The staff and residents of the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home celebrated National Skilled Nursing Care Week with themed days from May 10-16 to commemorate the sharing of wisdom offered by some of our oldest community members.

On Monday, which was declared Pajama Day with Ice Cream Sundaes marking the day as extra "sweet," many of those living and working at the SMNH wore their pjs, showed their silly sides, and enjoyed three flavors of ice cream topped according to individual sweet tooth demands.

Tuesday took on a festive theme with Mexican Fiesta Day and Hallway Games. Swede Welsh was thought to know how to truly model a sombrero, and multiple residents played games like casting a line into the Fish Pond.

Western Day left its brand on Wednesday with the wearing of cowboy attire and the visiting of farm animals. Doris Johnson was in her element feeding a calf brought to the Home by Alyssa Gruszie. Alyssa is the daughter of Trisha and Allen Gruszie.

Rhett and Ryder Hofeldt also brought in their lambs with the assistance of their mother Tara Hofeldt. The lambs seemed to appeal especially to Molly Kain, Helen Stephens, and Frances Ewing, although many of the residents engaged with the wooly creatures.

Lily Surber assisted various residents as they interacted with the animals. On her volunteerism during Nursing Home Week, Carla Uhl commented, "Lily was up for whatever we asked her to do. Her ready smile and enthusiasm brought smiles to all of our residents and staff alike."

The residents also wish to thank those who donated Memorial Day planters, pies, Keurig coffee pods, greeting cards, cookies, and therapy frogs.

Thursday was Crazy Hair Day and Wheelchair Races.

With their unique hairdos, Surber and Larry Piapot were thought to have consulted the same creative hair stylist. Reports also suggest that a wheelchair is not as easy to maneuver as one might think. However, the competitive Paxtin McCann mastered the maneuverability enough to win his race against Leslie Hoskinson.

Friday was Luau Day, Nurse's Station Bingo, Scavenger Hunt, and Betty Billmayer's pies. The winning scavenger hunt team was composed of Amanda Filut, Willie Kruse, and Carla Uhl.

As a highlight to the week and to celebrate the theme, "Sharing Our Wisdom," Rebecca Shackelford, Administrator at the Sweet Memorial Nursing Home (SMNH), asked residents and staff to share their wisdom. With the help of Surber, the residents printed their advice on white boards. Pictures of their words of wisdom were taken and posted near the dining room for everyone's reading and viewing pleasure. Some of the advice is shared below:

• You do what you want to do and don't let others tell you any different (Mary, 99)

• Grin and bear it (Frank, 99)

• Listen to you mom (Fontella, 95)

• Be yourself (Frances, 95)

• Be careful who you marry (Hattie, 93)

• Don't get married at 18 (Helen, 91)

• Get an education (Janet, 87)

• Eat well; sleep well; be nice (Sylvia, 84)

• Listen to your elders (Dorothy, 82)

• Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut (Terry, 82)

• Stay out of trouble (Bev, 76)

• Hang in there (Ron, 71)

Shackelford also reminds community members that they can use Face Time to interact with their loved ones or visit them outside their windows at the Home. Anyone wishing to use the Sweet Room to visit a resident is encouraged to contact the Activities Department to set up a time.

With warmer weather arriving on May 30, the staff and residents decided to build and fly a kite. After several attempts to get the kite soaring, the wind won the day. It picked up the creation and sent it crashing to the ground in a heap. Although the kite flying may not have gone as planned, those who engaged with the project shared abundant laughter and breezy fresh air.

About Nursing Home Week, Shackelford-who is a fairly new administrator at Sweet Memorial Nursing Home (SMNH) with no benchmark for comparison-said: "I'm probably not the best judge of how the week went, especially when you add in the issues that we have due to COVID. But I do feel that even without being able to have visitors, the residents and staff enjoyed the festivities. The week definitely featured various fun and exciting events that we don't normally have, a lot of good food and treats, and a relaxed yet happy feel to it."

In other news, Shackelford reported that the new addition at the SMNH is complete and awaiting State approval before it can actually be used.

Janet offers up her brand of advice during National Skilled Nursing Care Week, which carried the theme, "Sharing Our Wisdom."

"I think putting that space to use will be a spirit lifting time for everyone here. We are coming up on three months of no visitors, and I know that situation has not been easy for resident family members or residents, but we continue to follow federal and state guidelines and do what we have to do to keep everyone safe and healthy," Shackelford concluded.