Elvis makes his way to The Home Place

Elvis makes his way to The Home Place

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MADISON — Elvis has left the parking lot.

But, residents of The Home Place here hope next time he makes it into their building on Old Canton Road.

Since the coronavirus pandemic showed up six months ago, the home for senior adults has been following  safety precautions and no allowing in the outside visitors and entertainers who come to cheer up  residents.

“We’ve had no cases. Everybody’s feeling good,” said Lucille Nichols, who has served for more than 50 years as executive director of the independent living home for retirees. 

“We are double-cleaning and sanitizing. We have doubled up on everything to keep everyone safe.”

The home still wants to keep life as normal as possible under the circumstances that all people are coping with, she said. “So we have double-downed to take up the slack for keeping everyone busy. We’ve got lots of new games and competitions, not to mention our choir every Thursday and bingo every Monday,” she said.

“Our residents haven’t missed out. They are well fed and well entertained,” Mrs. Nichols said.

Elvis impersonator Ben Hawthorn of Madison, who works for Heart of Hospice, has performed for the residents twice in recent months, including last week.  Instead of being able to bring his hip-shaking, jumpsuit-wearing version of Elvis inside, he performed out in the parking lot with fans filling the dining hall to watch through the wall of windows.

“We had them dancing in there as they watched,” Mrs. Nichols said. “They loved him. (Ben) is as sweet as he can be.”

“I can’t wait to getting back inside. I’ll sing to them through the windows now,” said Hawthorn.

Hawthorn, whose grandparents used to live at The Home Place, said he always enjoys performing 

“It’s like coming home.”






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