The holiday season is an important one for senior living communities, representing a vital opportunity to celebrate with residents and to strengthen bonds and a sense of community.
For older adults, the holidays can summon or accentuate feelings of loneliness and isolation. However, senior living communities have the power to help residents contend with those feelings while also striving to inspire joy. Communities choose to mark the season in a wide variety of ways, often aiming to enrich the resident experience, engage with families and the community, and recognize team members for their invaluable contributions.
See how some senior living communities are embracing the season and everything that it offers.
Palace Suites treats the holidays as a special time
At the Palace Suites, a luxury independent living community in Miami, Breakfast with Santa is a holiday tradition not just for residents but staff and families. The gathering attracts approximately 100 attendees each year. Guests, who are encouraged to wear cozy pajamas, enjoy a menu of holiday favorites, seasonal music and a raffle with prizes, and pose for photos with Santa Claus.
Isabel Quintana, a resident of the community, said the event “brings back memories of when my children were young,” and resident Hurda Casta said, “Breakfast with Santa is always a highlight of the holiday season.”
The community also marries celebration with community outreach with its annual Epilepsy Alliance Florida
Children’s Holiday Party, which includes activities for visiting children such as photos with Santa, face painting, balloon animals and gifts – along with lunch and music. Frances Jaslow, a resident, said, “Watching the kids get their photos with Santa and open their gifts fills my heart with joy.”
Palace Suites celebrates the first evening of Hanukkah with residents lighting their menorahs while participating in a service and
enjoying Hanukkah music. In addition, a Noche Buena Happy Hour features a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus, holiday music, and a spread of empanadas, tamales and croquetas, among other dishes, as well as eggnog.
Palace Suites’ grand Family and Friend Holiday Party attracts between 400 and 500 guests each year. Carolers, a live band, a lavish buffet, and children’s activities are all part of the atmosphere. “The event is always a special time spent with friends and family,” said resident Barbara Fox.
At Erickson Senior Living communities, the holidays are a time to connect
Sarah Kokinos, vice president of community living at Erickson Senior Living, said the holiday season is a special time in Erickson’s communities.
“Each year, team members and residents collaborate on a range of activities and events to celebrate the rich diversity within our communities, share traditions, and create new ones together,” Kokinos said. “From décor to dining, we seek out opportunities to connect during this busy time of year.”
Among the popular activities, many residents enjoy listening to performances by resident-run choral and musical groups, visiting elaborate train gardens engineered by their fellow residents and meeting friends at on-campus restaurants for special seasonal menu items.
“In recent years, some of our communities have held winter festivals that have become intergenerational affairs welcoming residents’ families and grandchildren to celebrate the season together,” Kokinos said. “It’s that sense of connection and shared experience that make life at our communities so special all year long. Time shared together, particularly at the holidays, is critical to feeling at home. While often rich with memories, family, and tradition, we recognize that the holidays can also be a challenging time for some, particularly when it comes to mental health. To support residents’ health and well-being, we make it a priority to provide vibrant, convenient opportunities for residents to celebrate together.”
Kokinos said Erickson has a strong tradition of holiday giving. Erickson also has an annual Staff Appreciation Fund program that allows residents to contribute to a monetary gift for hourly team members. In addition, many resident and team member groups collect warm coats or nonperishable items for less fortunate members of the surrounding area, while others volunteer at local shelters or participate in Angel Tree giving programs.
“We’re very fortunate to have a number of talented craftspeople among our residents,” Kokinos said. “In the months leading up to the holiday season, the woodshops on our campuses are busy with the sights and sounds of hand-crafted toys being built, which are then shared with local Toys for Tots programs and other charitable organizations.”
A ‘Winter Wonderland’ at Florida’s Calusa Harbour
Calusa Harbour, a Five Star Senior Living community in Fort Myers, Florida, has a number of traditions that it has maintained over the years. Among them, the community decorates a tree every year at an art center for an event hosted by Goodwill of Southwest Florida. The tree is raffled off and placed in someone’s home. Community residents attend the event.
The community also leans into the festive nature of the season with an extravagant party called “Winter Wonderland” that residents look forward to every year, said Olga Konstandinidis, sales director at Calusa Harbour.
“From dressing up to enjoying live entertainment and signature cocktails, it is a great way to spread the holiday cheer and make it a memorable experience for residents and families,” Konstandinidis said. “I have countless thank you cards from residents and families after the party every year. This is one of the many reasons we look forward to what we do; it’s such a rewarding place to work.”
MorningStar Senior Living: Holidays like they were at home
MorningStar Senior Living’s communities host an array of holiday events and programs each year, ensuring that “the holidays are a joyous time for residents, families and team members,” according to Moriah Bernhardt, vice president of life enrichment for MorningStar. A resident, in fact, said, “Christmas at MorningStar is very similar to the kind I had at home – lots of activities, decorations, songs.”
Some highlights among the communities include tree lighting ceremonies, ugly sweater days, gingerbread house contests, holiday lights excursions, cookie bake-offs, family feasts, Hannukah menorah lightings, visiting musicians, visiting children’s choirs and elementary school carolers, a hot cocoa bar, Santa visits and a classic Christmas movie night.
One resident said, “I like to walk the hall and see all the different decorations and how pretty they are. And I love when the choirs come in. The first year I was here, there was a handbell choir. I’d never seen a whole concert with handbells. And it was wonderful and very impressive.”
Bernhardt noted that several MorningStar communities have chosen holiday service projects this year, including a giving tree toy drive for a local children’s organization and for their care team’s children.
MorningStar also understands that the holidays are not joyous for everyone. That’s why many of its communities offer a grief support group for the holidays.
“We recognize that this time of year can be extra difficult for residents, families and team members who have experienced the loss of a loved one,” Bernhardt said.
MorningStar at RidgeGate, which is located in Lone Tree, Colorado, has a resident-led holiday choir, and communities also host New Year’s Eve Balls with distinctive, fun themes – MorningStar of Wheat Ridge in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, for instance, hosted a “Great Gatsby Ball.”
“The people here make Christmas special,” another resident said. “The people make you feel truly at home. No matter whether someone’s working here or living here, everyone acknowledges each other and listens to each other, asking about what’s happening in their lives and how they’re celebrating the holidays.”
