Staff like Jenna Buckham, a recreation therapist at Aberdeen long-term care, provide a holistic approach to care, looking after residents’ social, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
“Our goal is to minimize loneliness through increasing opportunities for social connections and physical activity,” she says. “But not all programs and enhancements can be accommodated by our budget.”
“Having additional resources from Eldercare to help us fill gaps, and purchase extras, makes a big difference,” says Jenna. Here are just some of the ways that your donation to Eldercare can help to improve residents’ quality of life:
- An ad-free Spotify account enables the team to look up a song that really resonates with a resident on demand – as opposed to riffling through an old CD collection. “It’s a little thing but it makes our jobs a lot easier,” says Jenna.
- An art group connects residents with local artist from the community who support residents to independently complete art projects. “Gaining that extra skill helps them feel inspired and boosts their confidence.”
- Eldercare purchased an accessible bus that allows for outings in the community. “It takes a lot of time and effort to plan outings but once you get out and you see how much the residents enjoy it, it’s worth all of the effort
Jenna says recreation therapy can sometimes be misunderstood because it’s a newer profession. “Some folks think we’re just the ‘fun people’,” she says. “But we’re not just planning parties for the sake of planning parties. We help residents build healthy routines and regain a sense of purpose through regular, individually tailored programs and activities.”
“There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work with our colleagues to assess a resident’s suitability for certain programs, to support accessibility, to help residents connect to their community, and to adjust as needs change – and they change often!”
Jenna treasures the unique opportunity to build deep connections with residents and enrich their quality of life. Thank you for supporting enhancements to the important role of recreation therapy in long-term care.
