National Activity Professionals Week is Jan. 23-27, and Morning Pointe Senior Living is honoring its activity professionals throughout the company and the Chattanooga area.
“Our activity professionals are often the heart of how our residents stay active and engaged both within the buildings and in the greater communities,” said Amanda Baushke, Morning Pointe’s Vice President of Life Enrichment. “We’re so thankful to shine a light on what they do to bring meaningful and fun activities to our seniors.”
Morning Pointe’s activity professionals include life enrichment directors (LEDs) at its assisted living and senior living campuses and Lantern program directors (LPDs) at its memory care communities.
These LEDs and LPDs don’t just run activities in their communities. They also research, plan, organize volunteers, create monthly calendars, decorate, connect with the greater community and get to know residents individually to determine their backgrounds, likes and dislikes.
“I always say I have the best job in the world,” said Beverly Smith, LED at Morning Pointe of Powell, Tennessee. “It is a lot of fun and play. There is a lot of preparation and planning behind it to make things go smoothly. But where else do you get to go and play games during the day?”
At The Lantern memory care campuses, LPDs also use the Meaningful Day™ program. The program focuses on personalized programming based on residents’ prior roles and careers, routines and interests.
“I feel like the LPD role is to meet so many different needs,” said Audrea McKnight, LPD at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Chattanooga. “I’m a counselor. I’m a friend. I’m a cheerleader. Yes, I’m an event planner, but I’m also an advocate for the residents. My greatest honor is to see God use me as an encouragement for the residents and their families.”
“Our life enrichment associates bring purposeful, meaningful activities to our residents,” said Greg A. Vital, Morning Pointe Senior Living Co-Founder and President. “Their job has a multi-faceted goal touching on the five Pillars of Purpose: physical health, intellectual vitality, spiritual fulfillment, social engagement and creative arts. They foster connections as well in areas of intergenerational relationships, pets and animals, stewardship and families and friends.”
Founded in 1997 by Tennessee healthcare entrepreneurs Greg Vital and Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living owns and operates 37 assisted living, personal care, and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five southeastern states.
