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.
Plate of Christmas-themed cookies, including holly leaves and berries decorated with green icing, sugar, and red candies, alongside chocolate chip cookies, on a festive table setting.
A large oval tray filled with various festive cookies and candies on a blue tablecloth. The cookies include chocolate chip, sugar cookies with red and green sprinkles, and holiday-themed decorated cookies. Small wrapped candies with holiday designs are also on the tray.
Kelly Spino greets Sisters Rosalia and Lois Jean.
A banner with the message "Health is a state of body, wellness is a state of being" featuring a tree in the center, with icons of a shield and a home with a family on either side, and located at Mt. Assisi Place.
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.
Sign for Mt. Assisi Place Wellness & Center with a green tree illustration at the top and a blue logo at the bottom representing home health care.
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.
A group of people, many elderly, gathering in a room to distribute holiday gifts, with Christmas decorations and multiple gift bags on tables.
Dana was game for giving the Grinch a heart.
Sister Cecilia and Diane Ott at the Wellness Center entrance
Sister Joyce and Dana chat
A festive gathering in a community room with elderly people, some in wheelchairs, celebrating with gifts and a decorated Christmas tree.
Sister Annamarie
Betty and Marylou Markovich
Sister Rosalia speaks with members of the Advanced Home Health team.
A man wearing a tall black hat with a red band, dressed in a gray shirt and beige pants, is speaking to a room of elderly people, some of whom are seated in wheelchairs, during a festive event with Christmas decorations such as a Christmas tree and gift bags.
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