Maintenance Technicians James Doucette and Ian Shultz of Whitney Place at Northborough recently completed a surprise gift for Resident Hazel Bemis.
The gift, an arrangement of family photographs organized as a family tree, is displayed in Hazel’s apartment.
Hazel’s daughter-in-law, Michelle Bemis, wanted to “personalize Hazel’s apartment with photos that captured joyful family moments.”
Michelle had originally planned to construct the design herself, however unable to be in Hazel’s apartment due to the pandemic, she reached out to Community Relations Director, Jim Priest. Together, he and the maintenance team were able to bring Michelle’s vision to life.
“Our family feels so blessed and fortunate that Jim and maintenance staff were able to tackle the project; Hazel is so happy about it,” explains Michelle.
Doucette, who has worked with SALMON Health and Retirement for ten years, says that seeing Hazel’s reaction to the photos was extremely gratifying.
“I come from a big family myself,” explains Doucette. “I know how important family photos are; they can serve as a pleasant reminder of all the love in your life.”
Doucette further explains that during COVID-19, many Residents and their families have requested to display more photos around Resident apartments.
“It’s been great,” says Doucette. “Being able to bring a smile to a Resident’s face is my favorite aspect of my job—doing these projects has helped the Residents a lot. They also spark a lot of conversation, as each photo tells a story; I learn a lot from the Residents.”
Michelle is happy that Hazel continues to feel the connection to her family, even from afar at this time, through photos.
“She enjoys living in the Whitney Place community,” says Michelle. “Our family is grateful she’s there.”
