Why we do what we do
A few weeks ago we posted about our portable communication carts, and how they are changing the lives of so many seniors while in quarantine during COVID-19. If you missed that post, you can catch up here.
Evergreen House in North Vancouver is one of the locations we donated a cart to. Evergreen House is also home to many people who have mobility or other challenges and require long term care. Many of these residents thrive on outings like going to the pool or going bowling to enrich their lives and provide much-needed physical therapy and a fun outing.
We got a call from Jenna, the Senior Recreational Therapist at Evergreen House, asking if there was any way the carts could help the residents enjoy their favourite activities. Our Chef Solutions Officer Trevor Nuttall came up with a plan to create a portable connection cart with a Wii U attached so that residents could play Wii Sports like tennis and bowling!
This is the feedback we received from Jenna after dropping off the cart.
You have no idea how much you have made his and my day! This is someone who hasn’t been able to go swimming for quite some time because of Covid- 19 and other barriers. I have had challenges with him in being able to find a good fit between a leisure experience and his skills and abilities. Using this device helped me achieve a great fit, He typically won’t work with me longer than 30 – 45 minutes. But today we spent a full hour together where he learned the basics of bowling and golf. I have never heard fun come out of his mouth but today it happened! This is massive in terms of reaching his goals but more importantly this has just boosted his confidence and sense of wellbeing.
This experience reminded me of why I got into the field of recreation therapy . Being able to help him overcome barriers, learn new skills and support leisure involvement is what recreation therapy is all about.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you again for helping me and my residents at EGH!
Sniff sniff, happy tears all around!
For more information about our Portable Connection Carts, and ways they can be used in healthcare, long term care, or corporate environments please click here.
