Local facilities celebrate National Nursing Home Week

By Beverly Harvey

Published: May 12, 2008

Wendell McLendon is a cautious man, who is known for taking his time when he tools around the hallways at the Care Center of Opelika in his electric wheelchair.

But on Monday afternoon, McLendon threw caution to wind when he competed in the electronic wheelchair race held at the Care Center — winning the contest handily against two other contenders.

“I opened it up like I was supposed to — as fast as this wheelchair will go,” McLendon said of his victory strategy. “I had it all the way to the top.”

The wheelchair race was one of the Care Center’s opening-day activities to celebrate National Nursing Home Week, May 11 through May 17, which was established by the American Health Care Association.

National Nursing Home Week is a time to “celebrate nursing facility life,” to reach out to someone at a nursing home and to “honor employees — people who give themselves — day in, day out — to the residents,” Oak Park Nursing Home manager Trent Jackson said.

At least two area nursing homes — Care Center of Opelika and Oak Park Nursing Home in Auburn — are hosting a variety of activities this week to entertain residents and to say “thank you” to their employees.

Read more about the day’s events and upcoming activities for the week in Tuesday’s Opelika-Auburn News.