Activity Update

Many of our residents have memories of family vacations and traveling after their nests were empty.  These memories are a great source of joy in their lives.  So, the Activity Department plans to bring back interest in traveling to each US state via a Vintage Voyagers post card exchange. 

Montrose Health Center is participating in this with 400 other nursing facilities throughout the United States in this Vintage Voyagers project.  We have made up post cards and a letter about our area—Montrose, Keokuk, Fort Madison, Donnellson, and Argyle.  We spoke of our places of natural beauty like the Mississippi River, our proud history, our agricultural products and our industries, and our celebrations.  We even included a recipe for Watermelon Salsa in honor of Montrose’s Watermelon Festival. Who else can boast being the home of Vienna Sausages? We made the claim that Hinterland Dairy’s cheese curds are better than Wisconsin’s cheese! And what will South Carolina think of our Civil War heritage with 5 Union hospitals?   Residents chose our first 15 places to send our letters at our last resident council meeting. Initial choices included Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oregon, Ohio, Missouri, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama and Fort Dodge, Iowa.

When we receive cards from other places, we plan to study a little about these destinations, feature their cards on our US bulletin board, and have snacks appropriate to the place.  This will be Armchair Travel at its finest with our Montrose Health Center friends.  Fostering these new ties with other people and places fits right in with May’s National Skilled Nursing Care Week’s theme:  Creating & Nurturing Connections, celebrated May 8-14.