WELLINGTON ‒ Residents looking for a new place to trick-or-treat should try their local nursing home this Halloween.
Caressant Care in Arthur is one of several Wellington County nursing homes preparing to reopen their doors to trick-or-treaters this spooky season.
Welcoming 20 to 30 trick-or-treaters a year pre-pandemic, activity manager, Michelle Leies, said while it's common for facilities to celebrate Halloween in some capacity, many residents were disappointed when they couldn't hand out candy to the public during the height of COVID-19 restrictions.
"We don't always get a huge number because we're off the beaten path but we get a good amount," said Leies. "It's great to see more people are recognizing this as an option."
Gathering in the facility's main lobby between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m., Leies said most of their residents are "young at heart" and leave their rooms early out of excitement to hand out candy and see the costumes, reminiscing for days after.
"Play at every age is very important and it helps with all ailments," said Leies "So it's significant that our residents have these moments and interactions."
At Morriston Parking Nursing Home in Puslinch, chief operating officer, Karen Bolger said even though they're a small facility, it was common for them to see groups of trick-or-treaters on Halloween pre-pandemic.
However, she recommended short visits of 20 to 30 minutes in scheduled intervals for anyone interested in stopping by this year.
"It's a great benefit for the residents," said Bolger. "All I can say is (when we) bring the kids in, the residents are all smiles."
For residents who can't or don't want to hand out candy, Caressant Care Arthur also hosts an annual costume parade on Halloween morning in collaboration with its local public school.
"It's more inclusive for residents who don't want to stay up late (waiting for trick-or-treaters) but still want to see costumes and interact with the kids," said Leies.
However, not every home is equipped for ghosts, ghouls, and goblins on Halloween.
According to Tiffany Wurdell, the life enrichment manager at Wellington Terrace, staff will gather a few residents at the main entrance on Halloween to hand out candy but the event is limited to residents' families and staff’s children.
"We are universal masking again at the Terrace as it is flu season and we cannot have community trick or treating throughout the building," said Wurdell, in an emailed statement. "Intergenerational programs bring so much joy to the residents so we continue to be creative in keeping these interactions possible while still adhering to IPAC guidance with our vulnerable population."
Anyone interested in trick-or-treating at their local nursing home this Halloween is encouraged to call ahead.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
