Villa St. Benedict in Lisle recently celebrated National Assisted Living Week with residents and staff.
"Compassion, Community, and Caring!" was the theme of the week, with an activity every day for assisted living residents. It was a jam-packed week of music, fun in the sun, dog parades, and ended with the annual Alzheimer's Walk.
The Benedale Assisted Living residents started out the week with a friendly parade of dogs from the Pawsitive Therapy Group, an organization that lets residents socialize with the kindest of dogs. The residents even helped to make some all-natural dog treats a few days before to share. It was a huge success!
The following day, there was a visit by a local group called the Xochitl Aztec Dancers. They shared their Mexican cultural heritage with Benedale Assisted Living and Villa Center residents, teaching about their dances, the sounds of their instruments, and the spiritual influences that they are celebrating during the months of September and October. A great group of people who interacted with the residents and offered a little feel of their culture.
Midweek started off with a Vintage Car Show! Our friends at Residential Hospice were kind enough to sponsor this event. A variety of vintage cars showed up for residents to walk around and enjoy. Some lemonade, ice cream and a look back in time!
It's beginning to look a lot like fall with a Fall Tea on Thursday. The room had an elegant touch of decor and whimsical tea pots on every table. The assisted living residents listened to the musical stylings of Elizabeth Blankenship, a music therapist from Residential Hospice who shared her beautiful voice, accompanied by her acoustic guitar. Dessert was poundcake with peach ice-cream, peaches, and a swirl of whipped cream.
The Alzheimer's Walk closed out the week on Friday. Sister Mary started off the walk with a blessing and Independent, Assisted and Memory Care residents walked around campus in unison to raise money for a great cause, the Alzheimer's Association. After the walk, they celebrated with desserts and treats out on the lawn. The Benet Academy Drum Line rolled in at the end and played an inspirational tune. They raised more than $4,000 in this community and hopefully helped to spread the word for the Alzheimer's Association to support the needed cure for this disease.
