Brenda Gasner Lass
After spending 15 years in business I wanted to find more meaningful work. I returned to University and added ‘Psychology for geriatrics and older adults’ to my previous Fine Arts education. Adding many self-learned courses and my proclivity to Judaic art landed me as a volunteer in the Creative Art Studio at Baycrest.
After volunteering for 3 years, while I returned to University, an opening came up and I took the job in the studio. I have been on staff there for 18 years and had the privilege of enhancing the quality of life of our community's seniors.
Baycrest is a Long Term Care facility including a nursing home with many levels of impairment and a hospital with psychiatric and palliative patients.
I work in The Creative Art Studio at Baycrest Long Tern Care Facility. It is a beautiful, welcoming and bright space where all participants enjoy socializing, listening to good music and of course creating masterpieces for their families. Bringing purpose to their life is health enhancing and by their comments and the family thank you notes we know that they love it.
This past year and ongoing there has been a massive challenge. Baycrest incorporated many new safety protocols as we try to tackle the pandemic. We have seen on the news that fighting COVID-19 has been a battle for Long Term Care facilities. Nothing is the same as it was. Every day brings more changes. The art studio had to close because of the restrictions and our small team has been redeployed. For more than a year we have been working client-facing in their own rooms. There are no gatherings and for us, improving quality of life consists of visiting and entertaining the clients one to one.
We have all been furnished with iPads, making YouTube videos, translation apps and music videos have become really important for me, as I visit. It can be a game of cards, watering their plants or anything we can think of to deal with the isolation that this pandemic has brought with it.
Isolation and depression are a big threat to our seniors and dealing with that is our task. The nurses and doctors deal with physical ails and we work to improve their emotional health. We have all found out how devastating it is without the social aspect of life.
Last summer when we were allowed to take clients outside to the balconies, the fresh air was truly ‘a breath of fresh air’.
There are so many parts to this job that I love, but seeing the smiles on the clients faces is the best. I thank God every day for giving me a job where I can do mitzvot all day.