Ceremony helps community cope with those lost

In mid-February residents, families and staff at SKLD New Lexington gathered to celebrate the lives of loved ones lost at the center over the past year. Pairing up with Fairhope Hospice in the area, SKLD New Lexington’s activities director Shana Altier says the annual ceremony is a program that everyone involved finds meaningful. “There were many tears, but it helps each person with the grieving process to achieve healing,” she says.

The ceremony included some meaningful words from the Fairhope Hospice chaplain, as well as a candle lighting ceremony and photos of the former long-term care residents. The ceremony is especially meaningful for a small town like where New Lexington is located. Staff and resident families are closely intertwined in churches, schools and as neighbors. Shana has lived in the town for 66 years and says that’s typical among her colleagues.

In addition to the residents’ families, the staff and fellow residents need support along the grieving process as well, says Shana, as they recall the fun times and joy they had with them. “Every resident becomes like our own family,” says Shana. 

No doubt working in long term care can be challenging as residents pass away. Shana says, “There are different journeys in our life, and I tell my staff that too. We have to make the last journey that they have the best it can be.”  

Shana tells her colleagues that sitting and holding a resident’s hand, rubbing lotion on their hands, talking and listening to them is what their work is all about. When staff struggle with loss of a resident, Shana soothes them by reminding them that they were there to support the residents and their families when they most needed it.

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