A BINGO for our resident!
Posted on December 4, 2019
Emily Rand, Occupational Therapist, and Jenna Carson, Life Enrichment Advocate, strolled past each other in the halls of St. Ann’s Community the other day. As they walked by, Jenna could be heard exclaiming to Emily, “He won two games of bingo yesterday with the custom board that we designed!”
This exclamation may seem simple enough, but it has a much deeper meaning thanks to the exceptional collaborative efforts between the Occupational Therapists and Life Enrichment Advocates at St. Ann’s Community. Everyday, these departments work together as one to enhance the quality of life for every one of our residents. This is evidenced by Emily and Jenna utilizing cross-departmental collaboration to create a custom bingo board for a resident who wanted to play the game, but was having trouble with a traditional-style board.
“As employees get to know each other better, you discover what other areas are doing to assist with a resident’s growth,” said Jenna Carson. “How can we do this as recreational therapists, those who spend the most time getting to know each individual? You look at a resident and think, ‘This person likes a certain thing, but they are experiencing difficulty.’ How can we adjust this slightly so this becomes enjoyable for our resident?”
While you can adapt a bingo board in endless ways, this particular resident needed a smaller board based on his visual capabilities. It also worked best for him to see the number called instead of hearing it, as he prefers visual connections to audio. The Occupational Therapy team created the concept for the board, while the Life Enrichment Advocates now incorporate it into their daily social activities. The end result? A BINGO for our resident!
“It takes time to get to know someone and truly discover what works for them, and one on one connections are so important for our residents,” said Emily Rand. “It’s about so much more than a bingo board not only for us, but for this resident too. Now he feels included, loves to play the game, and win!”