Recreation Therapy is still a pretty new field and a lot of people still have no idea what it is, or that it even exists for that matter. To be completely honest with you, I was in the exact same boat just 6 years ago. That’s actually what this post is going to focus on, so without further ado let me just right in!

My introduction to TR began when my grandmother had gotten approved to move from the retirement home to a nursing home. While it was hard to accept, my grandmother moving into a nursing home meant that she would be getting the care she really needed and that she’d be moving closer to us.

Around the time my grandma was being moved to the long term care home her communication had really decreased. To be completely honest with you, I hadn’t heard her talk in awhile. Watching her lose her voice was one of the hardest stages for me to accept. She was always such a loud and spunky person and her laughter was one of the most beautiful sounds. Her personality and voice could light up any room. While I knew she was still the same person, not being able to hear “I love you too” was something that hit me really hard.

On the day we moved her from Toronto to Bradford my mom and I were there to help settle her in. After unpacking her room we decided to go for a little walk around the building to help her adjust to her new home. My mom was pushing her wheelchair and I was right beside her pointing out the different areas on her unit.

Just as we turned the corner and were coming up to the nursing station a women walked out and waved. She said hello to both my mom and I and then got down on her knees in front of my grandma. She said “Hello, my names Carolyn and I’m the recreation assistant. Whats your name?”. At that very moment, I was worried. I could feel my face falling into a frown. While a part of my was hopeful she’d introduce herself, I knew the chances of a response were slim. That even if she did respond it probably wouldn’t make any sense.

Each second that past felt like an eternity, but Carolyn didn’t move. She stayed exactly where she was holding my grandma’s hand and doing her best to make eye contact. Then it happened. My grandma, the woman I hadn’t heard speak in so long, introduced herself. She looked right at Carolyn and said “Hello, I’m Helen Jamieson”.

At this point I probably had one of the biggest grins on my face, and I can remember my eyes filling up with tears. At the time Carolyn had no idea how important that moment was for us, for her. My grandma was not only responding but her response made sense.

As cheesy as this story is, it was in that moment I knew that every other job I could ever come up with would never be as important as this one. I knew the second my grandma began to speak that my life was going to change in this place.

My grandma moved into the home in the beginning of February and peacefully passed away in the beginning of December that same year. While her time in the home was short, it was filled with so much love and enthusiasm. It was during her time in the nursing home that I got to hear her sing “You Are My Sunshine” one last time.

During the summer I would take a walk to visit my grandma a lot of the days and often found myself helping out with some of the daily programs while I was there. I would often stop to talk to Carolyn whenever I got the chance and I even helped with a car wash fundraiser. Towards the end of the summer they were hosting an indoor campout, and as an avid outdoorsy girl I was so excited! We made s’mores, sang campfire songs and some of the residents even crawled into the tent we had set up.

Carolyn was someone that lit up the room and the way the residents responded to her was like pure magic. It was easy for anyone to see that she loved her job, that it was a passion. She answered every question I had, helped me get comfortable engaging with residents and allowed me the opportunity to see exactly what she did.

Only a couple months into my grandma living there she had proposed the idea of me doing a high school co-op with the recreation team. While I was nervous, the excitement I felt was undeniable. In the Spring I ensured a co-op was on my timetable for the following school year.

Unfortunately my grandma passed away just 2 months before my co-op was supposed to begin. I was absolutely devastated but I knew that pursuing this opportunity was something I had to do, and so my adventures into TR became something I was doing in honour of her.

In February I returned to the home for my official interview. The interview went great and about a week later my real introduction to the world of recreation therapy began. The recreation team was absolutely amazing and welcomed me in with open arms, they were a group of people you couldn’t help but be comfortable around. They knew exactly when I needed that extra push, but they also knew when I needed to take a step back.

Sadie was the head of the recreation team, and while I didn’t know it at the time she would end up having such a big impact on my ability to succeed in this field.

One of the hardest parts about being in the home was walking past the room my grandma used to be in. While I was pursing this career in her memory I couldn’t bring myself to enter that room again. I remember sitting down with Sadie one morning and just laying it all out. I remember telling her how hard it was for me, but that I felt like it was a step I needed to make. She told me we’d do it together.

The next day Sadie went with me to the room and introduced me to the man who was now living there. She sat with me until I felt comfortable enough to be with him alone. To be honest with you, I’m not even sure this is a day she’ll remember because it probably seemed like no big deal to her. Truth be told though, it was such an important interaction and allowed me to feel more comfortable in not only the home but also the role.

For the 3 and a half month I was there I learned more then probably any grade 11 ever has. I wasn’t just learning about Point Click Care, I was physically completing assessments and inputting attendance for different events. I wasn’t just taking part in programs, I was physically running my own programs that were on the calendars. I was going on different outings and was helping host bigger events.

Sadie was the type of co-op preceptor everyone dreams of. She never held my hand but instead did everything she could to push me forward and help my thrive. She wanted me to grow and it showed. She’s someone I’m thankful to have in my corner, someone I’m thankful has stayed in my life to this day.

On one of my last days in the home, Sadie brought up a joke about my mom wanting the next step to be a part time job. To my surprise one of the other managers was waiting downstairs to offer me a job to be a receptionist at the front desk. While the job wasn’t TR specific it allowed me to gain so much knowledge, it allowed me to developing stronger rapports with the staff and best of all it allowed me to continue to be around the residents!

My introduction to this field and career was personal, probably as personal as it gets. While some may say thats a bad thing, for me it was about finding the career I was destined to be in. It allows me to relate to the caregivers and family members I interact with. It allows me to understand just how the evolution of different conditions happens, and just how much a little bit of time can create such an important moment. It allows me to really ground myself and understand that everything I deal with involves real people and their lives.

Everyone’s introduction to their job is different, and while I often wish I had of known about this career sooner I wouldn’t want to change this story for anything. My job isn’t just a job, my job is a passion and I couldn’t be more thankful for those that had an impact on creating this beautiful story.

This ones for you gram, missing you always!