Therapeutic Recreation Month - Meet Geri
1. What is your name and what do you do at Green Acres Foundation?
My name is Geraldine, but everyone calls me Geri. I am activity coordinator at Green Acres Foundation.
( A trained recreational therapist by profession, Geri channels her expertise as she coordinates engaging and meaningful activities for residents.)
2. How long have you worked at Green Acres?
I just started last May, and I love it!
3. How would you describe or summarize the occupation of a recreation therapist to someone who has never heard of it?
As a recreation therapist, I use meaningful recreation activities that residents enjoy and engage in. to help them overcome their own barriers. It is like the work of a physiotherapist but instead of exercises we use recreation, and instead of helping with just physical barriers we help overcome cognitive, emotional and social barriers. The best part of it is that we use our residents’ strengths, what they are good at, to achieve that improvement.
4. Why is recreation therapy important for seniors and senior housing communities?
I believe recreation therapy is fundamental in all our senior housing communities, as it provides opportunities to be part of their community in a meaningful and positive way. It helps establish connections and friendships for seniors that sometimes tend to isolate.
5. What do you love most about your job? Could you describe a little?
I love the connection and rapport that I build with the residents every day, how they allow me to be part of their world. It’s amazing how much we can learn from them and their courage to face their own challenges, even on a bad or “grumpy” day.
6. Any activities that were successful or unique that you would like to share?
Lots of activities that we do can be called a success and some others a fail, but it is not about that. It is about each month trying to find new activities or a different twist to the same “old” activity, so we keep our residents engaged and provide them with opportunities to use their strengths to overcome their barriers. It is mainly about keeping our eyes open, our ears ready to listen to their ideas and comments, and our brains open to adapt to their needs.
7. Since February is Recreation Therapy Month, is there anything you would like to share or add to the conversation?
I will ask everyone to try to see the “just games” that we do through our eyes and the eyes of our residents – people challenging themselves to master a skill or facing a fear. Their courage deserves respect for the effort they make. Being a recreation therapist is fun and creative, but also involves lots of planning to match the needs of our residents. For any person, it is really important to not take leisure for granted. Find time for it and for the activities that best match your needs and abilities, it doesn’t matter the age!