Nurses, personal care aides joining in recreational programming
Meaningful activities building stronger relationships at Village of Taunton Mills
Thursday January 12, 2012 -- Ryan Rogers
Residents at the Village of Taunton Mills are building relationships with their nurses, front-line staff and managers in an entirely new way, thanks to a program that’s been so successful it will be expanded to the rest of the home units.

Schlegel Villages set an organizational goal for sharing in meaningful activities with residents in its long-term care home, says Taunton Mills assistant general manager of long-term care Emily Vasey.

Vasey says it’s not just the recreation team that can offer opportunities to share in meaningful activities with residents. Managers and front-line staff can all lend their different skills and strengths to recreational programming at the 120-bed home.

“At one of our home’s units, our recreation staff was very passionate about it and started to work with some of the personal care aides (PCAs), seeing what they were strong at. One was strong at baking, one plays the piano and sings, and they jumped right on board to take part in doing programs with residents,” says Vasey.

“We’ve heard it a lot that they want to spend more time with residents, but the duties of their day come in the way, so our rec (recreation) staff was right on board, that they would help cover their tasks during that time,” she adds.

While different staff members were contributing in meaningful activities with residents, the recreation staff members were filling in at the dining and laundry rooms, allowing PCAs or registered practical nurses (RPNs) to run a program.

“It’s a great program overall. The morale on the floor has really improved. It’s been really good. This year we’re rolling it out in all our units,” she says.

Vasey says residents “love” the program, and are building stronger relationships with nursing staff members.

“They’re starting to see the nursing staff as more than just a nurse, and they’re able to bond with them and build those relationships even better,” Vasey says.

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