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Local activity director celebrates National Activity Professionals Week
January 18-23 is National Activity Professionals Week and across the nation, activity directors who care for geriatric citizens will be honored for the work they do so well.
The week was started by the The National Association of Activity Professionals, the only national group that represents activity professionals in geriatric settings exclusively.
The NAAP is recognized as the voice of the activity profession on national issues concerning long-term care facilities, retirement living, assisted living, adult day services, and senior citizen centers.
This week was created to give honor and recognition to those dedicated individuals who contribute so significantly to a resident's quality of life. Although many might think playing bingo, cards or chasing balloons all day seems more like play than work, any activity director would quickly disagree and explain that their real "job" is making the work seem like a game.
Activity directors have to offer activities that include physical exercise, mental stimulation and more than a few smiles, grins and belly laughs.
Kathleen Brockway is the activity director at Barone Alzheimer's Care Center. She was born in Spirit Lake, Iowa and moved to Arizona with her husband. They moved from there to Vernon County in 1986 to operate a farm.
Brockway began working at the Barone Alzheimer's Care Center as a Certified Nurses Assistant.
"I had worked in another Alzheimer's facility before and I enjoyed working with people with that disease," Brockway said.
After several years as a CNA, the opportunity opened to apply for the position of activity director. It wasn't a difficult choice for Brockway, although she knew there would be classes and hours of training to qualify. The opportunity to spend more time interacting with the residents sealed her decision. "I enjoyed being with them. I liked making them smile and laugh."
Activities are an important part of the life of residents in a long-term care facility, Brockway explained.
"You can make their life more enjoyable by keeping them active physically and mentally. You do activities for both the mind and the body. Playing games gives them mental and physical exercise." She chuckled and added, " If they don't perceive it as exercise, but as a game -- that just makes it more fun."
Brockway says that activities for residents with Alzheimer's disease have a different focus and are approached differently than activities in other long-term care facilities.
"You have to come up with different types of activities that suit their particular needs and individual abilities." She pointed out that because of their short and long term memory loss, many get quickly bored with complicated craft activities.
Over the years she has found the most popular indoor activities to be bingo, balloon ball, trivia, story time, the parrot and other mechanical animals, group participation with the CD of Family Feud, dominoes, cards and watching movies.
Popular outdoor activities include water balloon games, croquet and ice cream socials. Being physically active isn't the only goal she has for the residents in her care.
Simply sitting together and enjoying the sunshine is a quiet activity that often stimulates memories of days gone by and shared conversations about those memories.
"Everyone enjoys watching the bird feeder, and the squirrels who steal the bird food from it," Brockway said with a grin. "There is always an interest in garden-type activities which most participate in according to their physical limitations."
The part of the job that she enjoys the most is the same aspect that brought her to it years ago. "Their laughter, smiles and hugs -- I love the hugs!" She only wishes there were more time in the day to spend with each of them.
She has no thoughts about ever leaving her post, but hopes to continue finding new ways to evolve its perimeters. "I plan to keep working, trying to make their life easier and more enjoyable." Brockway smiled her quiet smile and added confidently, "I love all my residents and I love my job!"
For more information about Alzheimer's Disease or activities for those with Alz-heimer's, visit the Web site for the Alzheimer's Association or call the Barone Alzheimer's Care Center at (417) 448-3999.