A Well-Come Addition
December 15, 2021
Our personal care community had something wonderful to celebrate on December 15 with the grand opening of the Advanced Home Health Wellness Center at Mt. Assisi Place. The large, renovated room on the first floor of Mount Assisi Center serves as a dedicated, centralized space where our Residents can take part in physical therapy, occupational therapy and wellness programs. It’s been made possible by our partnership with Advanced Home Health, which provided new exercise equipment to complete the space and staffs the center.
The room was originally a classroom in the former Mount Assisi Academy until 1978 and then repurposed as a playroom for the former Mount Assisi Academy Preschool until 2018. Now it has new life again, with new carpeting, fresh paint, and plenty of natural light streaming in from larger windows lining the back wall.
Residents and staff alike were invited for a sneak peek on December 15, when the Advanced Home Health team treated visitors to cookies and Christmas gift bags, courtesy of Helen’s Heroes, a nonprofit arm of the healthcare company. Residents received warm winter blankets and 2022 calendars for their rooms. Kelly Spino, a familiar face who often does physical therapy with our Residents, was on hand, along with her co-workers, to welcome everyone to the Center.
The room took on a particularly jovial atmosphere with a pin-the-heart-on-Grinch tactile game and the arrival of poetry “Santa” John Conte who guided Residents in writing their own poem to celebrate the day and the season. John visits monthly to lead our Poetry Club, which will now have its work displayed in the Wellness Center.
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Kelly Spino with Sister Barbara Ann
Linda and Dana
Sister Cecilia was the unofficial greeter
What once was a Catholic school blackboard has been transformed into a place to display poems and photos by and of our Residents.
Kelly Spino greets Sisters Rosalia and Lois Jean.
Dana, with pal Linda, was delighted to see displayed a poem written in her honor during our Poetry Club meeting on December 3.
Marylou Markovich and Karen Vevers of our activities team bring Betty and Helen to visit the Wellness Center.
Sister Norberta
Was the tree too small or the gifts too large? Hard to say, but either way, our Residents each received a generous gift from Helen's Heroes.
Dana was game for giving the Grinch a heart.
Sister Cecilia and Diane Ott at the Wellness Center entrance
Sister Joyce and Dana chat
Sister Annamarie
Betty and Marylou Markovich
Sister Rosalia speaks with members of the Advanced Home Health team.
Poems written by and about our Residents are displayed in the Wellness Center.
Colorful equipment is placed around the room.
Sister Karen tries out one of the exercise bikes.
Sisters Eve and Karen enjoy their visit
Sister Joyce tries her hand at pinning a heart on the Grinch.
Sister Bernie Marie admires the new signage.
Kelly Spino explains the Center's mission to Sister Anece.
Sister Barbara Ann, Alice and Sister Barbara join the fun.
Kelly Spino talks to Alice about physical therapy options in the new Wellness Center.
Kelly Spino explains all that will be offered in the Center to (from left) Sister Ann, Sister Barbara Ann, Alice and Sister Barbara.
John Conte, better known as the Poetry Man, arrived full of holiday cheer.
John Conte leads Residents as they collaborate to pen a holiday poem.
John recites Christmas poetry for Residents.
Alice and her daughter-in-law