Residents
to woodwork their worries away
Wednesday, November 30, 2005 -- Natalie Miller
A life enrichment aide at Pleasant Meadow
Manor hopes a woodworking shop has the tools
to calm residents when they are agitated.
Leslie Rogers, who is also
a nurse’s aide, arrived at the idea
following a training course
in supportive measures earlier this year.
Supportive measures are creative interventions
used to support residents who have dementia
and experienced related frustration. Pondering
what changes she could make at the Norwood
long-term care home, Rogers spoke to residents
and the concept of a woodworking shop was
born.
“A lot of the residents
in their younger years would have used tools
and done crafts themselves,” says Rogers.
“With the workshop set
up…it may bring back some memories and
revitalize them.”
The woodworking shop was built
out of an old wardrobe and has two shelves,
one for residents who can stand and one at
an appropriate height for residents who use
wheelchairs. It contains a pegboard and fluorescent
overhead lighting and is equipped with tools,
screws, pencils, erasers, rulers and measuring
tapes. Resident Doug Blakely helped assemble
the workshop and family members donated tools.
Rogers says the workshop is
intended for use by both genders and various
projects. Pre-made birdhouses are available
for residents to sand and paint, along with
wood decorations and other objects for screwing,
gluing or sanding. “It’s quite
a versatile workshop,” says Rogers.
“It can quite easily be used for crafts
as well.”
Residents will have the opportunity
to use the workshop soon, as it will be incorporated
into a weekly programming session. Supervision
by staff or volunteers will be necessary,
Rogers says. She hopes it will be a useful
distraction for residents when they are anxious
and expects it will be used outside of the
regular program on an individual basis as
a supportive measure. “It’s also
available in the evening for sundowning”
it “might help take their mind off of
whatever’s bothering them.”
The workshop is located in one
of the home’s lounges.
Leslie says residents can keep
their creations, give them as gifts or sell
them in the home’s annual bazaar.
