Page 19 - Vibrant Living Scrapbook

Ful lling Individual Activities and Interests
While we strive to fulfill individual activities and interests, we must be careful that our attempts do not have the opposite effect. For example, the person who used to knit may become frustrated with knitting if she can no longer make her fingers do what they once
did. However, a basket of yarn for her to roll into balls may present a familiar task she can still enjoy that brings meaning to her work knowing someone else can use the yarn she has prepared.
As we get to know each other, we can look for creative ways to bring pleasure into each other’s lives, no matter the circumstances. Sharing stories, displaying handywork and activities modified for the environment are all ways to honor a person’s interests and talents that may not be as vigorously executed as they once were. While our interests and passions in life ebb and flow, very few of them come with an absolute on and off switch.
The Household Model supports individual activities like knitting, particularly when
there are private rooms. There is more space for individual pursuits and the supplies and equipment needed for them — a sewing machine for the seamstress, plants for the green thumb, a piano for the pianist. Find out each person’s favorite activities and figure out how to fulfill them in the best way possible for that person and his abilities. For example, does he need a small table to keep an unfinished puzzle out in the open? A lamp and an easy chair for reading? A box of toys for grandchildren? And don’t forget that a person typically has more than one interest.
Staff Learning Circle Questions
Tell us about a resident and an individual activity they enjoy.
Community Learning Circle Questions
Was there something you were interested in as a child or young person that you continued to enjoy as an adult?
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