Shake, Rattle & Roll
Authors: Carlisle Christian, Courtney Dibble, Imani Garrick, Chelsey Bowman, Erin Staats, & Katelyn Sahlberg
Faculty Supervisor: Wilma C. Matti, Ph.D., MSN, RN
Abstract:
Our group put on a 1950's sock-hop-style prom at Thrive located on St. Simons Island. Our event was held on Monday, March 26th. Prior to hosting the event, we communicated with the activity director of Thrive to discuss scheduling, picture consents, and funding. We bought 1950s themed decorations, trail mix ingredients, cupcakes and balloons. Our "buffet-style" trail mix bar offered a healthy fat, fruit, and grain that each resident could uniquely tailor to their liking. Also, we found a place to donate flowers to our event which allowed us to hand a beautiful flower to each resident upon arrival. Amongst our efforts to encourage the residents to participate in full range of motion and social interaction, 1950's music filled the air to trigger loving memories. The emphasis was to illuminate the social aspect of a healthy aging adult, which studies show significantly improves an individuals quality of life and elongates it. The experience we shared with the geriatric community was not only a pleasure, but an enlightening interaction that focused on motivating older adults with the power of music and communication.
