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Happy Passover!

Throughout the year, we celebrate various holidays with our residents and patients. In most cases, we try to hold our official parties a day or two before the actual holiday, this way more family members are able to attend.

This evening marks the beginning of Passover and we kicked our celebration off at Adira a little bit early. Rabbi Hurwitz came by to share a bit about the holiday with our residents.

He led the Seder and explained some off the customs and their importance. Passover (Pesach) is an eight day spring festival which commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

 

It is observed by avoiding leaven but celebrated with the Seder meal. This includes eating Matzah and bitter herbs, four cups of wine,  and retelling the story of the grand Exodus.

Happy Passover, friends! We hope you are surrounded by loved ones during this special holiday week.

To learn more about this special holiday, you can find more over at My Jewish Learning.

 

Our Director of Activities, Helen O’Brien

If you’ve been following the Adira Facebook page recently, you’ve seen photos and videos from any number of activities and events that we provide for our residents and patients. Whether it’s a monthly birthday celebration, morning coffee talk, Zumba or a holiday party, we are never lacking for fun at Adira.

All that fun, however, doesn’t simply appear. Not by a long shot. The vibrant activity calendar, which enriches the lives of our residents and patients, is lovingly crafted by our Director of Activities, Helen O’Brien.

For Helen, working with seniors has been a lifelong passion.

While growing up in the Bronx, she would spend countless summer evenings sitting outside and listening to the seniors tell stories about when the Grand Concourse was all farmland or their experiences performing in Vaudeville. Her first recreation job was at 17 years old at the Hebrew Home in Riverdale.

Helen was inspired to pursue this career path by the seniors themselves and it was their willingness to share their history which sparked her passion. “There is always something new to discover in those experiences. They are genuine…they don’t pretend to be something they are not. Most of all, they appreciate the little things.”

When I asked Helen if she had a favorite event or activity she found it difficult to pick only one. “I always enjoy reminiscing but I think staying focused on the present is really what counts. I enjoy seeing the residents enjoying themselves at parties, dancing, singing and having cake or showing me artwork they have created.”

Since Helen’s arrival at Adira, we’ve seen an increase in the different types of activities that are offered. She works diligently to provide a diverse array of community based programs that engage the residents and patients.

Welcome to the Adira family, Helen. We can’t wait to see what unique events you come up with next.

A Heartfelt Thank You

Everyone at Adira works around the clock to assure the happiness, health and well-being of our patients and residents. Our facility, however, isn’t limited to the patients and we do our best to connect with the families of our residents as well. While we don’t do what we do for thanks or recognition, it certainly does feel good when our staff is recognized for their all of their hard work.

We are grateful for all of the families who pass through our doors and it’s especially touching when they take the time to share their experiences.  The McTague family was kind enough to share their gratitude with a heartfelt letter.  I had the chance to speak with Ms. McTague and she gave us permission to share it. She said, “Everyone should know how wonderful the care at Adira is.”

When missives like this one are received, they don’t always get seen by all of the people who work at the facility. Make no mistake, there are a multitude of hardworking men and women at Adira and every single one of them has impact on our residents and patients, in one way or another. Whether it’s the housekeeping staff, our activities team, admissions, one of our talented CNA’s, nurses, doctors or therapists, each of them gives of themselves while they are here.

Thank you, Ms. McTague for allowing us to care for your sister, for being a part of the Adira family and allowing us to be a part of yours.

 

 

 

100 Years and Counting

We have a plethora of activities that take place every week here at Adira at Riverside but our favorite events are those that celebrate our residents.

Residents like Gladys Ricketts who recently turned 100 years young!

We celebrate all of our patient and resident birthdays with monthly parties but milestones of this magnitude call for an extra special shout out.

Gladys came to our facility in 2015 and has been a vibrant member of the community ever since. We know that she enjoys helping others, loves a good cup of coffee (or two) and she really loves dancing. However, with one hundred years of life under her belt, there is obviously more to Gladys’ story.

I had an opportunity to speak with Rev. Hynes, Gladys’ guardian and one of the ministers at the Church of God in Yonkers, where Gladys has been an active parishioner for many years. He gave us a look at more of Gladys’ story.

Gladys was born on December 24, 1917, in Jamaica, West Indes and immigrated to the United States in the early 1960’s. Over the years, she became a U.S. Citizen and spent decades working in the healthcare field as a Certified Nursing Assistant. As a retiree and widow of Christian faith, she remained a dedicated and active member of the Church of God in Yonkers, serving in many offices of the church. In addition to being church secretary, she sang in the choir and was a devoted prayer group leader.

We were lucky to celebrate her 100th birthday with her but we weren’t the only ones.

On December 23rd, along with a dozen friends from her church, Gladys was awarded a proclamation from the City of Yonkers Mayor’s office.

Congratulations, Gladys! We are lucky to have you with us and look forward to celebrating 101!

 

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