EBENSBURG, Pa. (WJAC) — While many people are having to find new ways to celebrate Mother’s Day one assisted living center in Cambria county found a unique way for family members to celebrate their loved ones who are residents.
On a usual Mother’s Day, hundreds of visitors would be coming and going into Cambria Care Center and Amber Hills assisted living centers in Ebensburg.
“Our Mother’s Day is usually our biggest event of the year. We usually have RSVPs from hundreds of people for our Mother’s Day tea,” said activities director, Keana Bertocci Myers.
But because of Department of Health guidelines, employees had to find a new way to celebrate the holiday.
“Our administrator, Dee Nasri approached me and said we should do a Mother’s Day parade to get the families involved and give the residents a boost of their spirits since we aren’t allowed to have visitors due to the restrictions currently,” said Bertocci Myers.
Residents were safely brought outside of the facility to watch over 90 vehicles full of friends and family members drive-by while waving and honking.
“We saw a lot of tears, but we also saw a lot of smiles and happy faces. This was definitely the first time they were able to see their loved ones in person versus just over a video chat,” said Bertocci Myers.
During this time of social distancing, staff try their best to keep residents spirits up.
“It is very difficult for them just to be able to ‘see and wave’ especially for our memory care residents. They don’t understand why their loved ones are just driving past and why they aren’t coming in to see them. But just a wave and a smile meant the world to them,” said Bertocci Myers.
And family members expressed their gratitude to employees, about just how much the day meant to them too.
“I was standing at the top of the hill to guide family members in the right direction and made sure they got to their loved ones and there were tears in their eyes thanking us and saying, ‘You have no idea how much this meant to us.’ And it means the same for us as it does for them. They don’t understand, these residents are our family,” said Bertocci Myers.
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