The Joys of Summer at Leonard Florence Center for Living

As warm weather abounds, residents, staff and families are enjoying numerous activities both inside and out. The patio is the site of many social gatherings, with food, dancing, singing and of course, much laughter. As always, our summer concerts are a huge hit. Indoors, residents compete in spirited games of bingo, trivia, Family Feud and Wheel of Fortune, among others.

Congratulations are in order to staff members Marie Renard and Marilu Torres for celebrating milestone anniversaries. Marie has been at LFCL for 10 years and Marilu just celebrated her 15th year. Thank you both for all you do.

This summer, our talented baker Dani has been organizing fun baking activities with delicious concoctions. From ice cream sandwich decorating to baking and decorating elaborate cookies, residents and staff are indulging in the fruits of their labor. How sweet it is!

Our highly acclaimed Outward Bound program, which enables ventilator dependent, ALS and MS residents to experience and enjoy life by participating in activities outside of skilled nursing home environment, is in full swing this summer. Residents have enjoyed trips to Ogunquit Maine with family and friends; Castle Island in South Boston; a Boston Pop concert as well as one at Symphony Hall; Fenway Park, a perennial favorite and even more exciting this summer as the Red Sox are having a strong season; and a lively concert at House of Blues. Take a look at the pictures from this inspiring group.

We are gearing up for the annual ALS & MS Walk for Living on October 6. This is the 17th year for the Walk, and it keeps getting bigger and better. It is Chelsea Jewish Lifecare’s major fundraising event of the year; every single dollar raised goes directly back to patient care and programs for ALS and MS residents. To register, please visit the Walk for Living website. Hope to see everyone there!

Our staff and residents go all out when welcoming new residents to the Leonard Florence Center and the Chelsea Jewish Lifecare family. We want to make residents truly feel at home. This strategy is working, as evidenced by a comment from new resident Beverly A., who recently made the move. “I’ve only been here a few months,” said Beverly, “but I’m so happy to live at the Leonard Florence Center. The transition has been very smooth for me and for my family. I love it here!”