St. John’s Eclipse Preparations Featured on WXXI
St. John’s Home resident Daniel Holliday told Beth Adams of WXXI, that the eclipse “is once-in-a-lifetime and we’ll never see it again.”
A recent morning segment — hosted by Adams — focused on St. John’s preparations for the upcoming, once-in-a-century total solar eclipse. “It has captured the imagination of everyone from preschoolers to people in the final years of life,” said Adams.
Adams also spoke with resident John Turner, who said he is excited to experience the eclipse. St. John’s Home staff members have been preparing for the event for months to ensure residents have the best viewing experience possible.
“We are going to be mounting the polymer filament at different heights in the windows,” said St. John’s Home Vice President of Skilled Services Nate Sweeney. This procedure will allow easier viewing and accessibility for all residents. “Folks that are in wheelchairs can come up to the window and view the landscape.”
Along with the provided eyewear and window filaments, residents will also be able to use viewers that can be held. These were made by members of St. John’s weekly Dementia Resource Center Respite Program using the same protective polymer.
Also featured on the show was Mimi DeVinney, St. John’s Dementia/Quality of Life Specialist. DeVinney told Adams, “It is going to be dark that day, and we don’t know how people are going to respond to that.”
Aside from making sure residents are safe and comfortable throughout the eclipse, staff has been working hard to create a fun-filled day. “We thought, let’s throw a party,” said Sweeney.
St. John’s Home Therapeutic Recreation team is putting on a “bar crawl” featuring all the best eclipse and space-themed treats. Also on campus that day — a documentary crew whose goal is to capture what this monumental moment means to older adults.
“There’s a big excitement about this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Sweeney, “and being able to share it from the perspective of a skilled nursing community.”