Creating home-like environments: Recreational, social programming brings joy to seniors at Michael Garron Hospital

Bringing joyful moments and meaning to seniors residing in Michael Garron Hospital’s (MGH) Complex Continuing Care (CCC) unit is what matters most to Damien Seo, Activation Coordinator at MGH.

To do this, Damien asks himself daily, “How can I modify behaviours into more positive ones?”

He keeps this in mind when developing, coordinating and implementing recreational activities that promote emotional and social well-being for the MGH seniors he works with.

Damien organizes a calendar of activities including ‘fit and stretch’, gardening, music, brain teasers, an iPad class and much more for seniors in the memory care and palliative care units at MGH, as well as others waiting for community placement or with complex needs.

Programs are targeted at stimulating the mind, providing emotional and spiritual support, developing language skills and maintaining physical abilities like range of motion and hand/eye coordination.

Damien’s degree in music, social service worker training and passion for working with seniors enables him to deliver dynamic and engaging activities for these individuals.

Meaningful recreational activities are important for alleviating boredom and loneliness, improving quality of life and minimizing responsive behaviours (i.e. acting out, aggression) for seniors.

Damien believes most seniors want to be active and involved.

“It’s about taking one extra minute to understand them, to identify and ask them what they need, to read their gestures or listen to their words more carefully. Responsive behaviours always have needs behind them that are not being met,” says Damien.

“Most patients I work with are long-term patients. I start by getting to know a little about them. That instant connection when they open up and start telling their story is very rewarding. It is a privilege to learn about their lives and understand the individuals I work with, especially since we try to create more of a home environment for them at MGH.”

Intergenerational Program: Bringing seniors and children together to share happiness

The Intergenerational Program is a very successful component of MGH’s recreational programming for seniors that Damien runs in partnership with Diana Tustin, MGH’s Child Life Specialist.

Diana describes the program as “bringing neighbours together to share happiness.”

“Connecting the two generations is so important. The biggest issue for seniors is loneliness and boredom and the best way to break that is to connect them with children,” adds Damien.

After just six months, the program has grown from a monthly meeting to every other week. Eight children from Centennial Daycare across the street join eight seniors in the CCC Garden Room every other Friday to take part in activities that Damien says “are designed to create an environment that fosters relationships that bridge these two generations.”

The program is focused on activities that both age groups will enjoy, such as painting or playing with sensory materials like balloons and playdoh. Participation from the community, including a librarian from the Toronto Public Library who reads to the group, is used to enhance programming.

The MGH program is unique. “Although programs like this exist in other community care settings, we haven’t heard about any other in an acute care setting,” notes Damien.

“We love this program,” says Diana. “The children run, jump and scream and just can’t wait to come. We’ve had just as positive a response from the seniors.”

“On both sides we see the immediate change as seniors interact with children and respond to the children running around them,” says Damien.

He cautions, however, that “there is no magical cure. It’s all about preventative measures to slow down the aging process.”

Interested in learning more about MGH’s Intergenerational Program or about what you can do to slow down aging and decline in cognitive well-being for an elderly loved one in your life?

Join Damien and Diana for MGH’s Seniors Lunch & Learn on June 12 to learn more about our Intergenerational program for seniors: Click here for more details.