NORFOLK, Neb. – As nursing homes across the country celebrate National Skilled Nursing Week, a northeast Nebraska facility is getting in on the fun.

Wednesday was Wacky Wednesday at Heritage of Bel-Air in Norfolk, and staff were invited to wear unusual clothing. Meanwhile, residents participated in a game of whack-a-mole, in which employees of the facility were the aforementioned ‘moles’.

“Good old Pinterest helped us out quite a bit,” Heritage of Bel-Air administrator Tracy Zamora said of her team’s efforts to find creative ideas for staff and residents.

The national theme for this year’s celebratory week is “Cultivating Kindness.” Zamora said staff members worked around the theme overall.

“We came up with some of the games and stuff as a team,” Zamora said.

The week’s activities also included special food offerings, live music, an outdoor trip for residents, and creating chemo care packages to give to the Carson Cancer Center.

She said the week is an important time for staff members and residents alike.

“It’s always a good time,” Zamora said. “Everybody has a lot of fun. We make sure we appreciate our team members and let residents participate. We’ve got all kinds of fun things going on.”

National Skilled Nursing Care Week celebrates the role that skilled nursing care centers play in providing quality nursing care to millions of America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities.