OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen
Fredonia Mayor Mike Ferguson visited with residents at Fredonia Place on Monday afternoon.
To kick off National Assisted Living Week, Ferguson delivered an official proclamation from the Village of Fredonia to the residents of Fredonia Place on Monday afternoon.
“You’ve got to take a few moments to just thank the assisted living and memory care community because they just put in so much time and so much work,” Ferguson said.
Approximately 20 residents, along with a handful of staff members, were greeted by Ferguson on Monday. The mayor of Fredonia mingled with residents in the dining room shortly after noon.
“These are our residents,” Ferguson said. “They are former taxpayers, former school teachers or people who worked in our community. So many of the people that are here at Fredonia Place are from Chautauqua County.”
Cheryl Sweet, Resident Care Coordinator at Fredonia Place, received a proclamation from Fredonia Mayor Mike Ferguson on Monday.
Ferguson was happy to stop by a familiar place to greet some of the village’s cherished residents. He once worked at Fredonia Place as the Director of Sales and Marketing, and has maintained relationships with staff and residents in the years since. He was greeted fondly several times in his brief visit on Monday.
“I was glad to see them, and they were happy to see me, I think,” Ferguson joked. “It was good to catch up with them.”
The personal connection for Ferguson is deeper than just a past job, as his mother previously lived at Fredonia Place. She now resides at the Chautauqua County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dunkirk. Ferguson expressed his gratitude to those who take care of his mother around the clock, which he acknowledged he could not do on his own.
“So many people think they can take care of mom and dad at home, but there comes a point that, from a medical need, you need the professionals there. That’s where a place like this is such an asset to us,” Ferguson said.
Along with the residents themselves, Ferguson commended the nurses that care for individuals in assisted living facilities. He is hopeful to see an increase in the profession in the coming years. With the loss of WCA Home, Fredonia Place is the area’s only sizable assisted living facility.
“This is just as an important and vital business to any community as any,” Ferguson said. “… We’re thankful that they’re here.”
Ferguson also spoke to the importance of valuing elder members of the community, as many other cultures do. He wishes that more communities made an emphasis to make senior citizens feel welcomed and appreciated in society.
“For some reason, we’ve sort of pushed our older communities into the corner, and they have so much to offer,” Ferguson said. “… You have to point out the value of the knowledge that they have, the value of what they have already contributed to the community, and honor that – seek their wisdom, seek what they’ve brought to the table.”
Ferguson added, “You always say we miss them when they’re gone. How about we value them when they’re here.”