Endless possibilities for joy and positivity at SKLD

It takes a special kind of individual to work with seniors. For this reason, many skilled nursing home staff have an inspiring journey themselves. Nicole Studebaker is an activity director at SKLD West Bloomfield and uses her own life’s challenges as a way to connect with her residents. 

Nicole studied recreational therapy at Central Michigan University with hopes to work in skilled nursing. Her plans changed dramatically when she underwent brain surgery near the end of her college experience.

It took over two years to recover, and only then was Nicole able to continue pursuing her dream of working in skilled nursing. Nicole says, “I started from the bottom and spent time volunteering to get my stamina back.” 

Nicole gained valuable life lessons from her experience, and one of the most important and relatable lessons to her patients is the power of positivity. “I always put a positive spin on everything. When I speak to residents, I can say that I truly understand what they are going through from my own experience, which builds trust,” says Nicole. 

Through planning activities and events, Nicole aims to bring joy to residents. This week’s National Activity Professionals Week, from January 24-30, highlights the “10,000 possibilities” of creative activities to do to bring joy to seniors this year. The full list of activities can be accessed through the National Association of Activity Professionals organization. 

During this week and every week, the love of activity professionals like Nicole, is a significant part of what makes SKLD facilities throughout Ohio and Michigan positive, engaging places to live. 

Making a difference during the pandemic

Nicole began as the activity director at SKLD West Bloomfield during the pandemic. Nicole shares, “Starting during the pandemic was a unique experience. It helped me personally deal with the pandemic by being able to make a difference in the lives of those directly affected by it.”

Through this experience, Nicole learned to meet the personality behind each masked face she encountered. “It was strange to start working and not know what my co-workers or residents really looked like. We have all been in PPE, but I did get to really know their personalities more deeply,” says Nicole. 

Nicole’s job description has changed due to the pandemic, shifting from the typical group activity planner to a personal friend and tech support to each resident in their rooms. Nicole says, “This really threw a wrench into the job; it’s completely different than it used to be. A large portion of my days are spent helping our residents communicate with loved ones and making sure the conversations go smoothly.”

She sometimes has to help walk her residents through the process of downloading Zoom, creating an account and troubleshooting audio challenges. “There was one instance where we couldn’t get the audio to work, so we made due by holding up signs,” Nicole says. 

Building community 

In addition to helping families connect through video calls, Nicole has worked tirelessly to bring a community feel to the residents when they need it most. 

Prior to the pandemic, Nicole didn’t consider herself to be particularly technologically savvy. However, Nicole says, “We all really had to learn how to adapt because suddenly technology became very necessary to our lives.”

One feature that’s supported residents at this time is the SKLD community channel. Nicole helped connect the SKLD West Bloomfield to the channel, which allows her to stream entertainment into the rooms. Nicole explains, “There are several other SKLD locations that have the community channel set up, so I wanted to bring that to our residents. Five hundred different DVDs play on rotation 24/7, and it is also beneficial for streamlining activities directly into the rooms.”

Bringing joy to skilled nursing through activities 

A priority for Nicole has always been to reduce residents’ stress. In addition to the day-to-day activities she provides, Nicole says, “Once a month we try to have one major event, even if it has to be mobile and brought directly to the residents’ rooms.”

This year around the holidays, the team ran a stocking drive. They were able to make it a community effort by getting community members as well as staff to donate. Thanks to Nicole and the team’s efforts, they filled 120 stockings and decorated the activity cart to look like a sleigh. One of our team members dressed as Santa and others festively dressed as helpers to pass them out.

Residents were delighted, and one responded saying, “This is the happiest day of the year!” This is just one of the many reasons she loves her position as activities director and directly sees the positive impact her role has on residents. 

Some of Nicole’s favorite recent activities with the residents include bingo, exercises, trivia, current events and a guided painting activity. “We created a quilt with our hopes and wishes for 2021 to inspire positivity and made sure to have a community focus to give our residents the feeling of connection and purpose,” Nicole says. 

Through the community channel and collaboration, Nicole is able to connect with other SKLD locations to share calendars, events and activities. She says, “Because of the team aspect, I can speak with other activity departments and have the best programs for all our residents through that communication.”

Nicole greatly values her team. “Every department is willing to help when needed. Our Santa from the stocking drive works in housekeeping and took over two hours of his day to help with that,” shares Nicole.

A beautiful challenge 

The number of residents who have families that want to set up Zoom calls is truly amazing. Nicole says, “If I was able to schedule every Zoom call for our 140+ residents, there would be 12 hours straight of calls. Realistically, we schedule calls so that everyone has a chance to connect, and even schedule ‘emergency Zooms’ for people that may need a little extra care and connection.”

The scheduling that goes into coordinating the Zoom calls is more than worth the effort for the residents’ reactions. “I love moments when I see the residents’ faces light up. It’s so special to get to capture those moments,” says Nicole.

Many of her residents’ families show their gratitude for all of Nicole’s hard work by emailing, writing letters or calling. Nicole says, “With this work, the staff doesn’t always get the recognition they deserve, but our families telling us ‘thank you’ makes it more than worth it.

Nicole also uses her personal experience and interests to engage and connect with the residents. “I am super outdoorsy and often use that fact to start conversations with our residents. I enjoy fishing and hiking, and that is very relatable to many of our residents in this area.” Nicole also appreciates vintage cars, which is a favorite topic of many of her Metro Detroit-area residents. 

Through her personal experiences and desire to bring joy to residents, Nicole is able to positively impact her residents daily. 

“It’s been such a hard year, but the goal is always to help residents find joy in life. When it all comes together and an activity makes them feel better, it’s one of the many moments that show me this is the right field for me.”