For two weeks in February, employees from the Northeast Medical Group Multispecialty Center in New London participated in a heartfelt Valentine’s Day initiative aimed at connecting with elderly residents of local skilled nursing facilities.
More than 200 personalized cards and letters were delivered just in time for Valentine’s Day to Harbor Village, New London; Greentree Manor, Waterford; and Mystic Healthcare, Mystic.
“Reaching out to the elderly in nursing homes isn’t just a kind gesture; it’s also our responsibility, as many of them are also our patients,” said Mio Santiago, patient administrative associate. “As a daughter who carried conservatorship over her father with dementia, I developed a love for the elderly community and learned firsthand how quickly life shifts. One day you’re being guided, and the next you are the guide.”
Santiago also noted that family members juggling work, children, finances and their own health might not be able to visit a loved one in a nursing home as frequently as they would like.
“When we show up with a card, we help restore dignity. We remind them that their stories matter. Their sacrifices mattered. Their lives still matter.”
Serving the elderly also teaches the team patience, compassion and perspective, Santiago added. “It humbles us,” she said. “It prepares us. Because if we live long enough, we may one day sit in that same chair. Reaching back to honor those who went before us strengthens the moral fabric of our communities, and it also brings us back to why many of them come to our offices as well for their health-related needs. Never underestimate what it means to simply show up, and when we do it together, communities can truly change.”
