One-to-one programming to be a focus for new LEC
Tuesday November 6, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
Craig Forrest says he’s excited about his new role as Forest Hill’s life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) and is looking forward to implementing new ideas in the near future.

Forrest, who previously served as the Kanata long-term care home’s assistant LEC, began his new post on Oct. 22, after former LEC Carolyn Della Foresta went to Garden Terrace to become that home’s administrator.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for awhile,” Forrest tells the OMNIway.

As the home’s new LEC, Forrest says one of his goals is to expand one-to-one programming for residents who need it.

“I’d like to focus on some of our residents who don’t always come to the group activities, either due to choice or because they don’t have the cognitive ability,” says Forrest, who has worked at the home since it opened in 2001.

To increase one-to-one programming, Forrest says he plans to concentrate on the home’s volunteer department.

With a series of staff changes at the 156-bed home, Forrest says things have been busy as of late, but once he’s more settled in, he plans to restructure the volunteer department and give it more direction.

And part of this direction will include getting people more involved with one-to-one time with residents who need special attention.

In particular, Forrest says he’d like to start a mobile tuck shop for volunteers to operate. This means volunteers would go room to room selling pop, sweets and potato chips to residents, and spending one-to-one time with residents along the way.

Forrest feels that engaging people in these activities will meet the needs of residents, staff members, as well as volunteers.

“In order to keep a volunteer happy, they have to feel like they are accomplishing something. They have to feel that what they’re doing is appreciated as well as needed,” he says.

Although Forrest says things are a bit hectic at the moment while all the staffing changes are being made, he credits the good job Della Foresta did as LEC as playing a big part in easing his transition.

“Carolyn was very organized,” he says. “I was lucky to have someone who was so organized.”