Life Care Center of Crossville hosts mini-parade

The coronavirus has caused a state of upheaval across the country.

None have felt it more than those in the healthcare community. It has completely changed our everyday routines in healthcare. It has pulled healthcare workers out of their comfort zones and given them a new perspective on thinking outside the box as they adapt to an ever-changing condition.

Every day we try to find new, creative and most importantly fun things to do to keep our residents' spirits up as well as finding the time to keep their families updated, all while maintaining the highest standard of care, which our residents deserve and expect.

We’ve been making daily phone calls to our residents’ families to keep them updated on the well-being of their loved ones as well as any changes within our facility and precautions that we are taking to protect our residents and staff.

Deep down, we knew that wasn’t enough, though. Our residents deserved more, and we had to find a way to deliver. When you’re used to regularly seeing someone who resides in a long-term facility, just hearing someone tell you that they’re OK doesn’t give you the peace of mind that seeing them does. We’re so thankful for Miranda Hajny, our director of business development, along with many dedicated and motivated employees, who were able to make that happen for our residents and their families! 

A mini-parade was a safe and fun way to say hello, reconnect and celebrate while maintaining a safe social distance. It was a great way to boost the morale of our residents, their families and our staff. There was hardly a dry eye to be found amongst the crowd as families, friends and representatives from many caring agencies formed a parade of love and support for our residents and those who care for them. While many tears were shed, they were tears of joy.

“It was a beautiful, bittersweet moment,” said Miranda, who has been with our facility for 11 years. “It warmed my heart to see our residents smiling and waving. We are blessed to be able to share these moments.”

When we asked some of our associates how the parade made them feel, Cindy Thompson, restorative aide with four years of service, replied, “Seeing the residents blowing kisses and their families saying, ‘I love you,’ reminded me of exactly why I do what I do. Time is precious.”

“It felt wonderful to see the happy smiles and kisses blown from everyone,” said Sharon Cook, activities assistant with four years of service. “It was very touching. The smiles will last a lifetime in my heart.”

This event will be remembered by all in attendance that day as a star that lit up the darkness of this pandemic.

We want to thank all our own healthcare heroes. We hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will all soon end, but the memory of this special day will be everlasting.