Baycrest

PLEASE trains volunteers to engage residents T he Therapeutic Recreation team and Volunteer Services at Baycrest have collaborated to create the Program for Leisure Engagement for Active and Spontaneous Experiences (PLEASE), an innovative, resident-centred prototype care program that offers long-term care residents the opportunity to engage in leisure activities facilitated by volunteers. PLEASE provides comprehensive training to volunteers to engage residents in one-on-one and small group activities, and residents can choose to participate in spontaneous activities such as singing, reading, playing games and various other recreational opportunities. The goal is to foster the continued abilities and strengths of residents and to move away from an institution-like environment by cultivating relationships among residents, staff, volunteers and family members. The Kunin-Lunenfeld Centre for Applied Research and Evaluation (KL-CARE) research staff at Baycrest evaluated the program on two units of the Apotex Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged. They also collaborated with Volunteer Services to evaluate the volunteer training modules. Results showed a significant increase in activity, engagement and quality of life for the residents. For the next phase of the study, PLEASE will be offered on multiple units and compared with other programs offered to residents. PLEASE volunteers will engage individual residents in activities on a weekly basis for three months and complete an observational rating tool after each session. Retired teacher volunteers will administer cognitive tasks to the residents prior to and after the three-month intervention and again three months later. Future studies could include an evaluation of a train-the-trainer approach to orienting new volunteers to the unit, as well as the development of online volunteer training modules, which could build volunteer capacity and help address issues related to the sustainability of the program. A Buchman family tradition W hen Jack Buchman joined Baycrest's Board of Directors in the early 1970s, he started a family volunteering tradition. His daughter, Annette Buchman-Mincer, became an Eating Assistance volunteer in 2011, and his son-in-law, Mark Mincer, joined the Pet Visiting program with the family dog, Ace, in 2014. Jack Buchman wanted to give his time and expertise to a treasured community organization that was a "household name." He and his wife, Roma, witnessed the Baycrest experience first-hand many years later when Roma's mother had a stroke in 1996. After a three-month stay at Baycrest, she walked out on her own two feet. Annette followed in her father's footsteps and juggles her responsibilities as a business owner and mother of four to give her time to help clients who cannot feed themselves. Her "irreplaceable" reward is simply a smile from a grateful client. Mark is equally gratified when he sees how engaged and energized patients become when they interact with Ace each week. 5 PLEASE volunteer Allen Cohen with Apotex resident Mari Waisglass Annette Mincer with Apotex resident Fred Tittel Stephen Chernin (r) enjoying a vis- it with Mark Mincer and his therapy dog, Ace

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