Surrounded by party music, champagne and pizza, Anne Marie Daquino sat close to her husband of 40 years at the nursing home, ready for another year.
Since John Daquino, 85, a retired Scranton Fire Department employee, left the family home nearly three years ago, his wife, 70, visits him each day at Geisinger-Mountain View Care Center, usually from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
With declining health, Mr. Daquino cannot move his legs and has problems remembering things - he doesn't always remember his wife. That doesn't matter to Mrs. Daquino. She said he will never lose her love and attention.
"We can still be together," Mrs. Daquino, a retired preschool teacher, said of the nursing home experience. "It's the best it could be."
The Daquinos and others gathered at one of the nursing home's entertainment areas Monday to celebrate the approaching New Year. A disc jockey played music while friends and family joined many of the residents. Staff at the nursing home even dropped large bags of colored balloons as the party ended.
Feeling like home
The nursing home is known for its regular parties and weekly happy hours. While most people don't want to leave home to live somewhere else because of failing health, the staff at the facility tries to make the situation as comfortable as possible for residents living there.
A few tables away at the New Year's party, Bernice McAndrew sat next to her mother, Mary Crisafulli, 86, who moved there in April after she could no longer walk or otherwise use her legs. While her daughters visited after work each day, Ms. Crisafulli said she felt lonely and depressed staying at home.
The right move
At the nursing home, Ms. Crisafulli said she isn't as depressed and has made friends. Reflecting on the past year, she said leaving her home was emotionally hard. But she feels thankful to have her daughters visit her daily.
"They take care of me, make sure I get my medications," she said just before catching a red balloon.
While many people associate New Year's Day with future possibilities, some people in nursing homes can struggle to find positive reasons to look forward. Health problems and other situations in their lives can cause grief. Scranton resident Ann Marie McKeel, 68, president of the facility's auxiliary group, knows.
Not only did Ms. McKeel work at Mountain View for years, she also was a resident there in 2003, when she broke her hip. No longer directly associated with the facility, she volunteers to help organize events that can help keep residents in high spirits.
"If they don't have a good time here, they give up," Ms. McKeel said. "That's why we do our best to make it like a family here."
Contact the writer: rward@timesshamrock.com, @rwardTT on Twitter