A Warm Welcome for Lea Hill Rehabilitation & Care Center Residents

Now open for scheduled tours, Wesley Homes Lea Hill Rehabilitation & Care Center receives hand-quilted lap blankets from Lea Hill residents.

There’s a saying that goes, “A quilt will warm your body and comfort your soul.” That is certainly how it works at the new Rehabilitation and Care Center! The residents of Wesley Homes Lea Hill have a strong connection with the care center. Knowing how important a personal touch is for people to feel at home, the Lea Hill Needle Crafters put their creativity and their fingers into action. Resident Jean Fisher saw a great pattern and knew it would be just the thing for residents of the care center: a soft lap blanket with a place to keep your hands warm and a central pocket for tissues, cell phone, glasses – whatever is needed!

Gene Barker, Berniece Coleman, Pat Chubb, Jean Fisher, Marilyn Fisher, Marilyn Hinton, Ruth Kistler, Penny Weller and quilting friends Julie Fisher-King, Lenore Lee and Min Merrill have already sewn 18 lap blankets for residents of the care center. They plan to have this be an ongoing project. As more people come in, more quilts will come, too.

Usually quilts are made with cotton fabric, but each of these special lap blankets has a flannel back so they don’t slide off of laps. Flannel also lines the insides of the pockets for warmth. The similarity among the quilts ends there! The quilters work individually, in their own paces and styles. They do share, putting leftover fabric scraps in a bin from which they all can pick and choose. The results are quilts with intricate patterns sewn with colorful swatches, along with Asian-art themed, polka-dots, puppies, American flags, bold colors, repurposed family designs, some delicate and some masculine. Each lap blanket ends up being an individual work of art.

On July 21, the quilters gathered at the care center with Chaplain Nancy Ross for a blessing of the lap blankets. Truly, each is already imbued with blessing by the care and intentions of the hands that sewed them, and praying a blessing over the lap blankets acknowledges the sacred presence in these works of the heart.

Already, the first residents of the care center are enjoying their quilts! June Wheeler and her husband Elmer appreciate their American flag-inspired blanket and Richard Fiedler was so delighted with his. These blankets warmed the hearts of all the quilters. When asked what the best part of doing this project was, the consensus was clear: it is gratifying to know that the lap blankets will be appreciated and put to good use – along with “when you’re done and you get to start another one!”

The Wesley Homes Lea Hill Rehabilitation and Care Center is welcoming new residents for skilled nursing, so call now to schedule a personal tour. See why the community believes so wholeheartedly in this integral part of Wesley Homes’ full continuum of care.

Wesley Homes Lea Hill is still hiring for positions in nursing and administrative roles. Check out our careers page for more info. This is an opportunity you won’t want to miss!