Kentwood men’s program proving successful
Thursday November 8, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
In the six months since it was established, the Boys’ Club at Kentwood Park has met the challenge of creating meaningful men’s programming at the Picton long-term care home.

The program was started in May by Kentwood registered practical nurse Kelly Lumley and her husband, John. Since then, about six of the home’s men attend the Boys’ Club meetings once a month.

Activities in the Boys’ Club are centred on traditional male interests. Usually there’s a guest speaker who comes to the home to engage male residents in discussion about the club’s topic of the day. The club also participates in outings organized by the life enrichment department.

In October, the club was visited by Garry Robson, a Canadian military oral historian. Robson had visited the home earlier in the year and did a presentation on the First World War, which went over so well he was invited back to spend more time with the Boys’ Club.

As part of his visit, Robson brought military miniature figurines for the men to paint. Life enrichment co-ordinator Linda Sheppard says the activity was well-received by the men.

Providing programming this type of hands-on activity is vital to ensuring men are benefiting from programs in the Boys’ Club, says Sheppard. Activities such as miniature painting enhances motor skills and concentration, she points out.

Sheppard explains the importance of finding meaningful programming, specifically aimed at men.

“Because there have been more women in long-term care than men, the programming seemed to be in a general way geared towards women (and) not focused on men’s interests,” she says. “It’s very hard to find men’s interests.”

Part of this challenge, says Sheppard, lies in the fact that many men in long-term care homes today came from farming communities. As a result, their interests are “specific and very narrow.”

But with men living longer than ever, the direction of men’s programming is changing, notes Sheppard.

“Now that we’re getting more men in nursing homes, we are now giving them more specific programming,” she says. “We’re trying to (expand) on the existing types of programs, such as farming and trucking. We’re bringing military into it. We’re getting model cars coming.”