It’s all about the fun, and so much more at the Legacy!
Regardless of life stage, age, or level of health, being able to participate in fun activities is vital to a high quality of life. Nowhere is this truer than an accommodation like The Legacy of St. Anthony. Not only can participating in enjoyable interests and activities help everyone to increase their psychological well-being, but they can also boost physical and social wellbeing by fostering new connections.
Person-centered care that revolves around planned activities can also help reduce anxiety, loneliness, and depression while giving those who live with us a sense of independence that fosters positivity. Offering activity programing helps to maintain a higher level of wellbeing that contributes to a better quality of life.
Activities in many living situations, often require that programs are directed by qualified activities professionals. These professionals have many different titles. They have several years of experience and could be (https://exploreaota.stkate.edu.) Certified Occupational Therapists, Therapeutic Recreation (https://mnsu.edu) specialist or an individual who has taken an accredited coarse that focuses in on Life ( https://www.activitydirectorcoarse.com) Enrichment. Their significant knowledge of resident assessment and care standards as well as their insight into enrichment activities, touch on interests to engage as many residents as possible. The professionals like the Licensed Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants are by far, the most qualified. In order to carry their professional licensure they are highly regulated and have to have several CEU’s (Continuing Education Units) to maintain a license on a state and federal level within a certain amount of time.
Activity Directors often consider each resident’s needs to develop programs that can benefit them. Typically, they look at physical limitations and capabilities, personality and demeanor, and special interests when designing events for enrichment and entertainment. Typically, these events fall into many categories, here are a few, but not limited to: social, physical, and mental.
Having access to social activities helps those who live at The Legacy build relationships and community. Which in turn fosters a sense of belonging and wellbeing. These activities can reduce loneliness and cognitive decline as well as assisting seniors in maintaining a higher level of physical activity and better sleep. Typical examples include: Movie nights, singalongs, church services, birthday parties, holiday celebrations, teatime, garden events and bingo.
Physical Activities: It is very important for residents to maintain their physical health as much as possible to reduce fall risk, improve cognitive function, and maintain a higher quality of life. Participating in physical activities with a group not only helps improve physical function, but also increases social engagement. Some physical programs include: Yoga, walking, stretching, Fox Therapy Exercise Group (https://foxrehab.org) and coming soon, medicine ball. For residents that have limited mobility, chair yoga is a great way to get active and start increasing range of motion.
Cognitive activities: To help residents stay as independent as possible, Activities Directors often add a mental component to their activity selection. Keeping the mind active helps to slow down cognitive impairment as well as keep residents positive and engaged in daily life. Some often-included activities are: Group (https://www.qets.com) Crossword, reading, Jeopardy, Dominos and playing cards.
Whether it’s a Birthday Party, Bingo, an educational session from Silverwood, activity programing at The Legacy always has something to look forward to. We’re grateful to share these moments with our residents and guests. If you are interested in coming to an event, please call 612-843-3700. We look forward to sharing exciting experiences with you.
