Social Recreation Engages and Empowers Residents

The social recreation team at St. John’s Meadows and Brickstone by St. John’s is firing on all cylinders and independent living residents have taken notice.

Statistics from the recent St. John’s Resident Satisfaction Survey show social recreation given high marks for producing a robust social calendar each month while also giving residents the chance to influence the types of programs they most desire.

According to the survey, 86% of St. John’s independent living residents find interesting social recreation programs available and feel empowered to create their own.

Programs Promoting Purpose

“I have worked with seniors for over 25 years and to me the key word is ‘purpose,'” explains social recreation manager Kim Bidleman. She insists that St. John’s independent living residents have much to contribute and it is her team’s task (and their pleasure) to foster opportunities for them to flourish. “The sense of community is so strong here,” she adds. “(There are) so many amazing ideas and passionate people who live here.”

For some residents, staying informed and having important conversations is key to continuing to lead a purpose-filled life. Community life specialist Terry Neilon sees that play out with the “Current Events” programs he hosts weekly. “We cover topics of the current political, health and environmental concerns in a constructive, respectful forum,” says Neilon. “We meet for an hour each week to go over these issues and get opinions and try to properly understand various news items in a supportive open forum.”

Empowered Residents Help Build the Calendar

There are several ways that residents are able to influence the programming they see in “What’s Happening,” the comprehensive monthly social calendar that lays out programming. “We have a monthly social recreation meeting where residents can exchange ideas and knowledge,” says community life specialist Christy Shaffer. “Then our social recreation department can create programming or help the residents launch and promote their own groups.”

Armed with the knowledge of what residents are interested in, the social recreation team works to meet those needs and incorporate new programs whenever possible. “My staff are the ones that are so creative to make (programs) happen,” says Bidleman. There are many instances when it is a resident or a group of residents bringing the passion and expertise for a new event or group and they are empowered to take the lead and run the program with the support of the social recreation team.

Even Greater Things to Come

Shaffer describes “a full and enriching music program here at St. Johns Meadows,” with several live music events scheduled throughout each month. “This past December, we had an all-time high with 31 live music events across our campus,” Shaffer adds. This speaks to the continuous growth of an already robust social recreation program at St. John’s.

Bidleman suggests that the most recent results would be even more positive had a full-time wellness specialist been in place when the survey was conducted. Since that time, Josh Lamere has hit the ground running and brought a personalized approach to exercise and wellness programs. “I handed out polls and information sheets to gauge where residents stand, and where they want to see this program go,” says Lamere, who started this fall. “So, making sure that they are involved in the decision-making process on what happens with events and programs is something I think that we all do with social recreation.”

Lamere has taken the wellness program at St. John’s independent and assisted living communities to new heights in the short time he has served as wellness specialist. “I have received a lot of feedback about the program,” says Lamere, who notes that he emphasizes movement over specific exercises. “They love the variety, they love the interaction, and they like the equipment that I have incorporated.”