Rain delay celebration for National Nursing Home Week

As part of the celebration for National Nursing Home Week, unconventional visitors showed up at the North Shore Estates on Grand Avenue in Duluth on Monday. The event had been postponed twice due to rain, but thankfully all went well Monday.

"This week is supposed to kind of celebrate the residents, the families and the staff," Kristina Karjala, Therapeutic Recreation Director at the long-term care facility said.

Who (or what) were the unconventional visitors? A petting zoo came to North Shore Estates. This included mini cows, mini horses, mini pigs and llamas! Organizers say the animals brought smiles to the residents faces, and there were other events planned for residents and staff as well.

"We just try to really incorporate… a lot of fun events for the staff and the residents," Karjala added. "Show the staff how much we appreciate them, show the residents, how much we care about them. And then just include the families when we can."

Organizers say this year’s event was the first big, Nurses Week celebration they have been able to have since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Nursing Home Week was officially held on May 8-14. The national theme for the 2022 focused on the essential role that skilled nursing care centers and staff play in creating and nurturing connections for their residents.