By Amanda Lee
Many people are in the midst of planning vacations, booking flights to visit family, and shopping for hard-to-find gifts, eager to fill up their calendars with events and activities, hoping to regain some pre-2020 holiday cheer.
Holiday festivities are also in the works for our local seniors.
During the holiday season, senior care services like Visiting Angels, an in-home care provider that serves cities between La Verne and Monrovia, sends caregivers to assist with shopping, cooking meals, wrapping gifts, decorating, arranging transportation to family members’ homes and senior center events, as well as other tasks, said Managing Director Chelsea Pettey.
In the past, Visiting Angels has hosted an employee appreciation event, where they invite their clients, all of their employees and their families to celebrate the holidays with a live band, food and holiday activities. But last year, COVID required them to get a little creative. Instead, they hosted a “Grinchmas” drive-thru holiday celebration with In-N-Out burgers, a snow machine and a blowup Grinch.
The Terraces at Via Verde, a memory care facility that opened in September, began their holiday planning several months in advance. Residents, most of whom are between the ages of 80 to 85, have the opportunity to celebrate the holidays with their families during holiday luncheons and activities, said Marketing Director Ambrosia Reyes.
Some senior services don’t have plans finalized yet due to the changing health directives throughout the community. Be sure to check with your service provider or community director to find out more about specific plans.
To volunteer or get involved, contact Chelsea Pettey with Visiting Angels at cpettey@visitingangels.com or Desiree Parker with the Terraces at Via Verde by email at activities@terracesviaverde.com.
If you or someone you know is a senior citizen with a small wish we could help with during the holidays (for example, a new blanket, shoes, or even a phone call), let us know by contacting Julie at inbox@sandimascommunitypost.com.
Disclaimer: The Terraces at Via Verde advertises with San Dimas Community Post.
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