Carthage— The Carthage Area Hospital, Skilled Nursing Unit takes pride each year in making the holiday season special for their residents.
The activities director at the Carthage Skilled Nursing Unit, Delores Chaffee explained, that community involvement plays a key roll in having a successful holiday season. “We work with various organizations that work with the center from Carthage to Watertown. Some of them are individuals and others are local drug stores”, said Ms. Chaffee. The nursing unit also does an angel tree, where employees pick a resident from the tree and helps purchase the requested gifts listed on the angel.
The nursing facility ensures that each resident has several presents to open Christmas morning. Local members of Carthage and Watertown communities can adopt a resident with an undisclosed name and purchase requested gifts for that individual. Earlier this month, the nursing unit held their annual bake and craft sale, which proceeds went towards a large widescreen television for the residential dining room area.
The nursing unit works hard to make the place feel like home for residents and keep a festive spirit around the holidays. Several entertainers come in to sing throughout the holidays, from professionals to local school children. A big Christmas dinner is held a week before Christmas, where families of residents can come to have dinner with their loved ones.
There is a nice Christmas lunch the day of Christmas and staff helps open up presents. Some residents do go home for the holidays, but others have health conditions that prevent them from traveling or some simply do not have family. Ms. Chaffee stated, “Although we are not an actual home, we try very hard to make this a place feel homely and not a nursing unit, especially during the holidays.”
