A
Call to Attune and Attend
By
Debbie Bailey, ACC
John
Donne reminds us "no man is an island;" we
all know that isolation is one of the major enemies
we battle. The point is that there are many residents
that will never attend the Thursday afternoon bingo
game, but undoubtedly are involved in informal groups
that we have yet to discover or that we have taken for
granted. Acknowledging in a sensitive way how special
that connection is honors the particular circumstance.
It also provides a girder to the social foundations
when some of the rocks begin to crumble. The challenge
and excitement comes from being aware and alert enough
to identify and celebrate the small groups that naturally
exist in our retirement living areas. Sometimes that
extra support makes a cutting edge difference. The activity
professional has the ability to discern when special
attention is appropriate.
Small groups are the support systems that enable the
continuation of engaged living. Sometimes they are right
under our nose, recognized or not. If suddenly the complexion
of the group changes, members may encounter an unavoidable
and unfortunate situation. Sadly, the circumstance of
having not intervened contributes to more deterioration
of that support system occurring than it should have.
The point of this article is to invite you to identify
the groups that naturally occur and assess whether your
intervention would strengthen the system or not. Would
your acknowledgement of the group make a meaningful
difference?
Here is one example. There is a group of ladies at my
facility that sit together at lunch. When one member
does not appear on time to eat, there is cause for concern,
because it is a break in their group regimen. Recently,
one of the ladies in the group needed emergency medical
attention and accordingly, she missed lunch. In that
circumstance, what an impact it made to call another
member of that group and inform her. It was a small
gesture that made a HUGE impact! Additionally, these
women have shared extensive details about their lives
with each other. They also all know about each other's
daughters. In fact, they all have their addresses and
their phone numbers. What a nice idea it would be to
facilitate a lunch for all of them: a table of eight,
instead of four. That is and should be a celebration
of their relationships with each other. What is more
precious? The relationships residents share with one
another is the most important thing that we, as activity
directors, can foster.
This is a call to attune and attend! NN
|
