Our Blog

Click here for our most recent update on visitation: July 1 Family Letter.pdf

“I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say

’ Because of you, I didn’t give up’”

Christina Fung

“Don’t give up” is the ever-present mantra of Maria Regina’s rehab team. With humor, compassionate understanding and a gentle touch, these talented women and men inspire our residents to push themselves further than they thought possible.  

The rehab suite has alwaysbeen filled with positive energy, fun and a sense of purpose that addresses the fear, pain and sense of loss that often comes with a challenge to one’s physical abilities.Whether someone comes to MRR for rehab after an injury or surgery with plansto return to home, or joins our long term care community, each individual is inspired to be their best selves. 

COVID 19 created unique challenges for our physical, occupational and speech therapist since all therapy requires physical contact. No longer able to see residents in the rehab gym, they developed creative and safe ways to treat residents in their rooms. This helped to reduce a sense of isolation and continued to inspire residents to keep moving as much as possible.

As part of the Maria Regina community, the rehab therapists joined other staff members in feeding residents and providing additional hands on care to make sure that each resident received the attention they needed.

While many members of this team have young families, responsible for caring for young children, home schooling and everyday life in a new COVID 19 world, they came to work each day with enthusiasm and energy, caring for our elders and fulfilling the mission of Maria Regina. We thank them for their skill, their commitment, their dedication.  They are among the BEST of us!

There has always been a special place in the hearts of our residents for the Therapeutic Recreation staff. These dedicated women fill their days with the activities, new learnings and laughter, keeping our residents engaged and upbeat. COVID has made this more challenging by eliminating group programs, decreasing resident interaction with one another and keeping residents their rooms. Never people to shy from a challenge, the department has revamped their programs and created new ways to keep our residents involved and happy.

Focusing on a model “person centered care”, staff developed individualized therapeutic activities to meet the needs of residents. For our more independent residents, they created personalized care packets of puzzles, word searches, books, trivia, sketch pads and playing cards. For those residents with a more reflective bent, they encouraged journaling/ poetry writing to help process their feelings and experiences in these difficult days.

Recreation staff utilized the in-house TV system to keep residents connected offering the “Elder Grow” gardening program, bingo, creative poetry classes, sing-a-longs, resident council, chair Zumba and a myriad of other programs virtually. Facilitating zoom or phone calls, they helped keep residents connected with families and friends.

Visiting residents as often as possible, they made special deliveries of coffee, chocolate, soda, chips, cookies or any other personal requests that could bring some joy to the day. They even delivered “Mr. Softee” as the residents listened to the familiar jingle from the ice cream truck.

Once it was safe, residents were brought out into the garden to feed the birds & water the flowers.Some residents enjoy sun bathing while listening to their favorite music on their personalized IPOD. The outdoor balcony was used so that our frailer residents could feel the air on their skin and smell the earth as raindrop fell.

Their creativity and energy never waned, even as they went home to care for their families. We are so grateful to these courageous and committed staff members who continue to assure that our residents feel connected and loved. They are a living example of the hope, healing and hospitality critical to the mission of Maria Regina. We thank you.

“Unless someone like you cares an awful lot,

nothing is ever going to get better. It’s not”.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Maria Regina Residence is blessed with three amazing social workers who “care an awful lot”, always working to make thing better for all members of the Maria Regina community.

They are the listeners, the hand holders, the advocates and the interpreters for our residents whose voices are sometimes quiet and difficult to discern.In this pandemic, they were challenged to find new ways of being with and “touching” residents, bringing hope and healing in a time of fear and uncertainty.

They have been a lifeline for family members, reassuring them that loved ones were safe and being well cared for. They arranged for phone and Zoom calls so residents could maintain connections with family and friends. And when physical healing was no longer possible, partnering with other staff members,they sat with the dying, offering a supportive presence and words of consolation.

To other staff members they provided a listening ear, an extra hand and a willingness to handle difficult situations. They did whatever was needed to be done, always available to contribute to the needs of the larger community.

These three remarkable women faced their own fears of COVID with grace and courage as they not only cared for the Maria Regina community, but went home each night to care for their own families. We are so grateful for all they do and most of all, for who they are.