Local Business Delivers Flowers To Nursing Home Residents

While many people will be spending Christmas without their families to help control the spread of COVID-19, residents in local nursing homes have been doing just that for months.

TLC nursery dropped off 150 poinsettias for residents and staff at The Timbers Skilled Nursing and Therapy center to spread Christmas cheer. Celebrating Christmas at The Timbers will be a little different this year because of safety precautions in place due to COVID-19. This year, residents won’t be able to have their families visit.

Judith Musil has been a resident at the center for a couple of months. She said these flowers will not only brighten up her room, but her day as well.

She said she's had to get use to communicating with her loved ones through various screens.

“It's been strange. It's been hard. My family when they do come, they come to the window outside my room and I get to talk to them. I miss not getting to hold them,” Musil said.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise across the state, staff at The Timbers have become a second family to residents.

“We try to interact with the resident the best we can with one on one activities and limited interactive activities we can do safely and just try to rebuild that extra relationship with them since they can’t be with their families in person,” Michael Boone with The Timbers said.

Knowing that being alone for the holidays can be difficult, TLC nursery saw this as a way to step in the best way they knew how, with the holiday flower.

“I think flowers are life. The color and it just gives them something to look forward to,” Wendy Gurdes with TLC nursey said.

TLC nursery said this is just their first stop. They plan on dropping off more poinsettias at other nursing homes and a local hospital.