Somers Manor Nursing Home

A DYNAMIC FACILITY

Somers Manor Nursing Home offers an ongoing Recreation Program, which is open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. The Recreation Department provides a variety of programs daily which aim to maintain or promote therapeutic gains in expressive and receptive communication, cognition, motor skills and emotional and social realms of functioning. In addition, our goal is to create an environment in which the residents will continue to be involved in hobbies they engaged in prior to admission and stimulate an interest in new and different activities. Programs are offered on an individual and/or group basis and are provided on and off the resident's unit. We offer activities, music therapy, recreation therapy, and volunteer involvement. Unique, cutting edge programs, which focus on special care areas include a specialized dementia unit, music therapy ambulation, recreation therapy range of motion and leisure training.

The Recreation Department employs board certified recreation therapists, board certified music therapists and well trained activity leaders. We also recruit volunteers from local schools, clubs and civic organizations. Our Activities Director, Joanne Nelson, is committed to involving residents in the community and achieves this through continuing volunteer interaction, fund raising events, and various intergenerational programs, as well as gift giving and receiving programs.

Residents are provided with ample opportunity to be self-determining in their activity routine and their choices are always respected. The Recreation Department welcomes the input and participation of family members and personal visitors. All are welcome to attend programs with their loved ones. Somers Manor Nursing Home provides summer barbecues, outdoor parties, regular outings to the mall and two chorus concerts each year. We offer a variety of activity programs for exercise, cognitive stimulation, social involvement, religious participation, sensory stimulation, cultural experience, and hobby engagement. Adaptations are provided to promote successful participation in activities customarily enjoyed at home such as cooking, arts, crafts, games, and exercise. There are ample opportunities for residents to exercise independence in money management and shopping through our mall trips, Shop Cart, coupon redemption and in house sales events. We encourage residents to take on leadership and helper roles in order to maximize their independence and self esteem.

The staff of the Tate unit, our specialized dementia unit, aim to provide a unique, nurturing environment for residents whose primary diagnosis is dementia. Through a rich activity program, thoughtfully equipped unit, and specially trained staff, the residents with dementia are afforded opportunities to maintain their highest possible level of physical and psychosocial functioning. The Tate unit environment is safe, comfortable and engaging for residents whose independence is supported by a caring staff as well as the unit environment itself. Each day our recreation program provides activities on the unit from 9:30 in the morning until 8:00 at night and offers regularly scheduled music therapy and recreation therapy programs. Engagement areas on the Tate unit feature piped in music, a dinette set and an area set aside for our Reminiscence Program. Every other week the residents engage in a food preparation activity which stimulates the senses, and provides active involvement in a familiar practice formerly enjoyed at home.

Specially designed Cozy Corners are set up throughout the facility to promote relaxation, visitation and quiet time. Our closed-in patio offers a wheelchair accessible swing which decreases restlessness and promotes relaxation. There is also a beautiful water fountain which contributes to a calming outdoor environment. Our free-spirit walkers program provides residents the opportunity to enjoy other areas of the building and grounds under the supervision of an activity leader while expending energy and exercising their ambulation skills.

Somers Manor Nursing Home provides a cutting edge music therapy program that uses music as a tool to restore, maintain or improve mental and physical health. The board certified music therapist elicits desirable changes in communication, cognition, motor or psychosocial function through methodical application of musical elements. Neurological music therapy techniques are employed to improve or maintain walking, flexibility, strength, endurance and range of motion. Under the leadership of the board certified music therapist, the residents perform two concerts per year. Each unit presents a group chorus and features instrumental and vocal soloists. Music therapy is used on our specialized dementia unit for group singing and instrument playing in order to minimize agitation, decrease wandering, and elicit participation and focused attention. The board certified music therapist also provides programs for song writing, self expression, pain relief, life review, and reminiscence.

Our unique recreation therapy program provides treatment services to residents in order to make or maintain therapeutic gains in areas of health and well being. The certified therapeutic recreation specialist uses leisure participation as a tool to promote independence, autonomy, and self expression through leisure activities. Our recreation therapy program provides gardening opportunities, leisure training, sensory enhancement, range of motion exercise, and cognitive stimulation sessions.