The holidays are around the corner, and if this is your first time spending the them in an assisted living community, you might be surprised by how much cheer and festivities there are to look forward to.
Here’s a few ways our residents like to ring in the holidays at Kingston.
Halloween
One of our favorite annual traditions is to plan a field trip to the grocery store to buy candy, pumpkins and decorations in preparation for our annual Trick or Treat – when many of our residents great grandchildren come to warm up for the neighborhood Trick or Treat!
Our staff from the Kingston community do a great job promoting our building as a halloween destination. Every year for the local community turns out in full force.
For the kids, it’s a safe and comfortable indoor environment for them to walk door-to-door and show off their costumes and collect boatloads of candy. For the residents, it’s a delightful way to keep that feeling of a neighborhood-centric holiday tradition alive.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year at Kingston. Kingston’s holiday spirit is in full swing by Early November, complete with seasonal decor, music and traditions like food drives and craft shows.
Outside of preparing a traditional feast every Thanksgiving Day. Our chef and kitchen staff will tease the resident’s taste for turkey day classics leading up to the big day. Pumpkin pie debuts on the menu at the beginning of November, along with all types of turkey and potato dishes.
So many of our residents are overjoyed to still be able to invite their family members to drop in to their “home” on Thanksgiving to enjoy a homemade traditional meal. And many residents pack up for the weekend to be whisked away to their families homes to enjoy Thanksgiving in the close company of their loved ones.
At the request of our residents, our activities coordinator schedule craft sessions where the residents can create all new wreaths and turkey cutouts to decorate their doors and hallways.
Our residents may not admit to it, but wreath-making has become quite the competitive sport at Kingston.
Christmas
Christmas at Kingston is a time of community and joy. Our homey atmosphere reaches new heights with the aroma of pine and the warmth of holiday lights dancing about the community.
Residents and their grandkids are able to uphold their annual tradition of baking Christmas cookies in our spacious community kitchen. We’ll host gift-making workshops in our activity centers and invite craft vendors into our building during holiday fairs where residents, families and community members can come together to marvel at unique and original gift ideas.
One of our resident’s favorite traditions is to welcome in the local choir to serenade everyone at Kingston with traditional carols and classic Christmas stories.
Whether you prefer to soak in the holiday spirit in the comfort of your room with a little Bing Crosby, or through volunteering for our holiday food drive, or by venturing out for a showing of the Nutcracker – there’s hundreds of ways to express your cheer and joy at Kingston.
New Year’s
Our end of year festivities at Kingston culminates with New Year’s eve celebrations that include sparkling grape juice, Facetime and Skype calls to family, college bowl games and evening gowns and bowties.
Each Kingston community has their own unique traditions, but one of my favorites is Resident Storytime. Where on New Year’s eve, we’ll all gather around in a circle and share stories that have marked our memories in the past year. Watching our residents reflect on their lives is a moving experience that could move anyone to tears, but nothing brings tears to my eyes more than hearing the testimony of residents about their new lives at Kingston with new friends and caregivers who have become like family to them.
To Schedule a Tour of Our Assisted Living Communities
If you’ve been considering moving to a senior living community, the holidays are a great time to come by Kingston and witness how our community comes alive to ensure everyone feels at home during this special time of year.
You can find a full list of our communities here. As always, feel free to drop in, call ahead, or schedule a tour through our online form.
