The last time I set foot in the world of long-term care was the second week of March where I had the pleasure of facilitating several St. Patrick’s Day creative enrichment experiences. Little did I know that a week later, everything would change. Because I am an independent contractor, I am not allowed to work on the premises of the two retirement communities I’ve been serving over the past decade, until further notice.
So, with the help of some coworkers, we’ve been able to set up some virtual singalongs, devotionals, and creative enrichment experiences where residents are situated in a socially distanced manner and in their own neighborhoods. There’s been a bit of trial and error, of course, and it hasn’t been 100% ideal, but it’s the next best thing.
Though there are probably many avenues I’ve not yet explored, our means of connection has been through Facebook Messenger video. Unlike Zoom, there are no time limits, and as long as a big screen television monitor is connected by a cable to the HTMI output port on a laptop, you can get both audio and visual from your television. The joy also is that I can see the residents and address them by name! Yes, Dale Carnegie’s old adage that “a person’s name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language” rings true even virtually! Actually, it makes it even a bit more exciting and dramatic!
The televised photo on the left was taken by me the morning of my virtual creative engagement experience. I showed them the photo from my laptop of a Flicker who carved into one of our trees. One of the residents then asked if I would submit it to the local news channel. And here it is!
This is where I took all my cues from my most recent creative enrichment virtual experience.
I’ve witnessed “virtually” that residents can still sing along with me, give me a thumbs up, respond to my questions, follow along with my interactive exercises, pray, and say, “I love you” and “You made our day.” It has been heartening, to say the least, though we miss the face-to-face interaction.
On the other hand, I’ve been able to share with them things they would never see otherwise, such as my personal home “tours,” my three-legged dog Hank, the pasture that extends beyond my backyard, my husband who has provided assistance with a few devotionals, and more.
My guitar, my Emilou puppet, a book of daily hymns, my laptop, and my three-legged dog Hank . . .
I love being able to move from guitar over to the piano bench!
For Earth Day, I lined up a bunch of my puppets made from objects we would normally throw away. I then took my iPhone and panned it across each puppet for a close-up view for the residents.
So, until things change, this is as good as it gets. And I’m grateful.
FYI: Speaking of virtual connection with older adults, I will be offering one of three webinars (the other two webinar presenters are Gary Glazner on May 6th and Brian LeBlanc on May 20th) through the Illinois Pioneer Coalition on June 2nd. For more information on how to register, visit the Illinois Pioneer Coalition Facebook page.
Addendum:Since this post, I taught a webinar for Illinois Pioneer Network Coalition called “Delivering a Creatively Engaging Online Experience for Older Adults.” Here are a few more ideas and examples of my work:
Technology Tips:
- The benefit of iPhone sessions include the following:
You have the freedom to take your residents on a personal tour of your surroundings.
The volume can be adjusted on the television screen so that you don’t have to over-project and thus abuse your vocal cords.
You don’t have to haul a bunch of props to the premises of a face-to-face session. Also, the entire group can see your props collectively, rather than moving from person to person to show them.
- Make sure you are seated where the light source is in front of your face, not behind you.
- Prop your iPhone horizontally so they can benefit from a full-screen view of you.
- During “show-and-tell” moments, reverse the screen by tapping the video icon. That way you can see what they are seeing and adjust the proximity accordingly.
- When you are moving from a seated position to a tour of something, reverse the screen to give them the pleasure of being on the “journey” with you.
- Facebook Messenger Video tips:
This only works if you are Facebook friends with those in charge of connecting you to the television.
Audio quality is improved if the audio is muted on their end. This will reduce the interference of sounds in their surroundings, especially if they are situated near a kitchen, housekeeper at work, or nurse hub where conversations may occur.
If the audio is muted, ask periodically for thumbs up from the residents to make sure they are still hearing you.
Rules of Improvisation (Stoplight Analogy)
- Green Light = Yes and!
This is the most important principle of comedy improvisation. Accept everything your participants offer and play with it so that you make them look good. This includes:
When they answer, “I don’t know” to a question.
When they say something negative.
When the individual with dementia says something that doesn’t appear to make sense to the listener.
- Red light = Don’t block.
- Yellow light = Take risks (be willing to look like a fool for the enjoyment of others).
Creating the Experience
Where to find topics:
- Wikipedia
- Today in History (www.onthisday.com)
- Breaking news
- Organic through conversation
- Conducting an Audience Survey
- My personal favorite: Ask the residents to come up with the dullest topic they can think of from which you will create and facilitate a relevant creative enrichment experience. Past examples include: Lint, cellophane, concrete, paper clips, battery acid.
Things to consider:
- Audience demographics
Age, socioeconomic status, gender, educational background, religious affiliation, previous occupation, ethnicity, mental challenges, physical challenges, emotional challenges
- Universality/Relevancy
What’s universal, relevant, and/or common knowledge? That is, why should they care? “A universal theme is an idea that applies to anyone regardless of cultural differences, or geographic location. Universal themes are ways to connect ideas across all disciplines. It is a central idea about the human condition. It is a generalization about life or human nature; they deal with basic human concerns. A universal theme with generalizations can serve as the organizing element of unit of study.” Examples may include faith, family, power, heroes, war, beauty, etc.
- Metaphorical potential
- Mind-Mapping or Rabbit Trails/Holes
o Where else can this topic take us?
o What triggers reminiscence or personal narrative?
- Related Songs
Examples of Distinctions between Traditional (real) and Creatively Engaging Activities:
- Van rides vs. AdVANtures
- Exercise vs. creative movement
- Reading a story vs. telling it while involving the participants with sound effects, question & answers, enlisting the help of coworkers to act out the story, etc.
- Reading a published devotional vs. organic exploration of a topic (i.e. collective lectio divina, a contemplative way of reading the Bible. It dates back to the early centuries of the Christian Church and was established as a monastic practice by Benedict in the 6th century. It is a contemplative way of praying the scriptures that leads people deeper into God’s word. The process is to read a short passage more than once. Then chew it over slowly and carefully, savor it, and let it speak personally in a new way.)
Note: In response to the question, how does one facilitate “devotions” organically, I discussed how my residents and I spent 13 weeks on Psalm 23 by taking one sentence or phrase at a time and discussing what it meant to us. I used a dry erase board to write down their answers. I also connected my laptop to a big screen smart TV so I could show them YouTube videos of sheep-herding, etc.
An example on letting the scripture speak to them organically, I took the first line of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” and then asked the participants, “What does the word ‘shepherd’ mean to you?” The following are some of their reflections:
Shepherd
Watches
Takes care
Leads and guides
Takes us to water
Protects
Searches for the lost ones
Doesn’t sleep
His voice is recognizable
Feeds us spiritually and physically
Lays down his life for us
Hangs on to us
Won’t let us be snatched away
Good
Knows us
Completes the work He started in us
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:11
Kenyan Shepherd, Photo by Kareen King