LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (PRWEB) December 09, 2014
Holiday Retirement, one of the nation’s largest senior living providers, recently partnered with CLICK for Babies, a grassroots public education campaign organized by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, to knit, tag, and organize purple hats for newborns. This year, 47 of Holiday’s senior living communities participated in the CLICK for Babies campaign, knitting more than 2,000 caps for the cause.
A key factor in CLICK for Babies’ educational efforts is the Period of PURPLE Crying, a program that helps describe the time in infants’ lives where they go through a period of increased crying. Each letter in the word PURPLE stands for a specific characteristic of an infant’s crying during the period:
P = Peak of crying (Most infants cry the most in month two and less in months three through five.)
U = Unexpected (Crying fits may come and go without parents knowing why.)
R = Resists soothing (Some infants may not stop crying regardless of parents’ efforts.)
P = Pain-like face (A crying baby may look like he is in pain even when he is not.)
L = Long lasting (Crying can last five hours a day or more.)
E = Evening (Infants may cry more in the late afternoon or evening.)
One of the primary ways CLICK for Babies spreads awareness about the Period of PURPLE Crying is by delivering purple knit caps to hospitals to send home with the families of newborns along with their PURPLE program materials. Because many of Holiday’s residents enjoy knitting or crocheting, they were happy to volunteer for such a special cause.
“We’re very pleased with Holiday’s participation in this very important campaign,” said Chelsea Naughton, international program coordinator at the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome. “What’s even more exciting for us is the breadth it adds to our educational efforts. Our partnership with Holiday enabled us to tap into a new demographic: seniors – many of whom have relatives who are new parents. These first-time parents can benefit from learning about the Period of PURPLE Crying.”
“Many of our residents love to knit or crochet, so knitting caps for CLICK for Babies was a natural fit for us,” said Kai Hsiao, president and CEO of Holiday Retirement. “The CLICK for Babies campaign aligned with Holiday’s award-winning Seniors Serving Seniors/Society volunteer program, which suggests volunteer opportunities to residents based on their interests, and Let’s Talk Seniors events, a program that educates seniors on topics relevant to them.”
Added Brian Lopez, marketing director at the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome: “We’re excited about next year’s possibilities. If this year is any indication of Holiday residents’ dedication to our cause, then next year will really be amazing.”
To learn more about Holiday’s efforts, visit http://www.holidaytouch.com/about-us/community-giving/click-for-babies.
About CLICK for Babies
CLICK for Babies is a grassroots public education campaign organized by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome in partnership with hospitals, public health, and child abuse prevention groups to create awareness of the leading trigger for infant abuse: frustration with infant crying. Additional information about CLICK for Babies can be found on the organization’s website at http://www.CLICKforBabies.org.
About the Period of PURPLE Crying
The Period of PURPLE Crying is an evidence-based program that aims to educate parents about the normality of early increased crying during the first months of a baby’s life and the associated frustration. The program also seeks to teach parents techniques to soothe a baby and healthy ways to cope with the crying when cry bouts cannot be soothed. More information about the Period of PURPLE Crying can be found at http://www.PURPLEcrying.info.
About Holiday Retirement
Since 1971, Holiday Retirement has endeavored to provide its signature “Holiday Touch” to residents and their families. Today, Holiday is a trusted name in senior living and provides security, comfort, and value to independent seniors seeking a fulfilling lifestyle. Holiday operates more than 300 retirement communities, making it one of the largest senior living providers in the United States. For more information about Holiday Retirement, please call 888-370-7071 or visit http://www.holidaytouch.com.