The staff and residents at Aberdeen Crossings Assisted Living are in tune with getting the most out of life

By Mary Malik

Daily life at Aberdeen Crossings Assisted Living in Highland Heights may look a little different these days, but residents and staff are embracing the opportunity to put their heads together and get creative. Staying active, engaged and healthy are always the priorities here, and even with the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions still in place, everyone is managing to have some fun.

“There’s lots of ‘air hugging’ going on around here,” says Marnie DeGuire, assistant community director. “We have recently allowed front porch visits and residents and their families are enjoying seeing each other again in person. We’ve been finding other ways to keep in touch these past few months, but there’s nothing like those face-to-face visits, socially distanced, of course.”

Social distance, mandatory masks, Zoom meetings, flatten the curve. Just six months ago these phrases meant nothing to us. Now they are a part of our daily vocabulary. These are difficult times, but as with so many other things in life, we can turn to our elderly population to help us gain perspective on this unique and challenging period.

“For me, being outdoors and working in the garden has helped,” says resident Marion M.

Marion and her husband moved to Aberdeen Crossings two years ago from their Highland Heights home, where they enjoyed gardening as a hobby.

“We’ve always been gardeners and love to share our tips with the gardening club here at Aberdeen,” says Marion. “Being outside and participating in an activity that has always been a big part of our lives is helping us get through this difficult time. Enjoying the outdoors and the sunshine just keeps us from feeling down.”

Marnie says the staff is grateful that residents can be outdoors every day. It’s the little things that keep the residents here engaged and happy.

“Even though the restrictions are still in place for everyone’s safety, moving around outside gives residents the feeling of more freedom while still being in a safe environment,” says Marnie.

There are two Lifeservices Assisted Living Communities in the area, Aberdeen Crossings and Beachwood Commons in Beachwood. Both have the signature circular layout that lends itself to keeping residents’ individual apartments safely spaced from each other but close enough to feel connected.

“Every resident’s apartment has a private bathroom and kitchenette,” says Marnie. “Even though normally they all enjoy being together and socializing in the dining room, it’s nice that residents have a private and safe space to enjoy their meals for now.”

Hallway entertainment has become the latest way for residents at Aberdeen Crossings to connect with each other. They are opening their doors, visiting with neighbors and taking part in some very creative activities.

“We’ve been doing hallway bingo and even dancing,” says Marnie. “The activities staff plays music and the residents dance and sing along. It’s great exercise and lots of fun. We even take requests.”

Aberdeen Crossings is welcoming new residents and has all of the necessary precautions in place for the safety of everyone.

“Incoming residents undergo testing and quarantining,” says Marnie. “Staff members wear complete personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary and are always wearing masks and keeping their distance whenever possible.”

And residents and families are also “seeing” each other virtually. The staff at Aberdeen Crossings has been busy educating residents on social media and other forms of communication to keep them in touch with family.

“We’ve had a lot of fun teaching many of our residents about Zoom, Facebook, FaceTime and ways to visit with friends and family virtually,” says Marnie. “We’ve also been putting videos of our residents on Facebook so be sure to check them out. And through the computer, they can visit other countries, tour museums, do crafts and enjoy just about anything else they can think of. It’s been a great connector to the outside world.”

Marion wants to assure everyone that even though things may look a little different at Aberdeen Crossings, the residents are staying positive—and staying busy.

“My husband and I are very lucky to have each other, especially during this time,” says Marion. “But the staff here is

working hard and doing a great job keeping all of the residents busy. There’s no doubt this is a difficult time, but we are all making the best of it, keeping busy, enjoying the outdoors as much as we can and keeping our spirits up. We’ll get through this.”

Aberdeen Crossings is located at 399 Bishop Road, in Highland Heights. For more information or to schedule a virtual tour, call 440-460-0686. Beachwood Commons is located at 3995 Green Road in Beachwood. For more information or to schedule a virtual tour, call 216-295-1700.

Both are LifeServices Communities. For additional information, check the website LifeServicesAssistedLiving.com.