Active Enrichment program

For people who live alone

A customized activity might mean companionship for a meal, a museum outing, an art project. If you are recently widowed, you may be struggling with what it means to go out in the world no longer as part of a couple. It can be scary to do things on your own when you were used to your partner handling certain aspects (the driving, getting tickets, picking out events). We understand! Let us help you get used to your new context. Especially if you find yourself depressed or anxious, having the company of a trusted companion can help you make the transition. You don’t have to do this alone!

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For people with dementia

If you care for an individual who has any form of dementia (Alzheimer’s, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s, vascular dementia), you know how easily they can get overwhelmed. At the same time, many of the common behavioral issues of dementia (emotional outbursts, sundown syndrome, wandering, nighttime restlessness) come from boredom and under-stimulation.

Whether the person you care for lives in a facility or in the family home, there often isn’t time or energy to do more than tend to basic needs. That’s where we come in. We will start an open dialogue with you to learn about interests they had in their younger years. Then we come up with outings or games with enough challenge to be engaging, but not so much to push them beyond their limits.

Our active enrichment coordinator has years of experience working with people who have dementia. She is a master of creatively finding ways to draw them out and bring a smile to their faces.

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For people with mental illness

• Does the person you care for show signs of depression or anxiety?
• Do you have a relative diagnosed with bipolar disorder? Schizophrenia? PTSD?
• Has the stigma of mental illness resulted in loneliness and social isolation for your loved one?

Many people with mental illness would like to socialize, go on outings, engage with the world. They simply need to feel safe. That usually means having a knowledgeable and understanding companion who can take the lead. To make activities meaningful and purposeful, we look at the individual’s interests and positive past experiences. We focus on existing strengths and create activity plans that invite creativity.

For clients with depression or anxiety, it’s often a matter of getting to know each other safely at home. Following an interview to learn about their interests, we might propose music or artwork, with our coordinator bringing all the supplies. As trust and rapport develop, we can then shift to going for walks, with maybe a picnic. The next phase might involve lunch out. Then perhaps a movie or a visit to a museum. Over time we help our clients feel more comfortable out in the public world, introducing them to increasingly larger groups of people as they show interest and feel ready.

For those with more severe mental illness, we follow a similar pattern, but we remain vigilant about safety issues. We also need to confirm that the client is taking their medications regularly and that their condition appears to be responding well to the treatment.

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Benefits for family caregivers

“What a relief! Ever since you started visiting with my mom, she’s been much less agitated. She looks forward to your weekly visits and tells me all about them. It helps me to know she’s happy and lets me concentrate on the things that only I can do, as her son.”

Family members love us!
They understand that keeping spirits up is important for their loved one’s mental and physical health. They’d love to do fun activities. But it’s too hard to find the time, with all the other responsibilities they carry. This is doubly true for those who live far away.

Every month we send a report of the various activities your loved one engaged in, along with photos and quotes where relevant. Even adult children who have never been close to their parents feel better knowing that their relative is happy doing creative and interesting projects with a trained professional.

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A sampling of our activities

A sampling of our activities

Each client is unique. But this will give you a sense of the kinds of things we have done with others to provide a rich and fun experience to light up their life:

• Outings. Nature walks, pottery or art classes, hair or nails day, coffee or lunch date. An evening at the theater. Concerts at the park. A trip to a museum to see an exhibit of particular interest. Walking through the butterfly garden. A visit to the zoo.
• Artwork. From watercolor and oil painting on canvas, to holiday crafts, we come up with projects to spark the creative spirit.
• Individualized projects. Create personalized sensory boards or boxes. Make a scrapbook of special interests. Join in on writing and poetry activities for our writers and poets.
• Music. Unleash the spirit of song. Music can relieve stress and anxiety while tapping into positive memories and emotions. Even people with advanced dementia frequently remember the words and sing heartily along to tunes from their youth. We can make playlists based on their favorite type of music. We’ve also been known to pitch in and sing too, even dance to the music with our clients.
• Reminiscing. Tap into memories of the past. When clients tell us their stories, it provides a great opportunity to promote good social interaction and to build friendships.
• Create a “Joy of Life” booklet. Give us photos and stories from your loved one’s past, and we will publish a booklet ideal for reminiscing. (It’s also helpful for getting in-home caregivers acquainted with your loved one or orienting staff at a memory care center.)
• Brain fitness From memory games to matching games, puzzles, and blocks, and from card games and online games to light exercises such as chair yoga and stretching. We work within your loved one’s capabilities to help them preserve the mental strengths they still have.

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