Walk through The Commons apartments at Wesley Bradley Park on any Thursday afternoon, and there’s a good chance you’ll hear laughter, shouting and some well-intentioned competitive teasing. The source of the merriment is “Something in Common”, an activity created by Home Care Manager Jessica Dean and Health & Fitness Instructor Chelsea Beck. From its beginning in June, Something in Common has proven wildly successful.
The Program
“We had 23 people show up for our first activity, an orientation game we created called ‘Mingle Bingo’,” says Jessica. “We created bingo sheets that allowed everyone to get to know each other, whether they identified their favorite color, food or some other interest. We knew we were on to something good because we soon learned other residents of the Bradley Park community were talking about these activities.”
Jessica and Chelsea believe their success in encouraging Commons residents to participate stems from working together from two perspectives, given their different positions at Wesley.
“Everybody loves Chelsea and her fitness classes,” says Jessica. “They know if she’s involved, it’s going to be fun. My staff participates, too, whether it’s reminding residents of the activity, assisting them in joining the group or helping during the game itself.”
“Two of our most successful activities have been ‘Jeopardy’ and ‘Human Foosball’,” Chelsea says. “We modify the questions to appeal to our residents. Human Foosball requires two teams that use pool noodles to move a ball over the goal line. The residents, who are seated, really loved swinging the noodles toward the ball and, of course, scoring goals against the other team.”
The opposing teams avoid tapping each other with the noodles. However, according to Jessica, they love bopping Chelsea when she goes to collect the ball. Chelsea adapts each game to encourage maximum movement among the seated residents. For example, she uses a balloon instead of a beachball during chair volleyball.
“In a lot of games, we get inspired and tweak them to make them better before playing again,” says Chelsea. “We’ve continued to have about 40% of the residents show up every Thursday.”
The Enjoyment
“It’s just really fun getting to know people that live around us that we don’t see,” says Mary Lou Kurtz. “We’re just not out very much. I use a wheelchair so I’m definitely not out very much. It’s just great that they come and get me, and I get to sit and laugh for an hour. Last week we played volleyball with a balloon and pool noodles. It was hysterical! It was so much fun, and everybody loved it.
“I have something to talk about when I see people at a meal,” Mary Lou continues. “Chelsea and Jessie, the two of them together, have done some fun stuff. To sit around laughing with everybody is so good for us. We need it. We need to get to know each other. This is my favorite thing here other than having my laundry done – and having three meals a day put in front of me!”
Something in Common has proven to be a fun time for Commons residents, staff and independent residents, too.
Sally Schneider, Commons Advocacy Team Chair, offered to help with the program. She began knocking on residents’ doors to let them know the event was starting. Now she’s a big advocate of the program.
“I watched how much fun they were having and how they were interacting with each other. I thought, ‘This is something that I can promote and help with.’ I wound up having a ball!
“I see the joy on their faces,” Sally continues, “and that’s what brings me back every time. My committee is committed to knocking on doors every Thursday afternoon.”
The Future
Jessica and Chelsea continue to introduce new activities. An air of intriguing mystery has arisen among residents about what’s on for any given week. When a musical presentation conflicted with their program one week, they created a smaller group activity, tic-tac-toe, but added a trivia component.
“A resident team would have to answer the trivia question. It might be geography or Golden Oldies music or a Wesley fact,” Jessica says. “If the team got it wrong, the other team could steal the marker and add it to the tic-tac-toe board. Everyone really got into it, which was very fun.”
Jessica’s Catered Living team are always on hand to support anyone who is struggling to succeed or participate.
“Participating in the activities has become a little competitive with my team because everyone wants to join in,” Jessica says. “We also have independent living volunteers who assist our Catered Living residents. They understand some of the challenges and are invaluable to our success.”
The residents recently voted to play Jeopardy and Human Foosball again, says Chelsea.
“We are going to try a Hungry Hippo game with a table and a border where they’ll have to use a cup to drag the balls to them,” she says. “We try to pick activities that are doable for their limitations, but that encourage coordination and memory calisthenics, among other passive exercises. We’ve also made crafts, like 4th of July wreaths. A resident recently asked if we could play poker, so we’re working on that now.”
The Success
Jessica believes the success of the program is equally due to the fun activities and the work of her caregivers, who print fliers the night before and knock on apartment doors to remind residents that it’s 2:00 p.m. and time for the one-hour activity.
“Of course, Chelsea is always laughing and joking with everybody. Her energy helps the general feeling,” says Jessica.
Chelsea adds, “I thought the residents might poo-poo our ideas. Instead, they are like ‘Bring it on!’”
Jessica and Chelsea both credit Wesley’s focus on customized attention for the popularity of the Thursday sessions.
“We don’t try to present a ‘one size fits all’ activity,” Jessica says. “We know our residents so well that we can cater to individuals specifically. Our caregivers and other staff members on campus now come to watch. They love watching the residents get involved and have so much fun. It’s what makes living and working at Wesley Bradley Park so special.”
