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Colleagues,
Two stories recently written by Mary Shuford, Director of Life Enrichment from the Heritage at Lowman Assisted Living (Lutheran Homes of South Carolina), a COLLAGE member, are very encouraging. Thank you for sharing them, Mary!
STORY ONE:
"A resident moved into Lowman's Assisted Living and was not very motivated. The Life Enrichment staff encouraged him to participate, but he was depressed and just stayed in his room and read. A Matter of Balance course was offered to independent living residents and he was asked to participate, and with a little extra pushing and support, he decided to attend. He enjoyed the class and it seemed to get him on the right track. He began attending the other exercise classes, walking the halls with his walker, going to the workout room, and even getting outside. He stated he didn't belong in Assisted Living and wanted to go back to independent living.
After several months, he was ready to move into his own apartment. He is not isolated any more and is very active in the programming. We are now working with him to use the walking stick, so he won't have to use the walker as much, and he definitely credits the Matter of Balance and Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program (AFEP) classes for helping reach a higher level of independence. Between the care plan and COLLAGE, it was easy for staff to understand his needs and know which programs to get him involved in."
STORY TWO:
"Again in one of our Assisted Living buildings, a library was set up, also a book club initiated. For the library, a room was identified, bookcases moved into it from the lobby area, and weekly library time has been scheduled. There is now a book club on the campus, and everyone is reading the same book. Huckleberry Finn will be read next, with an appearance by Mark Twain to discuss his book. Volunteers read to the residents in Assisted Living, but there are always books being taken from the library and residents are asking for new books to be added. This program has been a wonderful success story.
Our Life Enrichment staff, through the COLLAGE assessment tool, listened to our residents' interests and developed these programs based on them. The residents now have a nice place to go and read, instead of staying in their rooms. It gets them out, even if it is just a walk to the library. We see lots of benefits for the residents."
The Heritage at Lowman is located in White Rock, South Carolina. Mary Shuford, Director of Life Enrichment at The Heritage at Lowman can be reached via e-mail at mshuford@theheritageatlowman.org or phone, 803.732.8800.
Take care,
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COLLAGE, The Art and Science of Healthy Aging
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COLLAGE provides an integrated health and wellness assessment information tool to advance healthy aging and improve outcomes. Go to our website -- collageaging.org -- to learn about membership, features, benefits and demonstrations. |
