Frost Manor sees success with new activities and old favourites in 2021

Frost Manor’s life enrichment team saw success with new programs delivered to residents of the Lindsay long-term care home as well as with some tried and proven favourites in 2021.

A new, unique program residents were introduced to this year combines drumming with exercise and meditation. The program, called DROM, a name derived from merging drumming techniques with the meditation chant called the “om”, encourages residents to beat stability balls with drumsticks and includes three segments.

Each session starts with a focus on breathing to relax everyone and get participants ready. The second segment is the “energized portion” where multiple songs for the drumming session are performed by residents drumming on stability balls to the beat of songs. The final segment, the “calming portion”, focuses on positive affirmation and meditation.

Life enrichment co-ordinator Amy Whitehead says the program, which is held in small groups to adhere to pandemic protocols, has been a big hit with residents.

“Everyone goes away feeling good and can carry on with their day on a positive note,” she told The OMNIway in July.

During the program, Amy teaches residents different drumming patterns and techniques, and residents beat their drumsticks on the stability balls to the rhythm of songs using these techniques.

“For one song, I got them to use their drumsticks (to the rhythm of) a song that had a trumpet session in it,” she says. “You can really get creative with all the different ways that you can drum.”

The team also brought back some favourite activities this year, including a special summertime program that has become a tradition at Frost Manor.

In August, team members set up a water slide next to the parking lot, and residents and staff members took turns zooming across the 50-foot slide in rubber tubes.

Residents sat in a plastic tube with straps attached at the sides and team members pulled them down the slide with the straps.

Frost Manor last hosted a water-slide day in summer 2019, and residents were happy to see it return, Amy said, noting the water-slide day was also the perfect way to keep everyone cool during a heatwave.

“The day was a lot of fun, she said. “The residents had lots of laughs watching people go down the slide. We made an afternoon of it and everyone had a great time.”

Since the water slide day went over so well with everyone, Amy said residents can look forward to having their own water park again in 2022.

“We will do it again next summer; it’s definitely worth it,” she said.

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