Happy Activity Professionals Week! This is the perfect time to recognize and honor the extraordinary work that activities and life enrichment professionals do on a daily basis. The creativity, adaptability, and resilience they show, combined with the compassionate care these teams deliver, is immeasurable. We are inspired by the hundreds of activity professionals we work with every day, and throughout this week we will feature some of our valued partners to shine a spotlight on their stories.
First up, meet Millie!!
When we reached out to Glenn F., the Activity Director at Garden Terrace Healthcare Center in Federal Way, WA, he didn’t hesitate to nominate the amazing Millie W. for this feature! Glenn spoke glowingly about Millie, who has been a dedicated Activity Assistant at Garden Terrace for the past 16 years.
“Some people look at their workplace as a job, but Millie sees it as her vocation. She brings her best self to work every single day and makes a positive impact in the lives of everyone around her – especially our residents. She is so deserving of this recognition!”
Daily coffee visits and distribution of puzzles, games, and books are standard practice for Millie. In the past year, despite the challenges of a global pandemic, she has taken on a host of new responsibilities without needing to be asked and without a single complaint.
When family members were not permitted to visit with their loved ones, Millie was the first person to coordinate video calls between residents and their families. Initially, she used her own phone to make connections and once our department received iPads to create a program to help residents connect with family, Millie taught the rest of the team how to use them. She also led the program that allowed family members to have outdoor visitation with their loved ones.
Compassion and kindness must run in the family, because Millie’s 9 year old granddaughter, Dani, also volunteers and visits with residents regularly. ‘Dani Time’ is a well attended activity that always takes place on Saturday afternoons. Residents really enjoy intergenerational engagement, and consider Dani a surrogate granddaughter. She has been volunteering for years and has grown up learning about making a difference in the lives of our residents. She even has her own name tag, provided by the facility. Dani can’t wait for the COVID situation to improve so that she can spend time at Garden Terrace once again.
Thank you, Millie (and Dani!), for all the work that you do! Your positive attitude and genuine care for your community is deeply valued.
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