“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”

― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

The roles we play in our lives give us a sense of purpose and identity and are essential to self-worth; without meaning, we believe our life is worth nothing. That is true of all of us and of our residents. Resident engagement includes entertainment with community events, concerts and social activities, but it is never complete without residents feeling like they are living fulfilled, enriched lives — and this means prioritizing vocational wellness. 

Vocational wellness is one of the seven dimensions of wellness as defined by the World Health Organization framework as promoted by the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA). 

During our recent #ActivitiesStrong webinar “Programming for Purposeful Living,” Vickey Daugherty, senior director of life engagement at Acts Retirement Life Communities – Lanier Village, examined ways to implement and sustain efforts that successfully address vocational wellness. Her very important perspective offers great insight into the importance of having purpose throughout the entire lifespan and how it can be promoted through different levels of care.

Vickey observed that some older adults look at their lives and assess their accomplishments and suggested that activity professionals can help them write their stories and even add chapters to them. “We can help them create books filled with new stories, experiences and adventures,” she said, stressing that while stories and adventures don’t always have happy endings, changes, losses and challenges can add richness to the story. 

Vocation is just one of seven dimensions of wellness. The others are intellectual, physical, environmental, emotional, spiritual and social. Programming to address vocational wellness involves enabling residents to share their talents and gifts, volunteer, take the lead on projects, programs and activities, and pursue new vocations and interests. 

Engaging people and employing vocational wellness will look different for each person based on their skill sets, interests and experiences, Vickey noted.

“Residents in my community often have had interesting careers, travel experiences and life experiences, and we can enable them to take these and give back to others.” Her residents take the lead on planning and organizing programs, events and activities. At the same time, she and her team work to foster community connections. Residents have opportunities to serve as volunteers, teachers and mentors and work with organizations and individuals in the community at large. 

“We create opportunities for new vocations,” says Vickey. If residents go to her with an activity they would like to see, she observed, “There are only solutions in my department, not problems.”

For instance, one resident was a member of a local car club, so they were instrumental in starting a car show and food truck fest in the community. 

Vickey stressed that there is still a role for vocational wellness, even if residents have mental or physical losses or limitations. In assisted living, for instance, many residents may have some deficits, but they are still very active. Life has changed for them, but they still have purpose, value and something to give. 

As she noted, finding things that residents can do to help others and get them involved is an act of validation. She offered an example of a resident who loves opera and discovered that others do as well.

“He started Opera at Oak Ridge, and it’s grown in popularity. He takes great pride in planning programs. It has become a passion project for him,” Vickey said. 

Although vocational wellness might be a little more challenging in skilled care, even someone with advanced memory loss is still a whole person who has lived a whole, rich life.

“Go back to their bios and intake survey and look for ways to give them a sense of purpose and help them feel validated,” Vickey said. For example, one of her residents had donated his World War II bomber jacket to a museum, and it was included in a coffee table book as well. His community recognized him for his service, and he got a signed copy of the book. This underscores the importance of recognizing that even in the end stages of life, people can still feel validated and like they have a sense of purpose.

Sharing stories and leaving legacies is important to vocational wellness. Stories are a great way to get to know people, and there are many ways to find out about people’s experiences, backgrounds, accomplishments and passions. For instance, Vickey and her team have a memoir writers group led by an assisted living resident. The members help each other write their stories and get feedback. Her community also has a resident-driven newsletter, and they have residents put together presentations about their lives and experiences. 

As Vickey noted, it’s important to put some conscious effort into helping residents create a sense of purpose, as well as integrating their skills and experiences into programming and daily life. 

Finally, and as always when it comes to long-term care, the most impactful exercise is simply to ask ourselves: What would I like if I was in this situation?

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Charles de Vilmorin is the CEO and co-founder of Linked Senior, creators of the Life Story product.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

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