[ Editor’s note: This article was updated Nov. 25, 2020, to better reflect current programs. ]
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold,” wrote J.R.R. Tolkien in his beloved classic The Hobbit, “it would be a merrier world.”
In the spirit of spreading merriment — and in recognition of National Skilled Nursing Care Week, which enjoins the act of living soulfully — we at Christian Health Care Center wanted to share a few ways to brighten the lives of older adults, both here at our skilled nursing center in Lynden and wherever they might be in your lives.
Spread happiness through books
Great books have long been the centerpiece of happy experiences. Books can be topics of conversation among friends at monthly book club discussions. They can be enjoyed alone in the comfort of a quiet reading nook. They can be used as a conduit for human connection, when you bring a treasured classic or new favorite to your loved one’s bedside to read. Children, too, can get involved; an hour spent reading favorite books to grandma or grandpa will be an hour treasured by both sides. Book donations are always welcome by the activity department.
Spread happiness through kids
Our children have so much to learn from their elders. When babies and youth visit our skilled nursing center, CHCC residents often share with them the prodigious wisdom they’ve gained from life experiences. That’s not the only direction of the benefit of bringing kids to our Lynden health care center, though; residents have a lot to gain from youth, too. Consider the ebullience that children experience in their daily observations of life — that’s a happiness that tends to rub off on those around them. Or consider the joy that elders experience when they are able to observe and play with the next generation of youth, holding their grandchildren — or great-grandchildren — on their laps, looking into their eyes, listening to their infectious laughs… What happiness!
Spread happiness through music
Music plays a huge role in what we do here at CHCC. From personalized music to music therapy to volunteer piano accompaniment and more, our residents get a boost from exposure to music. Just consider this quote from Yuki Nasu, who visits to play the harp, about one of our residents: “She requested for me to play her favorite songs and hummed to the melodies most of the time. She smiled often and said that she loved it.” How’s that for happy! You, too, can spread happiness through music — by volunteering at CHCC, donating to support our music program or sitting at your loved one’s bedside and quietly singing beloved songs in harmony.
Spread happiness through food
Food is at the center of so many great moments in life: intimate chats over coffee, tea and cookies; scrumptious five-course meals shared with a roomful of friends engaged in lively conversation; food-tasting events in which various delicacies are sampled and compared. Did you know you can accomplish all of these through CHCC’s new catering services? Just reach out and we can provide what you need, from cookies and cakes to buffets to plated meals. It’s often said that good food offers a path to a happy heart. Certainly, it’s one way to brighten the days of loved ones living at Christian Health Care Center.
Take a moment today to consider how you might spread happiness in the lives of seniors around you. You’ll all be better for it!