There were flowers and balloons, music and poetry, laughter and tears as the King James Care Center and Ascend Hospice celebrated the lives of residents who died during the Covid pandemic at the Route 36 care center.
Family members shared hugs, tears and favorite stories with nurses, aides, kitchen help and the center’s physical therapy team at a gathering in the care center’s courtyard, decorated with flowers and balloons for the brief memorial service which preceded an outdoor luncheon served by the center’s culinary department.
Care Center Administrator welcomed family members to the memorial, and expressed his thanks to families for “allowing us to take care of your loved one.” King also thanked the entire staff for the care they give and the Ascend Hospice personnel who work with families and resident to assuage both grief and pain.
As music played in the background, family members and employees placed flowers in front of photographs or in vases as a sign of memorializing their loved ones. Guests and employees also received balloons with memorial poetry inscribed on them and watched as they wafted towards the clouds, bringing more tears and prayers from those in attendance.
Muriel Smith, a volunteer patient advocate for the state, also thanked families for having the courage to recognize when their care alone is not enough for their loved ones, and making the choice to enable them to become residents of King James at Care One is trusting them to a facility whose staff are all more like family than employees. Smith also praised Ascend Hospice for the care they give together with comfort they bring to residents and their concerned families.
Ascend personnel read poetry and spoke with the guests and Activities Director Karen Cohen welcomed all to the memorial service.
“We share the pain of loss with the families of our residents,” King said, “and we were happy to welcome back so many who could attend this memorial and renew friendship that were built up while their family members were residents here. It was humbling to see how pleased family members were to once again visit with the caretakers for their family members who have now passed.”
