In honor of Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17th, I visited Autumn Care of Shallotte, a nursing home in Brunswick County, NC, and dropped off flowers and reachers for the residents. I hate to admit that it took a special day like Random Acts of Kindness Day to remind me to reach out to our local nursing home and see how I can help. The senior citizens in our community laid the groundwork for the lives we live today, so I feel like we owe them our love and support, especially during tough times like the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, I tried to visit local nursing homes a few times a year, even if it was just to talk to the residents. Many residents rarely have visitors, so you can tell they really enjoy your company. Unfortunately, many local nursing homes had to quit allowing visitors and limit interaction between residents as a COVID-19 precaution. For some, the reduced social interaction led to feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation. Although facility workers do their best to plan safe activities that boost morale, it's up to us to reach out to our local nursing homes and find ways to make sure they still feel like they have a valuable role in society.
A great way to help senior citizens feel connected is by writing them a letter. At first, it may seem strange writing a letter to a stranger with whom you may not think you have a lot in common; however, you may be surprised. Senior citizens are great people to ask for advice because they've lived through so many scenarios and have lots of wisdom. Tell them about your day-to-day life. Take them for a walk in your shoes and tell them about your work or school, your friends, what you like to do. Over time, as you begin writing back in forth, I'm sure you'll find that you have lots more in common than you originally thought and may even develop a friendship. Just imagine how much you would look forward to sending and receiving mail if you were in their shoes. It would give you something to get excited about and a little taste of life outside of the nursing home.
Another great way to show residents at your local nursing home that you're thinking about them is by sending gifts. You can always call the nursing home and ask what items they need or donate generic things like books, nail polish, puzzles, aromatherapy, blankets, flowers, etc. Anything that you think may brighten their day and give them something to look forward to.
I feel as though we take advantage of all the places we get to go, the people we come in contact with, and the new things we experience daily. Going to the grocery store, eating out at a restaurant, or just going for a Sunday drive may seem like simple things, but just imagine how much more you'd appreciate them if you did the same thing and saw the same people, day after day. I think we all got a small taste of what it would be like during the quarantine.
It's up to us to not only thank our senior citizens for all that they have done in their lifetime to get us to where we are but to learn from them and support them now that they're in this new stage of life. I encourage you to take the first step by reaching out to your local nursing home and seeing how you can help. Not only will you help enrich someone else's life, but I can guarantee the experience will enrich you as well.