Editor’s note: This is from an interview on the Potomac Local News (PLN) Podcast on YouTube. Please subscribe to PLN on YouTube and help us reach 1,000 followers.
Birmingham Green, a nearly century-old senior living community in Prince William County, is inviting the public to brighten residents’ holidays with a car parade designed for seniors who can’t easily leave campus.
The community will host its annual Holiday Car Parade on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8605 Centreville Road. Participants are asked to arrive by 10:15 a.m., with the parade beginning at 11 a.m., according to Denise Chadwick Wright of Birmingham Green.
“We’ve been doing it since 2020,” Chadwick Wright said, calling this year the parade’s fifth. She said the event is designed as a way of telling residents, “you belong here.”
During the parade, drivers decorate their vehicles and loop through Birmingham Green’s campus while residents watch from windows and porches. The facility is also setting up outdoor warming options so more residents can take part in person.
“We design it so…people can see from your windows or they could actually come out on the front porches,” Chadwick Wright said. “We have heat tents…heat lamps this year…with hot refreshments.”
She said the parade gives residents a chance to feel connected to the broader community and can also be a nostalgic experience.
“It brings to them an opportunity to see what’s happening, to see that they matter, they’re cared for,” she said. “And it’s nostalgic…when they think about when they were children, their time they may have spent with their children.”
Birmingham Green serves seniors from across the region and, according to Chadwick Wright, has operated in Prince William County for almost 100 years. The organization was established in 1927 and is a partner with Prince William and Fairfax counties, Fauquier and Loudoun counties, and the City of Alexandria, she said.
The campus includes two assisted living buildings and a 180-bed nursing home, she said. One assisted living building is fully funded through an auxiliary grant program, which she described as similar to a Medicaid-style model for assisted living services. In the nursing home, she said more than 90% of residents are “dually eligible,” meaning they have Medicaid and Medicare. Birmingham Green also offers rehabilitation services and life enrichment programming.
Chadwick Wright said the pandemic didn’t create isolation for seniors, but it did increase awareness of its impact.
“When you think about loneliness…the emotional, social impact for seniors…people aging that have lost their partners, loved ones, or have mobility issues or sensory impairments…it brought more light to that,” she said.
She added that social isolation can be linked to serious health risks. “When you think about loneliness and social isolation, it can cause mental, physical, and other impairments,” she said, listing conditions she said are associated with isolation, including heart disease, dementia, and stroke.
What to expect at the parade
Organizers expect a range of vehicles to participate and are encouraging more drivers to join. “We’re asking…vehicles, motorcycles, even fire trucks,” Chadwick Wright said.
Participants will stage behind the building, where staff will have some decorations on hand for anyone who needs them. “We’ll have the hot chocolate, cider, and some snacks available for you, music flowing,” she said. “You can expect excitement, a feeling of warmth and joy, positivity.”
Drivers will make multiple passes through the route. “You’ll do at least probably two or three loops,” she said. “You’ll see residents cheering and smiling.”
Asked whether the parade is still open to additional participants, Chadwick Wright said: “The more, the merrier.” At the time of the interview, she said organizers had at least 30 vehicles signed up.
Free CNA training offered
During the interview, Chadwick Wright also highlighted Birmingham Green’s effort to address the ongoing shortage of certified nursing assistants, calling CNAs “really the core of the care” provided in long-term care settings.
“They provide activities of daily living, which includes bathing, grooming…assistance with eating or feeding,” she said, adding that the shortage is nationwide and driven in part by the growth of the older population as baby boomers age into retirement.
Birmingham Green offers a free, no-cost CNA training program, she said, describing it as a six-week program that includes classroom learning, a hybrid remote option, and two weeks in the lab providing care to residents.
“It’s a great opportunity for people that have a passion…to actually complete education…with no type of student loans,” she said. She noted a class of nine students was set to graduate soon.
She said the program is best suited for people who are compassionate and willing to provide hands-on care. “It’s not an easy job. It’s not for everyone,” she said. “It would be a caring individual who loves people and who is able to provide care joyfully…in a positive way, a selfless way.”
Those seeking more information can visit birminghamgreen.org and use the website chat box, she said.
How to participate
Birmingham Green is located at 8605 Centreville Road. The Holiday Car Parade is set for Saturday, Dec. 13, with participant arrival at 10:15 a.m. and the parade beginning at 11 a.m.
“If you want to dress up, that just adds to the excitement and joy of the holidays,” Chadwick Wright said.
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