“Experience joy” – contemplative celebration in the Marienheim
The residents and employees of the Marienheim Fulda with the Dietershan fire department band on Tuesday morning. Photos: Sr. M. Labouré
Fulda (pf) – Contemplative mood among carers and residents: Christmas Eve was celebrated together on Tuesday in the Marienheim of St. Vinzenz Soziale Werken gGmbH in Fulda. The focus of the holidays every year is that no one has to feel alone. Nursing service manager Susanne Eichenauer and her team ensure this.
Christmas party on Christmas Eve
In nursing, the Christmas holidays look like any other day when it comes to the work of the employees, explains Susanne Eichenauer, nursing service manager at Marienheim. She and her team have been accompanying the residents over Christmas for years; the work has already become second nature: “Treatment and care are carried out as normal, but of course the days are festive for the residents.”
On Christmas Eve there was a joint Christmas party in the house, and some sisters even accompanied the celebration musically with an instrument. It was already musical in the morning when the Fulda-Dietershan fire department band stopped by. Christmas mass was also celebrated later and gifts were distributed. Great joy among carers and residents alike: “It’s like being in the family,” says Eichenauer. Of course we also have dinner together. A church service is also organized on the first holiday. “Some residents are also brought home by their families,” says Eichenauer. But those who celebrate Christmas in the home should feel comfortable. “We try to help them overcome their loneliness.”
The employees would already know the procedure, and the employees' families would also have absolute understanding for the services on the holidays: “We are always here with normal staff. But we also try to divide it up so that everyone can be at home with their family,” Eichenauer speaks for the entire team. Employees who have different Christmas traditions or do not celebrate in their home country can then stay at home on New Year's Eve.
But for all employees, Christmas at work is also something nice, says Eichenauer from experience: “If people are happy here, then we are happy too. It shouldn't be melancholic or sad. The residents should experience joy, and that is the case with us. We always have a really nice atmosphere at Christmas.”
Swiss
