|
|
Life Choices Brochure
Community Partners Celebrate Life Choices Opening
Life Choices, the Arc of East Middlesex’s new Medicaid funded day habilitation program, opened with great fanfare last month.
“This is a story about people making sure other people are being taken care of,” Congressman John Tierney said in addressing the families and local officials gathered for the celebration.
Life Choices supports adults in developing their life skills to increase independence. The program is built on pillars of success including Wellness, Relationships, Independence and Community. A nurse and therapists are on hand to address participants’ mobility, vision, auditory, medical and sensory needs.
|
Great Beginning - Congressman John Tierney; Lisa Gibbs, Arc of East Middlesex Board Member; Peter Hechenbleikner, Reading Town Manager; and Sharon Borggaard, President of the Arc Board of Directors led the ribbon cutting ceremony June 4th for the new Life Choices Program. |
Executive Director Jo Ann Simons thanked all of the partners involved in launching the program, including Congressman Tierney; the Department of Mental Retardation, represented by Metro North Area Director Dan Lincoln, Cathi McDonald, Bruce Tarransky and several service coordinators; Reading Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner; members of the Arc’s Board of Directors; staff, including Shawn Nault, Director of Day Services and Kathy Kelly, Director of the Life Choices program; and families of participants.
“Life Choices is not a traditional Day Hab. We’re tapping into popular technology like Wii interactive sports games and Dance Dance Revolution to get people up and moving,” said Simons.
Participants are grouped by age, interest and needs and each track of the program has a formal curriculum. The Health and Well Being Track includes the following components:
- Sports and Fitness - The sports and fitness program is designed so that everyone can participate and get healthy! Programs are planned so that each participant can set individual goals and work on improving their strength and stamina, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. Some examples of fitness classes are: Walking Club, Yoga/Tai Chi, Strength Training, Sports and Games, and Aquatics. The Arc utilizes local YMCA facilities for many of our classes.
- Nutrition - The nutrition program focuses on nutrition awareness and healthy eating habits. Emphasis is placed on learning how to make healthy choices for your diet and how to plan, shop and prepare a simple meal. Some examples of nutrition classes are: Healthy Meal Planning, Shopping, and Basic Cooking, and Kitchen and Food Safety.
- Self Awareness - The self awareness program focuses on promoting the well being of each individual by improving personal hygiene, body image, self esteem, and social awareness. Some examples of our self awareness classes are: Health and Beauty, Healthy Relationships, Self Advocacy, and Human Rights and Dignity.
Life Choices’ Creative Expressions and Personal Growth tracks will be featured in upcoming issues of Timelines.
For more information about the Life Choices program, please call Kathy Kelly at 781-942-4888, ext. 5017. |
|
|
