It Takes a Village: Making the Holidays Special at Uplands Village
The holidays are a memorable and meaningful season for many—festive meals, time with family, and other holiday traditions are things that people look forward to all year long. However, if you have an older parent or family member who has recently moved into an assisted living community, things and traditions might be a little different this year.
At Uplands Village, we know that the transition to senior living can be difficult, especially when it’s your first holiday season away from close loved ones. This is why we work hard to make every holiday season meaningful for our residents and our staff. While some of our residents may be spending the holidays away from home and family, they are spending them in their new home with their new family.
Volunteer Opportunities at Uplands Village
Uplands Village is a Life Plan Community in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, offering a full spectrum of senior care and lifestyle options. One of our philosophies here is to encourage purposeful and intentional living, and one of the ways we do this is through volunteer opportunities.
Our independent living residents have the opportunity to volunteer at our assisted living and long-term care homes—Fletcher House and Wharton Homes. Doing this provides them with a sense of purpose, strengthens community bonds, and contributes to physical and mental health. Lastly, it’s a way for our residents to make the holidays special for other residents, staff, and themselves.
A Look Back at Past Holiday Seasons
We know that spending the holidays away from home and potentially family can be difficult for some, especially if it’s their first year in a senior living community. Here’s a look at some of the special events and programs that Uplands Village residents and volunteers have put on in the past few years!
Participating in Gift Shopping and Wrapping
Not only do we want to make the holidays meaningful for our residents, but we also want to make them memorable for our employees and their families. In 2018, generous volunteers went Christmas shopping for the children of Wharton Homes and Wellness Center employees.
Then, we hosted several gift-wrapping sessions so our long-term care residents could help wrap these gifts! Tactile activities like wrapping gifts are an excellent way for older individuals to practice cognitive skills and motor functioning while providing a sense of purpose and community.
Watching a Children’s Parade
That same year, we hosted a children’s parade featuring students from a local school in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee. Our residents and staff members alike enjoyed seeing the children in holiday outfits!
Encouraging Festive Door Decor
One of the classic holiday traditions is decorating your home with festive lights, wreaths, and other seasonal decor. While those living in assisted living or long-term care communities may not have the opportunity to decorate an entire house (which they might view as a good thing!), we still make sure to make the space special for them!
In 2019, we encouraged residents (with the help of our generous volunteers) to decorate their doors with wreaths, quilts, or other items. This added some seasonal beauty to the homes while showing off the unique personality of each resident!
Sending and Receiving Greeting Cards
Another important holiday tradition is sending and receiving holiday cards. Of course, those living in senior living communities can always notify friends near and far of their new address, but we want them to get some love from their Uplands Village family, too! We always enjoy receiving greeting card donations so that each resident in our Fletcher and Wharton Homes feels loved and appreciated.
Enjoying Holiday Musical Programming
When we can, we love hosting and participating in musical programming! In 2019, we welcomed a local dulcimer group to play holiday music for the residents of Wharton Nursing Home. Our residents and staff had a great time!
Celebrating the Holidays with Uplands Village
The holidays are a joyous time of year, overflowing with joy, togetherness, and celebration. At Uplands Village, we ensure that no matter who you are or where you come from, you’ll enjoy the holiday season with us. We truly are a family here, supporting and uplifting each other to enjoy the holidays as one community.
While many events and programs in 2020 had to be modified due to COVID-19, we are looking forward to safely resuming memorable holiday celebrations this year!
To see how we’re celebrating the holidays at Uplands Village in Pleasant Hill, Tennesse, we invite you to follow us on Facebook!