Therapeutic Recreation Month Highlight: Carolyn Letourneau

This February, we are celebrating National Therapeutic Recreation Month, a perfect time to recognize the meaningful work our recreation teams do every day. At Shannex, we are fortunate to be surrounded by talented and committed Great People who help residents stay active, engaged, and connected. Recreation is not just an activity. It’s something many residents look forward to and rely on to feel happy, healthy, and fulfilled.

Carolyn Letourneau, Recreation Coordinator at Garraway Hall, Moncton, N.B., goes above and beyond to encourage each resident to attend and participate in recreation activities. Each morning, she visits the residents one by one to update their recreation calendars in their rooms and give them a daily reminder of the day’s activities.

Carolyn has always made recreation an important part of her career. She has a strong belief that staying active physically, mentally, socially, and intellectually enhances one’s health and quality of life. Carolyn pursued a career in therapeutic recreation to apply this to support others.

As new residents come into Garraway Hall, Carolyn recognizes it may be intimidating for them to join the community. She prioritizes getting to know residents as they move in to make them more comfortable throughout the changes, getting to know their needs and encouraging participation in activities. The socialization that comes with recreation makes the stressful task of moving into a new community more comfortable by building relationships and finding a sense of belonging in group activities.

Completing individual assessments when new residents move in allows Carolyn to tailor the programming to fit each resident’s needs, likes, and integrate those into their care plans. Being flexible and creative while noting their physical and mobility limitations, cognitive status, spiritual and emotional needs, personal history, interests, and psychosocial preferences helps her support their needs.

Offering and organizing activities, including daily exercise, bingo, live music, crafts, and social activities, makes a huge difference in the quality of life of residents. Carolyn strives to use recreational activities to support residents by making the moving process easier, giving a sense of belonging, and keeping them active and healthy.

We are grateful to Carolyn and to all our recreation team members for their dedication to enriching the lives of residents every day.