“Life Enrichment” is the name of the care team providing the daily activities at Residences Senior Living. Indeed, they serve our residents in so many ways that actually enrich their lives. Their presence, and of course their smiles, make a difference every day in our Assisted Living and Memory Support neighborhoods. We are proud of the contributions made by each and every staff member in Life Enrichment. This observation is a great opportunity to celebrate and showcase what they do and how the quality of living for seniors at Residences Senior Living is so greatly enhanced.
How Did National Activity Professionals Week Begin?
National Activity Professionals Day occurs the 4th Friday in January as an annual observance recognizing the contributions of those who provide activity experiences in nursing homes and senior living. The observation was created by the National Association of Activity Professionals (NAAP) in 1984. The national association was founded through a survey of activity professionals across the US in 1980 and is the only organization exclusively representing activity professionals in geriatric settings. The “Day” has expanded into a week, emphasizing the importance of activity professionals.
Life Enrichment Leadership and Planning at Residences Senior Living
Angela Williams has served as Director of Life Enrichment at Residences at Coffee Creek for more than three years. She has been trained and certified as an Activity Professional and is responsible for planning and implementing the program, creating and publishing the monthly Calendar, and promoting events to residents and their families. Emily Aguilar is also certified as a Recreational Specialist and has the same responsibilities for Residences at Deer Creek. She has served as the Director for nearly two years. Both manage the schedules and tasks of the staff that interact directly with residents on a daily basis. Angela and Emily also interact with residents as part of the team. (Read more about them in the Leadership Team section of our website.)
“Something for Everyone” Is A Planning Challenge Met Every Day
Consider all the individual residents we serve. There are men and women from all walks of life, with various interests based on their careers or lifestyles. Some come from backgrounds wherein work was the dominant force, leaving little time to cultivate interests or leisure. Some may have acquired new physical or cognitive challenges. Creating meaningful activities in our communities requires much thought and a receptive demeanor.
“First and foremost, you have to know each resident, their likes and dislikes, barriers and the best ways to work around them, in order to plan days, weeks, and months,” according to Angela and Emily. “This is why our personal interactions with residents and families is so critical,” they agree. “In addition, it’s critical to hire the individuals who enjoy making connections with residents and families and other staff throughout our respective communities,” they explain. They further agree how essential it is that their staff provides feedback to the directors as they constantly learn something new about residents through their daily interactions.
Patience and Perseverance Also Make A Difference When Encouraging Engagement
It takes a special personality to gain trust from someone who is reluctant to trying something new. Life Enrichment staff excel at engaging residents, especially when encouraging residents to try something new. They understand that while physical movement is key for seniors, many become afraid of injury, believe they cannot exercise, cope with pain, or feel they cannot participate in what they feel is “a silly game” (such as batting a ball to each other in a circle) that is really designed to inspire gentle movement. They figure out ways to make exercise an activity to look forward to every day.
To encourage residents to attend events they think they don’t want to try, Deer Bucks and Coffee Bucks are distributed at every activity and redeemed once a month at “Stores” in each community. Residents actually line up to “cash in” their Bucks and purchase all sorts of items from toiletries to trinkets and snacks. This has been a highly successful “game changer” for those who thought they might not like an activity.
Sometimes Life Enrichment staff create real magic. They will bring residents to an activity and encourage them “just to watch” and before they realize it, they’ve created a painting, played a card game, or had a chat with a new neighbor. As with seniors everywhere, Bingo is always a crowd pleaser and many don’t like to miss it!
Activities Are More Than Bingo at Residences Senior Living
The celebrations of holidays, are highly anticipated and so well-attended by families. There are brunches, buffets, cookouts, deluxe dinners for the major holidays of Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then there’s New Years, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinqo de Mayo, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Grandparent’s Day, Halloween and Veteran’s Day. Happy Hours, musical entertainers, choral groups, and loads of special treats and appetizers from our great chefs delight everyone. When one event has passed, the Calendar is checked for the next festivity. Prom Night is also very dressy and formal—who doesn’t like to dress up and dance?!
Everyone likes to get out and about on a beautiful day. Our bus trips are always anticipated for meals and excursions to local restaurants, wineries, shopping trips, parks, or just for an ice cream in summer. Vintage stores are popular, even dress rehearsals for plays or a craft at a local art studio encourage residents. Outdoor concerts we host such as Summer Concert Series and the Bluegrass Concert are extremely popular and well-attended by residents and families. The community at-large is also invited.
Residents from Our Greater Surrounding Communities Generously Lend Their Time and Talent
Whether our local police departments are offering safety tips for seniors, or a karaoke entertainer is filling the dining area with song and dance, there’s an abundance of talented individuals in Northwest Indiana, sharing our passion for the well-being of elders. Life Enrichment welcomes the opportunity to introduce new musicians, artisans, and community agencies for education on various topics. It’s yet another reason to check the monthly Calendar.
Life Enrichment Has More Responsibilities—Staff Works to Ensure Spiritual Needs Are Also Met By Creating Relationship with Members of the Faith Community
Religious services of various denominations and faiths are offered regularly thanks to the commitments of our local faith communities. These are listed on the Calendar for devotions. Often individual members of various congregations come to visit residents as well, offering uplifting prayer and passages from their respective faiths. Groups of residents often gather for faith sharing as well.
…And Whatever A Resident Needs at Any Time!
Life Enrichment staff spend so much time with the residents, that it is essential to join other members of the care team—nurses and aides in support of meeting needs of the residents. Staff can be seen helping residents come to the dining area, or to any other activity. They talk with families, bring snacks to residents, and communicate needs to aides and nurses when necessary. In many ways they are advocates, sharing information to serve the well-being of residents.
Meet Our Teams