A Different Kind of Holiday Season at the Witherell

As we look ahead to Thanksgiving, and Christmas and Chanukah shortly thereafter, one thing is clear: 2020 is going to require some new holiday traditions.

Although the classic Thanksgiving meal is something we all look forward to, we know the holidays are about more than food and gifts. They’re really about being with family and friends. As experts continue to recommend that people avoid holiday travel and limit the size of gatherings, we’re going to have to get creative.

At the Witherell, we will still celebrate Thanksgiving with a wonderful luncheon, lively music, and seasonal décor. Our culinary team and therapeutic recreation staff are already hard at work to create a celebration that will delight and uplift our residents. And weather permitting, we’ll also be able to accommodate outdoor family visits. Face Time visits with family will continue and are available by appointment. Families can reach out to Carissa Ronish in therapeutic recreation at: (203) 618-4200 to make an appointment.

What you can do

As we all work together to stay healthy this season, we’d like to offer these suggestions for sharing a happy Thanksgiving with seniors in a skilled nursing facility:

• Stay connected: If you have a regular routine of scheduled phone or video calls, try to increase it during the holidays. Then, keep the calls lively by involving other family members or special surprise guests—like a friend or neighbor they’ve been missing.
• Be positive: Some seniors might not fully comprehend why they can’t have visitors right now, so if you appear to be anxious or unhappy, they’ll pick up on your cues. Keep the conversation focused on everything you’re grateful for, rather than everything you’re missing out on.
• Make a video: Create a special video message—keep it light and fun—and send it to Mary Tate at the Witherell at Mary.Tate@witherell.org. We can play it for your loved one and upload it to the Witherell’s You Tube Channel, too.
• Send mail: Remember cards and letters? Our residents surely do, and they’d love receiving both. Photos, too. So, dash off a note or two and send it to your loved one at the Witherell at 70 Parsonage Road, Greenwich, CT, 06830. Be sure to include any hand drawn artwork from children and grandchildren that we can hang on our walls and windows.
• Know this is not forever: We all remain hopeful that the important steps we take today to stay safe to keep our residents healthy, are for the short term. It won’t be long until we’ll be back to gathering and gobbling up Thanksgiving turkey with all the fixings!