George Blevins was one our Elders who were recently able to attend the 2014 Signature HealthCARE vacation to sunny Panama City Beach, Florida.
The memories made and the time we spent together will forever hold a special place in my heart. The time George spent in Florida was a fun and exhilarating time away from the normal day to day he had experienced lately. George had told us that he had not left the facility in over five years, so this was something he did not think would happen, especially to board a plane and fly to the beach to enjoy the sun and palm trees.
This vacation was also a time for healing for George. In the past few months of his time at our home, he had lost his wife, who was also an Elder at our home. They had spent many lovely years together during their life. He had experienced a period of mourning during this difficult time of his life. The trip was a time for him to reflect on himself as well as his past and the time that he was able to spend with his lovely wife.
He did not talk about this during his trip, but as we sat on the deck of Margaritaville and enjoyed the beachfront view, we experienced a time of silence between us where George was simply staring out into the ocean, and I could see a glimmer of a tear form in his eye. I did not ask George if anything was wrong, or if I could do anything for him, I simply sat there with my arm around his shoulders and looked out into the ocean with him, and thought about the great people and experiences that God had placed in my life. I took a mental picture of that moment and understood right then that this vacation was more than a vacation for these Edlers.
Upon returning to the home, we all got to experience a side of Mr. Blevins that we had not seen in a long time. He has progressed from being content with being in his room, most likely lying in bed and watching TV, to wanting to spend every waking minute bathing in the sun. It is now very common to walk through our courtyard and witness Mr. Blevins lounging in the sun shirtless, exclaiming that hes getting ready to hit the beach again!
– Cody Blevins, Quality of Life Director