During the month of February, Rocky View Lodge in Crossfield was not just a seniors' living facility, but a place of higher learning.
In an effort to keep residents engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic, activities coordinator Brenda Campbell and her team decided to start up the Rocky View Lodge University. A number of classes were offered throughout February, and at the end of the month, residents were each given a graduation ceremony.
“It was just fun,” Campbell said. “The whole month was great.”
Classes covered subjects such as anthropology, drawing fundamentals, engineering, science experiments, English, physical education, crystal education, clay art, anatomy and marine biology.
According to Campbell, one class even delved into Internet meme culture.
“It was fun watching them work together,” she said.
After a month of hitting the books, anyone who participated in the classes was able to take part in a graduation ceremony. According to Campbell, around 15 to 20 residents participated in each class.
“We made our own graduation caps and I made diplomas for everybody,” she said. “The graduation ceremonies also included a prom dance.”
As a part of the prom, residents were paired up with dates by drawing names from hats.
“It was just hilarious,” she said. “We had so much fun.”
Campbell said the whole process did take a while to prepare, but added it was important to put the project together to help keep residents entertained. A number of staff members also got on board to help teach the classes.
“We tried to mix up the classes to make them fun,” she said. “For some of the other classes, I just sort of winged it.”
The whole idea of going “back to school” made residents feel like kids again, according to Campbell.
She added that making sure the classes weren’t too serious was an important aspect of Rocky View Lodge University, because at the end of the day, it was about learning and having fun.
“There were no tests,” she said. “We didn’t want anybody to feel bad or like they didn’t understand.”
The experience for many residents of retirement homes has been difficult throughout the pandemic, Campbell said, as not being able to have visitors or get outside very often has kept the mood down at times. She said that is why it is so important to her to constantly figure out ways to keep Rocky View Lodge residents happy and entertained.
In 2020, she spearheaded a virtual travelling program, in which she prepared passports, boarding passes, fun facts and presentations about a virtual trip the lodge's residents would go on.
“We kept everybody so busy, and they were having so much fun,” she said. “When they finally get a chance to talk to their families, they notice the shift in mood right away. Keeping them busy with camaraderie just filled the gaps.”
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz
