North Wing residents at Medina Memorial embrace costumed characters for Halloween
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Rindy Punch, a resident of the North Wing, hands out candy to a young visitor during Wednesday’s Halloween party. (Right) North Wing activities director Adrian Belson, left, and Anna Lewis, activities coordinator, pose in costume with Lewis’ Golden Retriever Billie at the annual Halloween party for residents of the residential wing at Medina Memorial Hospital.
MEDINA – Residents of Medina Memorial Hospital’s North Wing showed their Halloween spirit on Friday morning at the annual party planned by Activities Director Adrian Belson.
Belson started the party seven or eight years ago, and it has grown into a Halloween tradition.
Each year, all the residents are dressed in costume, with help from staff and family. The activities department has an assortment of costumes, and families brought in items so all the residents were decked out for the occasion.
Residents of Medina Memorial Hospital’s North Wing dressed in costume and lined both hallways during their annual Halloween Party. Here, in front, resident Pat Watson is visited by her daughters, Sue Weese at left and Ann Watson, right.
All 28 residents of the North Wing are dressed in a costume and given a bucket of candy to hand out to children who visit. This includes children of staff and friends and the P ‘Raising Day Care Center, who visit every year.
“Adrian has got this event down to a science,” said certified nursing assistant Tina Kelley. “She’s been doing it for years. The whole Activities Department does a wonderful job here. They also do a big celebration for Thanksgiving with staff and family members, as well as Christmas.”
(Left) Makenzie Muck and Kaitlyn Albone of Lyndonville are dressed as a chicken and duck for their visit to the North Wing’s Halloween party on Wednesday morning. Kaitlyn holds her daughter Nova, who will be 1 on Nov. 11. They said Anna Lewis told them about the party and they wanted to visit because their grandma used to be a resident there. (Right) Lindsay Wilston, a certified nursing assistant at the North Wing, was dressed in costume for the Halloween party for residents. Residents were given buckets of candy to hand out to visitors, which included children from P ‘Raising Kids Day Care.
One resident was Audrey Bieliski, who dressed as a nurse. It was a fitting costume, as Bieliski actually worked as a nurse in the hospital for 36 years, said her daughter Margo Sarchia.
“It’s amazing they do this,” Sarchia said. “It takes so much time but they always put the residents first.”
After children and other guests visited all the residents who lined the halls and got their candy, they were given punch and Halloween cookies.
Nicki Fredericks visits her brother Fulton Rogers there every day and thought the costume party was wonderful.
“It’s great they do something like this,” Fredericks said. “Every resident is in costume, even if it’s just a hat or a neckerchief. They do a good job here. It’s nice to see.”
Visiting Medina Memorial Hospital’s North Wing Halloween party were, from left, Tom Bloomer, North Wing administrator; Rebecca Mannella, director of nursing; and Cassie Maynard, charge nurse.
Audrey Bieliski dressed as a nurse, a fitting costume, as she was a nurse on the North Wing for 36 years. On the wall behind her is a picture of her in uniform with three staff members, taken in 1975. Friday morning she handed out candy with other North Wing residents to young children who visited, many from P ‘Raising Kids Day Care. Waiting for his candy is Jon Kirkpatrick, 2, of Lyndonville, whose mom Amber works in the unit.
