As a Life Enrichment Professional, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine of emails, paperwork, phone calls and meetings. Sometimes you need to take a step back and observe! That’s just what I did, on occasion, and what I witnessed inspired this latest blog post. From the Cottages to the Suites to our Healthcare, residents find purpose helping others. Some of these residents aren’t active volunteers who signed up for a volunteer program. They are our unsung heroes who continue to work behind the scenes to ensure an all-inclusive environment for their neighbors.
-Let’s start with our Suites.
Believe it or not, bingo is an incredible game of skill and is regarded as one of the better activities for those struggling with cognitive decline. It covers at least three domains: Cognitive, Physical and Social. Many come for the social aspect and the thrill of chance, while others see it as a good challenge trying to get the pattern correct on their board.
One of our residents, Gerald, decided he was going to help those with vision loss and cognitive decline by creating square cut outs to place over the bingo boards for certain patterns. These cut outs alleviate the stress and embarrassment some residents feel when they forget what pattern they are playing and have ask out loud for help. It also gives the visually impaired less “Real Estate” to look at on their bingo boards to assist with their potential win! Resident Gerry’s cut outs are a classic example of a simple gesture going the extra mile to improve the lives of our residents.
-Healthcare
Residents enjoy their weekend activities and it’s nice to see a mix from both healthcare and memory care in attendance. One such day brought out 10 residents along with some family for a great afternoon of (you guessed it) BINGO! After the hour was up, it was time to escort residents back to their rooms. I typically start with memory care residents for safety reasons, but I chose to take a step back and observe.
A memory unit resident stood up and began cleaning the entire table. They started by gathering the bingo cards and stacked them face up in the same direction. Then methodically picked up the bingo buttons and placed them in the jar. I asked this resident “Hey! Would you like some help?” They responded “Oh I have it all. Thanks”. This resident found joy and purpose. I wasn’t the only one witnessing it, some of our healthcare residents looked on with admiration.
Once again, a great example of how a small act can go a long way! In this case, this resident not only felt joy, but they also set an example for other residents!
These are just two out of many examples of residents helping others. It’s safe to say we take good care of our own here and we’ll be with you every step of the way through life. You’ll always be in good hands here at Moravian Village.
David Seaman
Life Enrichment Manager
NCAAP APC-ADC Certified