Page 59 - Healthcare News July-August 2020

THE ARBORS ..............................36
ARMBROOK VILLAGE .................13
BACON WILSON .........................32
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NETWORK (BHN) ................................... 43
BFAIR ........................................ 46
CEDARBROOK VILLAGE AT WARE 17
CENTER FOR EXTENDED
CARE AT AMHERST ................ 26
CHRISTOPHER HEIGHTS
OF BELCHERTOWN & NORTHAMPTON ....................20
EAST LONGMEADOW SKILLED NURSING CENTER..................24
ELMS COLLEGE...........................39 ENCOMPASS HEALTH.................30 GOLDEN YEARS HOMECARE.......30 GREATER SPRINGFIELD
SENIOR SERVICES..................28
HAMPDEN HEARING CENTER.....14
HEALTH NEW ENGLAND .................. ........................11, BACK COVER
HEALTHCARE HEROES .................. 7
HEALTHCARE NEWS 2021 RESOURCE GUIDE.................... 2
HOLYOKE MEDICAL CENTER 26, 27 HOME HELPERS .........................19
JGS LIFECARE.............................19
THE LATHROP COMMUNITIES ... 24
THE LATHROP HOME............18, 46
LOUIS & CLARK MEDICAL SUPPLY ... ....................................... 15, 31
LOUIS & CLARK PHARMACY .23, 45 MASON WRIGHT ........................22 MERCY MEDICAL CENTER...........51 MEYERS BROTHERS KALICKA ....... 5 NICHOLAS LAPIER, CPA .............34 OASIS SENIOR ADVISORS ......... 12
ON CALL HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAM .............................43
PEOPLE’S UNITED ADVISORS .....33
PEOPLESBANK ............................ 5
POWERS LAW GROUP................34
RIVER VALLEY COUNSELING CENTER................................. 42
RIVER VALLEY COUNSELING CENTER GOLF TOURNAMENT...8
ROCKRIDGE RETIREMENT/ VIOLETTE’S CROSSING ...........14
SILVER LININGS HOME CARE .... 21 VISITING ANGELS ...................... 22 WESTFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY .. 38 WESTMASS ELDERCARE .............28
JULY/AUGUST 2020 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM 59
Pathlight
Continued from page 46
For example, Whole Children offers a discussion class on growing up that’s aimed at teenagers and others who enjoy games. Hooks knew that teens are not normally interested in discussion groups, but after four months of gaming on the Discord platform, the kids and teachers were comfortable chatting among themselves and using social skills in the context of the games.
“We had a unique opportunity to work in some discussion classes while these kids were on the plat- form,” she said. “It was very excit- ing.”
Hooks explained that teachers ask the players how they would respond to situations like someone taking items out of their virtual town without permission. Their responses generate a discussion about right and wrong that might not normally happen.
Santos said she is grateful for how much this approach effectively teaches and reinforces social skills.
“I don’t know if they realized what they had when they started incorporating the discussion group because we were all sort of finding our way in the dark when the pan- demic began,” she told HCN. “I feel like they’ve hit on this incredibly important program that I know is having an impact on August, and I imagine on a lot of other kids, too.”
Though the Animal Crossing Overcoming Barriers up the gaming classes where ages 8
session lasts for just one hour a day and it’s a virtual experience, Santos said August never wants to miss it — and, because he’s good at the game, it makes him proud to participate.
“August feels part of a commu- nity. He has built up his island to a point where other kids will visit and make comments like, ‘I really like the hot tub you made.’”
From the end of March through the end of June, Whole Children offered all its online classes for free. But once it became clear the classes would continue through the sum- mer, Pathlight realized it couldn’t continue to do it for free.
For several years, one of the founding members of the program had been thinking about how to offer classes as a membership.
“There was never the right circumstance to do a trial run on the membership idea, and then COVID-19 thrust us into trying it out,” Hooks said, noting that each membership provides access to all the online classes Whole Children offers.
In the beginning, those signing up for membership had previously attended classes in person at Whole Children’s Hadley location. Now, through word of mouth, people from well outside driving distance are asking about memberships. “We hope this can grow for us because there are no geographical limits,” Hooks said.
Only a few people have had trouble participating online due to access to technology, but several grants received by Whole Children are helping families to remedy the situation. Hooks said all partici- pants are becoming more comfort- able with the online approach.
“Some of our clients who have intellectual or developmental dis- abilities have done remarkably well in learning and managing the technology. It was not the hurdle we thought it would be.”
While the transition to online sessions was forced on everyone, it has allowed many of the children to shine.
“While some children do better overall in an online setting,” she explained, “it’s especially true for new kids joining the group because they are not in the spotlight the same way they would be if they had walked into a classroom where everyone knew each other.”
Hooks found that age discrepan- cies became less of an issue, too. Program classes were initially set up for ‘school age’ (ages 7-12), teens (ages 13-17), and adults through Pathlight’s Milestones program. These distinctions helped prevent situations where some children might tower over their classmates, which can be intimidating.
“Once we went online, we real- ized we didn’t have that dynamic,” Hooks said. “It allowed us to open
to 28 can play the same game.” That’s been a positive for August,
who has been able to make friends online with people he might not otherwise. Santos said it’s given her son the chance to be seen as a leader.
“I’ve overheard him mentoring some of the younger students on how to add things to their islands,” she noted. “That’s a huge confi- dence builder for him and speaks to his feeling more positive overall.”
August isn’t the only one who has benefited from the online ap- proach. Hooks shared comments with HCN from several other stu- dents about their experiences.
Many share the tone of this com- ment from a student who said the “classes cheered me up during this really hard quarantine,” adding that, “in anime class, I get to see old friends and meet new ones.”
With so much tragedy, uncertain- ty and fear around the pandemic, Santos said her goal is to also attach some good memories to this time for her son.
“If we’re all going to be locked down as a family, what are some memories that we can build, so when August looks back on this time, it’s not just fear and tragedy?”
In her son’s case, she added, ex- periencing Whole Children online will certainly stand out as one of those positive memories. v
HCN INDEX OF ADVERTISERS