While many people will be traveling the country visiting families this holiday season, those living in assisted living facilities will rely on the staff and community to have a happy holiday.

At Rockingham Manor the activity director Barbara Bowman has a big lineup of events and activities planned to make the holidays special for her residents.

For Thanksgiving the staff cooks up a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings, followed by a holiday movie.

During Christmas the staff sings Christmas carols walking through the hallways and the facility is decorated from top to bottom.

On Dec. 17, residents will have their Christmas party and the resident choir will perform with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Residents’ families will be invited and refreshments will be served. Santa will also give gifts to each of the residents.

“Lots of preparation goes into this event,” said administrator Chad Colby.

Later in the month the Roberdell Children’s choir will come perform and sing with the residents as well as the Little Kingdom Daycare.

There will also be a fashion and clown show and Colby said as the holiday’s near, more organizations and children’s groups will volunteer to visit the residents.

The staff at Britthaven also do what they can to get their residents in the holiday spirit.

Activity director Tamiko Miller said so far this year they have a church group coming in to sing Christmas Carols and select residents will get to travel to McAdenville, also known as Christmas Town USA, to see the Christmas lights.

The residents will have their traditional Thanksgiving dinner as well this year and a Christmas party.

Miller said Britthaven does have a few residents for whom the families don’t provide anything during the holidays and for them they have a program in place for staff to adopt residents. Members of the staff sign up and adopt a resident who they will purchase two gifts for, one to give during the Christmas party and another for the resident to open on Christmas morning.

It might not be home, but the staff of both facilities said they embrace their residents like family and treat them as such, to ensure the best care and best holiday possible.

n Staff writer Eren Tataragasi can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 19 or at etataragasi@yourdailyjournal.com.