Three adorable children and grandchildren of the staff of Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Commack led the way for the 4th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 27.
The parade is a local take on the MACYs Thanksgiving Parade in New York City, where staff guided more than a dozen homemade “floats” – made from medical carts and decorated with balloons, steamers, signs and lights – on a parade route through the halls of the facility, as residents sang and clapped along to music provided by the Commack High School “Jazz Messengers.”
The parade is an annual event held to enhance and reinforce the emotional health of residents who are apart from their families for the Thanksgiving Holiday.
“The holidays can be a rough time for residents who are here, because they’re used to being at home. So starting new traditions can help them see the positive light of being here,” said Nicole Hopper, Director of Therapeutic Nursing, Gurwin Healthcare System. “The smiles are incredible! We get cheers and claps. Some people can’t believe what they’re seeing.”
“I think it was so great, it was wonderful!” said Linn Carlson of Long Beach, who is at Gurwin for a short rehabilitation stay. “The imaginations that created these floats was ways up there. They were good.”
“That parade, all those balloons, and the costumes! One came over and gave me a hug!” said Mary Creter, resident council secretary. “And the music was nice. I wanted to get up and dance!”
This is the second year students from Commack High School have participated in the event.
About Gurwin Healthcare System
The Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a 5-star CMS rated 460-bed skilled nursing care facility in Commack, Long Island, and is part of the Gurwin Healthcare System, a renowned health-care provider offering a full continuum of healthcare and senior living services for medically complex individuals and frail older adults. Gurwin successfully rehabilitated more than 200 of its residents who were diagnosed COVID-19, through the work of its dedicated team of doctors and nursing staff.
