The power of creativity: Transition Health Services of Kannapolis creatively celebrate National Skilled Nursing Care Week

The willingness to be innovative and creative is a must when working in long-term care. The COVID-19 restrictions put in place to guarantee our staff’s and residents’ safety during the pandemic made that need a priority. Providing services that help maintain residents’ health and well-being became a priority. Our staff at the different care centers did a phenomenal job making the centers feel like home during the challenging times through thoughtful and entertaining activities.

The Community Life department at Transitional Health Services of Kannapolis served as a great example of using creativity to engage residents during the National Skilled Nursing Week celebration. Last month, they used this opportunity to celebrate their staff for their commitment and dedication to our residents and our mission by having fun and engaging with one another.

The team started planning a couple of weeks before by creating a poll on the community board so residents and staff could vote on what they wanted the week’s main theme to be. There were a variety of options to choose from, including the Caribbean Islands, wild west, Emerald City, and Vegas. The staff would continuously use the community board to drop hints on the chosen theme to build excitement while encouraging everyone to keep guessings, until the final destination was revealed, Emerald City.

 As National Skilled Nursing Care Week began, the staff worked together to help decorate the dining room daily, so each day represented a different step through their journey. It was transformed from Auntie Em’s farm in Kansas to the yellow brick road, through the scary forest and, finally, Emerald City. The team used their incredible artistic talents to help with arts and crafts. “It was a great opportunity to involve our entire team and let them enjoy time together and collaborate,” explained Jennifer, Community Life Assistant.

Each day, the residents inched closer to their destination and met new characters along the way. They played games and participated in fun activities at each stop. The staff hosted twister truth or dare, battle of the brooms, pin the tail on the lion and catch the tin man’s heart. The residents also enjoyed delicious themed meals and candies throughout their journey. Both residents and staff were also invited to dress to the theme, and they did not disappoint. 

“The residents had so much taken from them this past year, so being able to have something exciting and new to look forward to is good,” Director of Community Life, Melanie said. She also explained that the main reason why she wanted to provide a different activity to the residents was that she “wanted them to have stories to tell their families and enjoy all their days at our center.”

The Consulate family is thrilled to have creative and innovative individuals in our care centers. As we provide our residents with quality services to help maintain their health and well-being, we continue to encourage our staff to innovate and use their creativity always.