Have you ever walked down the halls of a nursing home?
In most of them, it’s a heartbreaking sight.
I read a blog post that moved my heart…I hope it moves yours as well.
Piglet in Portugal has an award-winning blog in…you guessed it…Portugal. Her tales about her vegetable garden will have you rolling on the floor…her sense of humor is apparent in every post she does.
The post she did about people in nursing homes won’t make you laugh…but I hope it will make you smile as you think about what you can do to bring a moment of happiness to an elderly resident of a nursing home.
Parents: how about reading Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge, a picture book by Mem Fox about a little boy who lives next door to a home for the elderly? Then you and your child can talk about how you can make them smile…maybe make a card or picture and deliver it to a local nursing home.
I’ll be reviewing that book in my next post.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
Excellent reminder, Vivian. Another sad thing about nursing homes is the residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s who have forgotten who they are.
I’ll read Mem Fox’s book and look forward to your review.
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Thanks, Marylin! I knew it would strike a chord with you…and others who are intimately touched by this subject. I think the International Card Exchange for the Elderly is a wonderful idea and might encourage others to get involved.
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Thank you SO much for passing this on 🙂 . I cried when I first discovered the FAcebook page and read all the comments and messages.
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Yes, and I thank you so much for posting it…I had never heard of it before…but it is such a simple yet effective way to brighten the life of someone…while at the same time enabling others to strengthen their own outreach.
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I love that book and all Mem Fox!
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Thanks for stopping by, Lisa…I will try to get the review up this afternoon. 🙂 Have to go to work now. 😦
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What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
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Yes…I know kids love to make cards and pictures…and instead of posting dozens on the fridge, we could send them to the elderly in nursing homes to brighten their day. 🙂
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Nice post Vivian. Will have to read Mem’s book — sounds heartwarming. Seniors like to see children. My husband, a retired pastor, is interim pastor at Trinity Community, a very large and respected senior community with all levels of care. He’s been impressed with the reading programs at his facility, the over all programs, pet therapy and so on. This is a church run home, so the quality if high. My daughter has worked in a variety of nursing homes, where there was very little for patients — broke her heart.
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I know, Pat…they really are the “forgotten” ones. I think this is a helpful way to touch them positively…and it would encourage young kids to be thinking about helping and caring about others. 🙂
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Thank you for this post, Vivian. I will help spread the word on my blog.
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Thanks so much, Krista! It is definitely a worthy cause…one that parents and kids can become involved in. 🙂
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It is sad that the time of life when we need family the most can be the saddest… I remember Piglet’s post. 🙂
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Yes, you are right, Eliz. And the older I get, the more I appreciate how lonely some of the elderly can be.
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True…
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