Residents@JV

USI O/T Students

As a requirement to complete their Occupational Therapy (O/T) degree, University of Southern Indiana O/T students Abbey Deeg, Brandi Jones, and Deana Mattox partnered up with Jacob’s Village. The three students were to provide therapeutic services for Wanda, Donna Kay, Debbie, Mike, Michael, and Scott. This type of project in O/T studies is called the Synthesis Course, where they are to develop an activity/exercise program for a special needs and/or a rehab facility that could potentially benefit from services administered. For the second year in a row, Barb Williams, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy at USI, and past member of the Jacob’s Village Board of Directors, directed these students through the project with the Jacob’s Village residents. Last year, 2006, three students brought all their activity ideas with them to Jacob’s Village to exercise the resident’s minds and bodies. This program turned out to be good mind stimulation for the residents due to the large variety of activities and exercises that the students provided for them. The three new students, Abbey, Brandi, and Deana introduced themselves to the Jacob’s Village bunch on Friday, Jan.26, 2007; and they assisted the residents in completing a survey and questionnaire to find out what kind of exercise program they would prefer two weeks later on Saturday, Feb. 11. The residents, by unanimous decision, wanted to venture out in the greater Evansville area to seek out adventurous opportunities. The city of Evansville has a lot to offer. Abbey, Brandi, and Deana investigated many local businesses’ attractions, area church calendars, and sporting events, and came up with a scavenger hunt type of list that offered a variety of many places to go and an array of activities to get involved with.

USI - Occupational Therapy Students - Activities

Saturday, Feb. 18, 2:00 - USI Basketball Game
Saturday, Feb. 25, 11:00 - Bob Walther’s Golf-n-Fun
Saturday, March 03, 11:00 - Fired-Up Ceramics - Painting
Saturday, March 10, 10:00 - Lowe’s - Woodworking
Saturday, March 17, 11:00 - Jacob’s Village - Scrapbooking
Sunday, March 25, 3:00 - Easter Pageant - Christian Fellowship Church

The lineup for activities during this time of year is always vulnerable to the weather, for example the first one, a basketball game. Snow had fallen the night before and was still coming down Saturday morning. When the weather is not fit for man nor beast, the wheelchair van does not leave the premises. When any activity comes up for the residents on Saturday morning or afternoon, Mike Hufnagel reluctantly opts to work his every Saturday shift at GD Ritzy’s. There has been no activity appealing enough for him to change his schedule. Mike is off by mid-afternoon and was available for the USI basketball game but, the snow cancelled out the game. All residents, Wanda, Donna Kay, Debbie, Michael, Scott and the Home Coordinators who would be on for the week, had some exciting places to go for the O/T six-week project. Everywhere the students arranged for the residents to go were enjoyed by all and a return visit is not out of the question for some of the places. For instance Fired-Up, they have an assortment of ceramic items to paint and bake; and Lowe’s Children’s Workshop, where they host and sponsor a craft making activity free of charge. This is good public relations for Lowe’s while promoting woodworking and they sponsor this attraction once a month on Saturday mornings. The project they had scheduled the Saturday morning the Jacob’s Village bunch participated in was building a little ‘Final Four’ basketball goal & backboard. Hammering small nails to hold the pieces together with a small hammer was a fun project, it was just the right size to hang on a trash can for paper wads. These small crafty projects are available to be taken home with the individual when completed. Other type of craft projects on their list to name a few include bird houses, bird feeders, and squirrel feeders. Many photos were taken at each place so that a scrapbook could be put together at the end of the project. A good looking scrapbook was indeed put together with all the frills. The scrapbook was the last event, but the students’ went above and beyond. They had a thought, at the right time, that the residents would enjoy attending the Easter Pageant at the Christian Fellowship Church (CFC) where some of Brandi’s family attends Church. The Road to Calvary, Easter Pageant, the presentation of Jesus’ life, was held March 21-23 at 7:00pm, and Sunday March 25, at 3:00pm and 7:00pm. All of the Jacob’s Village residents and Home Coordinators Gloria and Joe had tickets for the Sunday matinee where they were to meet Brandi and Abbey in the church’s 1,600 seat auditorium. After everyone returned home following church service that Sunday about 12:30pm, a quick lunch was in store to be back on the road by 2:00pm. The CFC is located at 4100 Millersburg Road behind the Evansville Regional Airport. It is a road less traveled by the Jacob’s Village bunch, but with the city growing, there are many uncharted scenic drives that have yet to be taken. The CFC is a large establishment and the Jacob’s Village bunch was directed to the handicapped parking spaces in front of the building. It is built up off the ground and has many ramps, steps, and different levels to navigate after exiting the parking lots that surround the building to get inside. Upon entering the front door, the residents were greeted by Roman Soldiers armed with weapons of spears and swords in their battle ready bronze suits of armor. This was the fourth of five shows and all of them were near capacity filled with an open seat here and there. The stage was set with towering large boulders in the center for a back ground, a barn with a manger scene in the middle, an outdoor encampment to the left, and a small room of a living quarters on the right. And of course, it began with the birth of Jesus. There were two suspended Angels above the manger with the bright Eastern Star of Bethlehem directing the way for all the night’s visitors. The performance had a cast of well over 200 dressed in the day’s costumes’ and they were all members of CFC. The cast included Jesus, baby and adult; children, more adults, soldiers, two Camels, two Donkeys, one Horse, Sheep and Lambs. A pooper-scooper was near by bringing up the rear, but even with the scooper, Camels just aren’t your favorite nose friendly animal. One could see heads popping out over the balcony railing to see cast members and animals down below parading in from the back and side doors of the auditorium. An outstanding two and a half hour show it was. There was some singing, some dancing, and the entire cast did an excellent job of retelling ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’. The residents of Jacob’s Village send a big heart thank you to Abbey, Brandi, and Deana of the USI Occupational Therapy Program for providing them with a slice of life. Also, Jacob’s Village thanks USI and Barb Williams for directing O/T students out Jacob’s Village way. Wanda, Donna Kay, Debbie, Mike, Michael, and Scott love the attention they received and always hope the students gain a little insight into another road less taken through life’s journey. The Jacob’s Village bunch really appreciates the time and effort the O/T students put into this program and anxiously await of what the students have in store next year.

posted by J V Resident Blog @ 11:53 AM 0 comments