The Benedictine Living Community is celebrating National Skilled Nursing Care Week for the entire week of May 8 through the 13, with a week full of events for its tenants, staff, and community residents. This year, the Community’s theme for Nursing Care Week will be “Connections,” now that the Community is able to open its gates and let people visit again with the decline of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is allowing many volunteers, groups, and organizations from the Crookston School District and the city to come and help make the Week a memorable one.
Each day throughout the week of May 8, the Community will have a few events to celebrate with different groups and people from around Crookston coming to share their talents or help run events for the Community members and staff. On Sunday, May 8, the Community is kicking off Mother’s Day by inviting longtime volunteers and Auxiliary members with a Tea Party for the residents. “We have Bev Brekken, Dyno Selmanson, Linda Cournia, and Jackie Coauette coming in to do Mother’s Day Tea at 2:00 p.m. They are longtime volunteers at the facility and auxiliary members, and we are super excited to have them come back,” Benedictine Volunteer Coordinator Ashley Melsa explained. “They used to do Tea Parties back in the day, and they’re going to come in on Monday and kick off Mother’s Day with a Tea Party,” she added. The Community will also be visited by the Just for Kix mini dancers, who will perform for all the residents at 2:30 p.m. in the Skilled Living Station 230 Dining Room. On Monday, May 9, the Community will be visited by Andy Hall from the Sweetlight Gallery in Crookston to have a light gallery display shown in their Chapel from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. that the residents and employees can come in and see anytime during those hours. They will also have Amanda Bochow come in to give Hand Massages to the residents from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and a Cello Sensory Hour in the Memory Care Unit with volunteer Hannah Neilsen at 10:30 a.m. “She comes to the Memory Care Center and plays beautiful songs for the residents. Giving them a therapeutic hour of her playing,” Ashley Melsa explained. The Community will also be throwing a Retirement Celebration for Administrator Judy Hulst, Director of Nursing Peggy Wangen, and Foundation Director Cindy Hulst in the Skilled Living Station 230 Dining Room at 2:30 p.m. and throughout the day, Nancy Wagner will be giving free Reflexology sessions for the employees. On Tuesday, May 10, two classes from the Cathedral Church Kinder Class will visit the Community to continue their annual visits to the Community, as well as hear live music with Heather Larson. On Wednesday, May 11, American Crystal Sugar Co. will visit to make Root Beer Floats for the residents at 10:00 a.m. with Bingo, along with a visit from the Crookston High School Athletes to talk about their seasons. Nancy Wagner will return with Reflexology sessions for the staff from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., and there will be a Grill Out Day for the staff. On Thursday, May 12, the Community will be given Virtual State of Minnesota tours by the auxiliary at 10:00 a.m, followed by an Interfaith Service at 2:00 p.m. in their Chapel, with Hannah Neilsen returning for more performances with her cello. To close the week on Friday, May 13, the Community will be visited by Mrs. Heppner’s 4th-grade class to play Bingo with the residents at 10:00 a.m., along with a performance from the Crookston High School Pop Strings ensemble at 2:00 p.m.
Starting on Monday, each day will have Dress-Up days for the staff and residents to dress up in certain themes for each day. Such as dressing like a tourist or explorer, or wear animal print on Monday for Safari-themed Day, flannel and cowboy boots for Western Day on Tuesday, and sports jerseys and Crookston High School colors for Color/Sports Day. On Thursday, residents and employees can bust out the clothes from their favorite era of either the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, or 80’s for Flash Back Day, and finally, on Friday, they’ll receive jeans and nursing home shirts for Villa Spirt Day.
Volunteer Coordinator Ashley Melsa is very excited for the coming week due to it being the first time during her time as the Community’s Coordinator that the event has allowed them to welcome people into the community and expects the residents living in it to have an exciting week. “Just in our main facility, there are about 90-ish people, and the Summit is also invited to all of it. They’re invited to the music, to come and see Andy, all of it, and that’s about another 40 or so people, and that doesn’t include our employees. We’re talking about 150 people; that’s a big deal,” Ashley Melsa explained. “I truly think that every little thing is important, as one person may like music, but others may not, some people like massages, some don’t. Every little thing is so important in a different aspect, but offering a wide variety is impactful for everyone,” she added. She also wanted to remind everyone that while the week’s events are open to the public, they are taking COVID precautions to protect the residents from COVID. Requesting that everyone will have to screen at the door, have their temperatures checked, wash their hands, and be masked the entire time they’re inside the facility.
The Benedictine Living Community’s National Skilled Nursing Care Week celebration will go from Sunday, May 8 to Friday, May 13, with many events scheduled for each day. To see the schedule, you can see the events for each day listed on KROX’s Bulletin Board by going to kroxam.com and clicking on Bulletin Board or by going to the Benedictine Living Community’s Facebook page and looking under their Events tab. If you have any questions about the event, you can contact Volunteer Coordinator Ashley Melsa at 218-281-3424. A schedule of the Nursing Care Week’s events can be found below.
