Balloon Buddies spark joy at area nursing homes

Apr. 14—Marlene Potts and her staff have made more than 500 colorful, smiling balloon critters for nursing home residents since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

The one thing she has not been able to do is to personally deliver any of her Balloon Buddies to a nursing home resident. But Potts, who started the Balloon Masters company at the Thruway Mall 30 years ago, calls the effort a way to give back.

"There's not another medium like balloons that represents joy," she said. "I don't care if you're 100 years old, balloons in your life have always represented happiness."

Two vans from Balloon Masters pulled up to the circle at Autumn View Health Care Facility Wednesday morning, filled to the brim with 165 Balloon Buddies for the long-term care residents. It took a staff of four people about eight hours to assemble 3,300 balloons into the Buddies, Potts said.

The Balloon Buddies are part of the Adopt-A-Grandparent program, the idea of two balloon artists in Indiana, she said. The program spread throughout the nation and into other countries, she said.

It's been a long, trying year for all, particularly those living and working in nursing homes, which were hit hard with Covid-19 cases and deaths.

"It seems like they're forgotten sometimes," Potts said of the residents.

They were delighted to receive them, Activities Director Amy McKnight said.

"We had tears, we had laughter, we had some pull it in bed with them," she said.

Autumn View is the fifth senior facility in the area to receive the creations from Balloon Masters. At each facility, families, staff and businesses are asked for donations. Once there is enough to cover a Buddy for all the residents, Potts and staff go to work.

The staff who came out to bring the bags of balloons into Autumn View Wednesday seemed just as excited as residents.

"This is a bit of a break from the day-to-day," said administrator Aaron Polanski. "The patients have something to talk about, something different."

There was a ban on visitors for months because of the pandemic, and now families can visit with a loved one unless the facility is in quarantine after someone there tests positive for the coronavirus.

Mary Satori, 85, of Blasdell, was all smiles when she got one of the Balloon Buddies. A resident for seven years, her husband died five years ago after 48 years of marriage.

The mother of two daughters and grandmother of three, she has missed going to her daughter's house to visit. Throughout the past year they have done window visits and FaceTime.

"Crazy the way things are now," Satori said.

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