Even though many of the people in your senior living community have probably had many years pass since their last working days, they probably still feel a strong connection to the industries they spent years serving and the titles and responsibilities they used to have. For some seniors, working represents usefulness and it can be difficult for them not to be known as the worker they once were.
Labor day is the perfect day to recognize the members of your community and the work that they did in their younger years.
According to the United States Department of Labor, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”
This year Labor Day will be celebrated on Monday, September 7th. With it only being a few weeks away you and your community can brainstorm now to find ways to make seniors feel special.
Ask Questions
In preparation for Labor Day, ask your residents about the jobs they held throughout their lives. Ask about their first jobs, their best jobs and their worst jobs. Not only can this help your community come up with ideas to make for a great labor day celebration; But it can also spark a seniors memory and make for good conversation.
Decorate!
Find fun ways to display the information you gather around your living community. Make bulletin boards that shows all of your residents and the industry they worked in. Make gift baskets or have themed meals geared toward their particular industry.
Entertain
Have an event where you interview some of your residents about the jobs they held. You can even let it be a forum style discussion where other residents can chime in on their experiences. Your residents might really enjoy spending time with other people in their community who held similar jobs.
In all, Labor Day is an important day to celebrate the contributions and achievements made by men and women in the workforce. Make this day another opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of the seniors in your community.