we continue to test all elders weekly and upon any appearance of slight symptoms. Staff is tested twice per week.

Are you accepting new residents?
Our communities remain open to welcome new elders, and we encourage you to experience our community and meet our team members by scheduling a virtual tour. We have safely instituted a move-in policy that protects our elders and staff. For more information, contact: