PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Much of the daily physical activity is provided by the journeys to and from the workshops and other buildings, as the citizens of Brookwood follow their individual schedules. There is no physical or occupational therapist on the premises, but those professionals might come out to Brookwood and train the home staff to carry out such activities as needed for specific residents. There is much offered for physical exercise beyond work hours.

The Snoozlin Room

The Snoozlin room is a place for individuals to come for some sensory calming experiences. The room contains options of soft music, colored, floating lights, soft cuhsions, gentle vibrators and various textures to feel.

The Waterpark

The indoor water park is housed in a spacious structure attached to the gymnasium. One of the principles of the water environment is that it demands a response. One section is an interactive pool with moving water - a lazy river - that propels people along. When you are in the 3 feet 6 inches of water, you have to walk, or if you are in a tube it will push you around the circular path of the water’s flow. The rate of flow can be altered from about five miles an hour to about seven miles an hour.

The shallow area, referred to as" the beach," is where people can be introduced to the water gradually, and desensitized over time. Those who are quadraplegic can just lie down in the shallow water, and have water gently drip down upon them from the plastic coconuts overhead in the simulated palm trees, or have bubblers bubbling water over them.

There is gently sloping ramp for those in wheelchairs or others with mobility problems. They can sit in the water chair and be pushed down the ramp, or walk into the water on their own. There is an interesting obstacle course where participants can walk across lily pads and a plastic alligator, while holding on to heavy ropes at arms’ level. If they prefer, they can just swim, or play out on the lily pads, again encouraging them to do something with their body

The water slide offers even more for fun. There is a lift to hoist wheel chairs to the top. Participant can then be placed on the slide by an instructor, and be met at the bottom of the slide by another. The speed of the slide can be accelerated by increasing the water flowing down it.

The pool is used by the residents every evening and all weekend. There are scheduled times for each home as as for any of the classes one can sign up for. Those include fitness and swimming classes, as well as individual therapy sessions. Everyone swims at least once each week.

Fitness is considered to be important in the community, particulary because many of the residents are beginning to age, and need to control their weight and general health. Physical activity is encouraged, as people walk the pathways and roads, sometimes as much as two to three miles a day just going back and forth In case of stormy weather, there are covered trams available to transport the residents.

The Gym

The new, spacious gymnasium is surrounded by small classrooms where evening and weekend programming takes place. There is a plan of activities for each night of the week. On Monday nights, each home is responsible for a home program that might include shopping, a birthday party, or a chosen outing. There is a computer in each home for e-mail, or for literacy activities for those interested.

A group of five teachers and an activity coordinator are then responsible for everything beyond the home programs, on the other evenings and during weekends. On Tuesday and Friday nights there is an optional curriculum, where residents select from a choice of classes offered. The programs change every twelve weeks, and can include very basic skills like learning how to hula hoop, or more sophisticated lessons like learning to use sign language or tie fishing lures.

Wednesday is usually for spiritual activities church and an exercise night , with two homes using the pool. Wednesday and Thursday nights are devoted to fitness, with biking, walking and swimming taking place.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the tempo changes, with off-site, large group outings to musical events, theatre, ball games and local festivals. Small group outings like dinner out, can occur any other night.

THE RESIDENCES

There are seven living units of varying sizes. Two are dormitory style dwellings for five, one is an Inn with rooms for twenty, and four are twelve-person homes. Visual schedules and chore lists are posted to keep residents informed of their

responsibilities. Rooms are decorated by the families, with furnishings brought from home. For those in wheelchairs, the doorways and bathrooms are handicap accessible. In each residence for twelve individuals, there are two live-in home teachers who reside in an attached apartment. Usually a married couple, the home teachers are responsible for the care of the residents as well as for custodial and food services in each home. They are always assisted by an aide. During the evenings and weekends the staffing is extended with additional activity teachers. When the home teachers are off every weekend, another teacher comes in, lives in the house and manages the residents through that time.

The kitchens in each home are equipped with two of each appliance. Rather than purchasing commercial equipment, Brookwood has placed duplicates of normal scale, allowing residents to practice with tools they might find in an ordinary home.

Residents participate by setting, clearing and wiping down the tables, and filling drinks. For safety reasons, they do nothing that involves sharp utensils. Their housekeeping responsibilities include picking up their rooms, making their beds to the best of their ability, and helping with vacuuming or dusting.

Everyone is encouraged to become involved, to the best of their ability.The home teachers or the assistant are responsible for cleaning the house, washing the laundry, and the picking up the rooms. They are also responsible for cooking and preparing daily breakfasts and dinners in each residence. Brookwood’s chef provides basic six-week, nutritionally approved menus and recipes, and all the food needed is delivered from the community’s central supply. The teachers can alter the menus as they see fit.

Great effort is put into the recruitment of the home teaches, for they have important, full-time responsibilities. Some of them have come from rehabilitation backgrounds where they’ve been group home managers or supervisors. The living units run pretty much as independent entities, so it takes a special kind of person to do that job. The home terachers are on the premises during the day, attending meetings, managing banking, purchasing supplies, communicating with families, and consulting with medical staff and with the work programs. They are with the residents after the workday, through the night and in the morning. Salaries for home teachers are commensurate with teacher’s wages in the area, with room and board as part of the package. In addition to living arrangements, a couple can earn another $40,000 to $45,000 a year.

Having twelve residents per house, assures enough tuition to cover most of the cost of staff support for that residence, even while 80% of the people are on scholarship.

Next Section