Activities connect care center, community
SANDPOINT – If points were handed out for being both active and visible at area events, then many of the residents at Valley Vista Care Center would be boasting high scores.
They’ve been in the audience several times over the past two weeks for The Festival at Sandpoint. They number among the ranks of people checking out the fresh produce and listening to live music at the Sandpoint Farmers Market or enjoying all the Bird Aviation Museum & Invention Center has to offer.
And when it comes to putting laps in, they are a hard team to beat at the annual Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
This weekend, Valley Vista had to rally all the transportation it could muster to get interested residents out to the Bonner County Rodeo at the fairgrounds.
“We get out a lot – it’s quite nice,” said activities director LeAnne Catala. “And we fill our vans every time.”
The main reason for such a robust turnout, according to Valley Vista administrator Dan Kennick, is the center’s population.
“We’re different, because we’re a skilled nursing facility and we also have a behavioral care unit,” he said.
“Fifty percent of our residents have some sort of dementia, traumatic brain injury or anoxic brain injury,” Kennick added, explaining that the latter condition is caused by lack of oxygen to the brain due to events that can include stroke or heart attack.
The residents in the behavioral care unit tend to be younger than those in a traditional care center setting – most at Valley Vista are in their 30s, 40s and 50s – which means they are often more active, as well. Left unchanneled, this energy can manifest itself as confusion, short attention span or aimless wandering in the hallways.
“So we get them out, go into the community for events and go for walks,” said Kennick. “It’s part of our residents’ care plans. Our feeling is that, just because they’re residents, it doesn’t preclude them from being part of the community.”
One resident has become a familiar sight on Sandpoint sidewalks and walking paths. Virtually every day of the week, all year round, Sean Lyons heads out with a Valley Vista staff companion for his constitutional.
“We go out at least a couple of times a day for an hour or an hour and a half walk,” said Miranda Stockton, who accompanies Sean and is responsible for his safety on the outings. Depending on the weather, the two might cover up to seven miles a day, even in winter, when they wear special grips on their shoes to accommodate icy sidewalks.
“He has been here almost nine years and he’s been walking the whole time,” said Kennick, who added that other residents have since joined in for daily walks of their own with a companion. “It makes a big difference for Sean, in particular. If he isn’t active, he doesn’t sleep well, he doesn’t eat well. It’s important for him.”
The administrator sees activities as being akin to a cruise ship, where there is “something happening all the time and something for everybody.” Along with excursions and a supportive environment for avid walkers, Valley Vista hosts local entertainers on a regular basis. Each week, the in-house concert might feature a children’s choir, an accordion player, a belly dance troupe or a hands-on drumming experience.
“Our residents love it when we have DRUMatic Innovation come in to lead a drum circle,” Catala said. “They told us we have the best participation anywhere.”
Earlier this month, the Matsiko World Orphans Choir performed at Valley Vista in a show that attracted a large audience from the community.
According to Catala, growth in activities has been met with increased interest from residents, to the point that the care center utilizes the SPOT bus to help transport groups when the van is at capacity.
“It’s fun when people tell us, ‘Wow! It’s good to see you guys out here with your residents – it looks like you’re having a good time,’” the activities director said. “And we’re always looking for new opportunities.”
Catala invited interested performers or those with community activities to offer to call her at (208) 265-4514, or send an e-mail to: lcatala@valleyvista.org