DuPage Convalescent Center celebrates holidays as '1 big family'

WHEATON – Say what you will about the power of presents, but for most, the holidays are all about spending time with loved ones.

That's something the DuPage Convalescent Center takes seriously, as evidenced by the annual resident and family holiday party it hosted Sunday.

The event has been a fixture for decades, said assistant administrator Shauna Berman, and is the talk of the residents for weeks before and after.

"It's kind of an expanded family celebration," she said. "The residents, their roommates, their families, the staff and their families too ... these are the events [where] we all come together."

This year, the center hosted eight parties across the building, each with live music and "probably more [food] than anyone should have around," Berman said.

Each floor had a dedicated Santa Claus who visited every resident, including those unable to leave their rooms.

The center also holds a yearly adopt-a-resident program alongside the event. Each resident comes up with a list of items they want for Christmas, and the center often starts fielding calls from gift-givers in September and has to make a wait-list, Berman said.

Both the communal party and gifts are generally much-needed by residents, as about 80 percent of the 360 are on some form of public aid, Berman said. Many don't have families, or have families too far away to visit. Having a party before Christmas Day ensures as many residents as possible will be present to celebrate.

"When we go into the holiday season, a lot of us still miss our real homes," said four-year resident John McCall. "We have the opportunity not only to have our families here but we get to meet the other families ... Everyone walks away with a smile."

McCall said he and his family spent a previous holiday party with his last roommate, whose family lived in another state. His daughter even brought his roommate a gift.

"He wasn't expecting anything," McCall said. "It was really rewarding for him and for us to see his expression. A lot of our people here do that, they adopt their roommates."

Resident Edward "Skip" Meyer said he always tries to reach out to his fellow residents during the holiday party, and credited the festive spirit to the staff and volunteers.

"All of the staff here is exceptional," he said. "The way that everybody comes together here during the entire Christmas season to help out [is special]."