At Sagora Senior Living we are constantly creating new experiences to engage our residents and find exciting ways to showcase our amazing communities and how we truly embrace each moment we create together! This weekend is extra special as we celebrate Good Friday followed by Easter weekend.
Today and throughout the weekend our residents, families, team members and community members will gather to celebrate by continuing traditions, breaking bread together, hunting Easter eggs, and taking exciting pictures with the Easter Bunny. With Good Friday being the start to a very important weekend, why do we call Good Friday “good” and how do we embrace this time together with our loved ones and seniors?
Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is the Christian day to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and His death at Calvary. This Christian holiday is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, and Black Friday. For Christians, Good Friday is an important day of the year because it celebrates what is believed to be the most momentous weekend in the history of the world. Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. It’s certainly a day to take pause for and reflect on its meaning.
Aside from the historical Christian background and meaning of the holiday, it is the start to a weekend meant to be celebrated with family, friends, and those we hold most dear. At its core, Sagora Senior Living is about helping people enjoy retirement with style and dignity. Being able to help our seniors continue to carry on traditions is a very important part of our purpose. We believe in changing lives and making families feel welcome. Because everything we do centers on making life better for our residents, we truly feel that this Friday is certainly a good Friday! We look forward to all the events, Easter meals, and times spent together this weekend.
As you think about ways to spend Easter weekend with your senior loved ones, consider focusing on traditions that they hold dear while partaking in activities that they can participate in or actively observe. Sometimes the long-term memory of seniors with dementia is unaffected, and often they can remember celebrating Easter. Your senior loved one will probably enjoy participating in many different activities to commemorate the holiday and springtime in general. Easter gatherings are a good time for your loved one to reconnect with family and friends and engage in the following activities.
Religious Services
Seniors are often interested in attending church services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The varied timing of the services makes it easier for families to enjoy traditional religious celebrations. Other options for your loved one include attending services at a long-term care facility or a senior living communities. If there are musicians and vocalists in the family, they can gather and share their talents with appropriate music and songs. You can also read the Easter story from the Bible or specially selected poems together. The social aspect of participating in a religious service can be stimulating for seniors with dementia.
Easter Egg Hunt
If your community hosts egg hunts for children, take your senior loved one along. He or she will probably enjoy being outdoors and delight in being around children. Your loved one can follow young children and help them find the eggs. You could also create your own egg hunt at home either indoors or outdoors. Let your loved one help you hide the eggs and reminisce together about past holidays. Combine egg hunting with a walk around the community to see the flowers in bloom.
Craft Projects
Your loved one may remember some of the craft projects he or she created over the years and might also enjoy doing something with the hands to express his or her creativity. Coloring Easter images with the grandchildren might bring him or her joy, and coloring eggs and helping put together Easter baskets for the children are other simple options that might delight your loved one. Choose basic projects for your loved ones that does not require complicated instructions. Younger family members might also enjoy guiding their grandparents through the steps of the craft project.
Holiday and Seasonal Symbols
Picking out Easter lilies for your loved one’s home might be a fun activity when visiting a local garden shop. The flower is a symbol of life and hope and has long been associated with the Easter season. Choose seeds or flowering plants to commemorate the beginning of spring. Light candles to represent renewed birth and life. Encourage your loved one to share memories and talk about why Easter is a special time for him or her.
Games
The young and the old often look forward to participating in various types of games. Get some Easter-themed puzzles your loved one might enjoy putting together or print Easter bingo cards and encourage your loved one to play for prizes. Younger family members could introduce seniors to holiday-themed games on mobile devices, laptops, or game consoles. Children of grade school age and teenagers might enjoy the chance to teach elderly loved ones how to play a certain game. Digital games are also known to stimulate brain activity in seniors with dementia.
Regardless of how you decide to spend Good Friday and Easter weekend, we encourage you to be intentional about your celebrations and remember to include your senior loved one as often as possible! This is a time of fun and enjoyment. And this excitement multiplies when you are together with your loved ones, especially seniors. Involving the elderly in celebrations adds more meaning to their lives and makes them feel wanted. A simple gesture can bring back pleasant memories and ascertain that their feelings and welfare are a priority. For example, arranging special Easter activities for seniors with dementia and other social activities act as memory-building exercises and can help seniors cope better with their condition. Show all seniors, parents, and grandparents that they are important and wanted and that you love and care for them. At Sagora senior living we wish you a cheerful and meaningful Good Friday and Easter!
To learn more about the Sagora experience, tour your local community today! We are proud to play a vital role in helping seniors live longer and the best life possible. With 62 communities in 12 different states, Sagora Senior Living offers seniors the chance to live in active, social communities where they can thrive on a daily basis.
To find out more, tour your local Sagora Senior Living community!