Blessing of the Hands Becomes Annual Tradition

On September 12, Howard Village senior community hosted a Blessing of the Hands ceremony in which the hands of caregivers were anointed. "The service provides a way of showing appreciation for the difference that caregivers make and their contributions to the lives of older adults," explained Jodi Smith, Lifestyle Coordinator at Howard Village.

With the aging population, research estimates that 23% of U.S. households have at least one person who is providing care in some way for an older adult. All caregivers from the community, volunteers and family members from Howard Village were invited to participate in the event.

Jim Paszkiewicz, Director of Adult Spirituality from Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, led the program and several residents did the actual blessing of the caregivers' hands. The St. Thomas More Choir performed at the service and some of the students had their hands blessed too. A number of community volunteers participated as well. "It was a very touching service. We are proud to do this yearly as a thank you to all our many caregivers," commented Smith.

Howard Village is a Laureate Group community and offers independent and assisted living apartments. For more information, visit www.laureategroup.com