Feeling: What can one do to help in this epidemic? How can I make a difference?
An idea: Make a card, drawing, or painting with the kids to send to a local senior living facility, nursing home, rehabilitation center, and/or hospital! Could there be a more perfect time to get creative and teach kids how small acts of kindness make a big difference?
Many senior living facilities and nursing homes had to go on lockdown to ensure their residents’ safety during this pandemic. While the lockdown is the appropriate plan to keep residents’ healthy, it has impacted many people causing them to feel more alone than usual in such a strange time.
These homes are accustomed to having visitors frequently, as well as having community events, as Nancy Ludin, Executive Director of the Jewish Pavilion in Altamonte Springs, Florida has expressed to TODAY Parents.
Hospitals, nursing homes, and senior living facilities are welcoming cards, drawings, and letters from children and communities to keep a much-needed connection to others during this time of isolation.
What a fun way to give back and make someone smile through art, and kind, empowering words!
Ludin states, “This makes an enormous difference to our residents, it tells them we are thinking of them, we care about them, and we are anxious to see them again. This is a great way to teach our kids how to be compassionate and kind during this time.”
According to TODAY, “the service notes the CDC, the World Health Organization, and the Surgeon General have indicated that there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is being spread through the mail.”
Grab a pen, paint brush, markers or crayons and use this time to make someone’s day brighter by giving them something to look forward to. Below is a list of centers that are accepting these letters, and art.
Care Not COVID: The American Health Care Association & National Center for Assisted Living offer a website for users to record a video to send to nursing homes and assisted living residents in the country.
Benedictine Health Systems Senior Care Communities: The non-profit, mission-based health system is hosting a #GramsforGrands and accepting emails for their residents at bhs.marketing@bhshealth.org.
Children’s Hospital Colorado: Children can send a personal greeting to a child admitted in the hospital (Anschutz Medical Campus) via and E-card. Make sure to address the ecard to “A Special Patient.”
Brightview Arlington Senior Living Center: The center for seniors and memory care has 100 residents and ware welcoming any cards or drawings to brighten someone’s day!
Please contact local hospitals, nursing homes, and other communities to see if they are open to receiving a surprise to shed light on their day.
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