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Tips from TAPS: Getting Creston Valley seniors out and about

This organization offers a safe and welcoming environment for seniors who may not have many options to socialize...

This month’s column is written by Jaime Pommier, who is a summer student working at the Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors and agreed to fill in for Maureen Cameron as she and her new knee learn to step out into the world again.

 

Thanks to the Creston-Kootenay Foundation for funding to assist with the Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors’ eventual move to Rotacrest Hall when renovations are complete. We have also received confirmation about funding from the BC Senior Games and thank Bob Ewashen, local zone chair, for his presentation to our clients.

As a student currently studying recreational therapy, it has come to my attention that not many are fully aware of what the job entails. Recreational therapy is a treatment service designed to restore, remediate and rehabilitate a person’s level of functioning and independence in life activities. We promote health and wellness, as well as help reduce or eliminate limitations to participation in life situations. We work with clients to restore motor, social and cognitive functioning, build confidence, develop coping skills and integrate skills learned in treatment settings into community settings.

Intervention areas vary widely and are based upon client interests. Examples of intervention modalities include creative arts (crafts, music and drama, among others), sports, adventure programming, dance/movement, and leisure education. While it may not be a concerning issue in a working person’s life, other groups of people may be missing the leisure benefits that they require. As an example, elderly citizens may become isolated, depressed or develop sicknesses that affect their functioning abilities, which can lead to difficulty engaging in past hobbies or new interests.

This leads us into the important part that the TAPS organization for seniors offers in our community. TAPS is a day program designed for seniors, which allows them to socialize, have a hot lunch, participate in an array of music, art and exercise programs, and engage in opportunities they may not otherwise be offered. This organization offers a safe and welcoming environment for seniors who may not have many options to socialize or partake in old hobbies, or be introduced to new experiences. Participation through a number of mediums is offered, as well as other special services, such as foot care and shopping trips for groceries and household necessities.

This summer, TAPS will be very involved with the children from Grizzly Bear Out of School Care, and we look forward to many memorable experiences. Along with the regular Tai Chi, swimming and walking, a new exercise program has been implemented that is designed to aid in joint pain and weakness, as well as to reduce the risk of falls. Keeping active and using muscles that are not engaged every day can be highly beneficial towards overall health and well-being. Art and singing groups are also very popular with the TAPS members, and are thoroughly enjoyed by many.

As busy a schedule as these activities provide, the TAPS group is avidly pursuing tourism opportunities within our beautiful community. Trips to the museum, local art galleries, the Pet Adoption and Welfare Society shelter, farms and dairies (just to name a few) are anticipated in the upcoming months, and excitement to tour and learn about our valley is abundant.