That way she can keep them all on file and hear/see them again and again. This may be better than having a party with everyone there because she can listen/see the messages whenever she wants to again and again.
It will take some planning but I bet she would love it. Happy Birthday to your Mom!
A meal that has a menu of food typically served in 1913 would be interesting to do, educational (especially for younger family members), and might trigger some taste-memories of the birthday girl. Recipes of those foods are available online, especially since the 1912 Titanic “last meal” was revived last year during its centennial.
Those digital photo albums are very inexpensive and you load them with a standard SD Memory card.
Everyone does those slideshows after the love one passes.
Do one now so she can enjoy it too.
Send out invitations like you would for a party, but instead invite friends and family to send her pictures of them with her. She will be showered with cards and pictures at her facility (and as a woman I know how special it feels to get things like this at work) as well as recieve written updates in the cards. Se won’t have to talk to anybody. If she’s into getting her hair and nails done, send her for that or have somebody come in and do them for her. Finally, just a nice dinner out with the two of you would really cap things off.
We did that for my grandmother when she turned 80, with a scrapbook that included copies of old photos, the immigration paperwork for my grandmother's arrival from Ireland early in the 20th Century, her marriage certificate, her children's baby pictures, old letters, and so on.
My grandmother enjoyed that scrapbook as long as her eyesight held out, and after that, we gave her a small metal bowl that held pebbles from the beach near Dublin that she went to as a young girl. In the nursing home, confined to a wheelchair, she used to put those stones in a pocket in her sweater and handle them, joking that it was the closest she could get to the beach.
Whatever you do, no male strippers.. unless you have medical support closeby. ;-}
100 ,, wow..
Bless her..
Move closer to her. My Dad spent 8 years in a “home” in PA while I visited from CA with my job but th guilt remains. He was NOT able to move to a “home” near me.
The mother of a former friend of mine was in a nursing care facility. She wanted so much to have a PBR, but they wouldn’t allow it. That was so stupid.
Is there something your mom would love but the facility won’t allow her to have? Sneak it in!
Let HER talk. Ask questions. People love to answer questions.
Check with the assisted living facility about using their activity room for a party. For my Mom’s 100th, we used the activity.room and brought in platters of food and a large cake from Costco. We invited the entire facility and about 35 per cent attended - mainly those who knew and associated with Mom. Leftover food was given to the staff and/or stored in the refrigerator for later shifts. Everyone had a great time and Mom enjoyed the pictures thereafter.
Gather all the pictures that you can of her and her offspring in an album.
That was so important to my mother. Memories.
The elders are far more alert for an early lunch party. The assisted living facility should have a shuttle that can accommodate her fellow residents with advance planning. On site or at a local restaurant, include her closest/favorite caregivers in the head count. They will sincerely appreciate the thoughtfulness.
A champagne toast to your Mom with lunch and your mother's favorite birthday cake are very appropriate.
I do.
We ate by a fire. She picked out the food ahead of time. The girls spruced her up, too. Did her hair, makeup, and gave her a manicure (ourselves).
I don’t know your Mother but you do. If it were me, I’d prefer to have a small intimate group of people I truly love and look forward to seeing. I would enjoy being taken out for a nice dinner and flowers. Perhaps have a hairdresser come in early to do her hair so that she feels pretty. Perhaps a nice new dress to wear to dinner.
I like the photo tribute albums of yesterday.
Remember that the elderly tire easily, so a big party , might be overwhelming. Perhaps a cake and ice cream social in the diningroom afterwards for those at the facility.
A suggestion....for my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday, we gave her 80 small presents (that one can buy at a local dollar store). Wrapped all the presents and it looked like a lot! :-) People always like to open presents...now....a 100 presents (at a dollar each) might seem to be a lot, but if several people got several (dollar) presents (about 10 per person if 10 people attended) it would be very doable....FReegards, FRiend.....