Book successful at getting men chatting
Tuesday August 7, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
If you’re a life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) or an activity staff member at a long-term care home and you have difficulty getting male residents to socialize, then April Anderson has an idea for you.

Anderson, LEC at Burnbrae Gardens, recently bought a book, “Gentlemen’s Gatherings: Sensory Stimulators for Men’s Groups.” The book, which is available through several online catalogues, offers a variety of suggestions to help activity staff at long-term care homes get men socializing and interacting.

The book’s contents have traditional male themes. Some of the chapters included in the 44-page book are Automobile Activities, Workin’ on the Railroad and Checkers and Chess.

Anderson explains how the book works.

“For the Working on the Railroad (chapter), it explains how the railway started and the history of the railway,” she says. “So we do the history of the story and then we take time to talk about it and get them to reminisce.”

It then turns the discussion on railways to a game to fulfill the intellectual component.

Creating programs for men can be a challenge at the Campbellford long-term care home, says Anderson.

“It’s a big struggle to get men’s programs here because, No. 1, we don’t have that many men here,” she says.

However, since getting the book four months ago, Anderson says it has been successful at getting men to chat and reminisce, which in turn helps maintain skills.

“Often men are very hard to socialize and get going and get talking, because their past was work and eat and go to bed, whereas ladies, on the other hand, would have tea and coffee and chat up a storm, so they have no problem doing that,” says Anderson.

In the past, Anderson has tried to create men’s groups, but she found that they were “dry” and not very effective at getting men to socialize.

The book, says Anderson, has made activity staff’s job much easier.

“We pretty much have all of our men involved,” she says.

To ensure the activities in the book don’t become stale, Anderson only uses it about once per month.

“(It’s) something they look forward to so we don’t overdo it,” she says.