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Placement student hired as activities co-ordinator
Supervisor retired as college placement ended
1/23/2012
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Deb Bartlett
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Granite House activities co-ordinator Danielle Marshall poses with resident Phyl Cornish.
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Danielle Marshall did not experience jitters on her first day on the job as activities co-ordinator at Granite House.
That’s because for the six months prior, she had been doing the job as a placement student from Fanshawe College.
Marshall says her placement wrapped up in June 2010, and the home’s activity co-ordinator retired. Marshall applied, and got the job.
Her position involves planning and participating in activities for residents of the London retirement apartment, and office administration.
As a placement student, Marshall enjoyed working for Steeves & Rozema.
“There wasn’t a lot of pressure because I was just helping out. I could see how things were run. By the time I actually started the job, I wasn’t nervous, because I’d been doing it for six months,” says Marshall.
She was also familiar with Granite House residents and colleagues.
Marshall says she always knew she wanted to work with seniors, but wasn’t sure in what capacity.
She had taken a human services course seven years ago and also did a placement in a long-term care home.
Working at Granite House, she found seniors that “have so much to talk about and so much to offer. They were active and they were involved, and we could laugh and make jokes and have fun,” she says.
As activities co-ordinator, Marshall plans services and outings, the social and birthday parties.
She says one of her best learning experiences has been to accept that not everybody is going to like everything she plans, and she’s become more open-minded.
She says she was surprised to discover that the weekly outings do not have to have a destination.
She had always planned to go out for lunch or to a mall, and was surprised that when leaves were changing colour in autumn, the residents were happy to just drive around for two hours looking at the scenery and being out in the country.
The best part of working at Granite House is the bonds she makes with residents, says Marshall.
Marshall says she has found she has more in common with residents than she expected.
“I always find it rewarding to sit and have a conversation and learn things from each other,” says Marshall.
“I teach them things, and in return I learn things as well.”
To comment on this story, or to share the best part of your job, contact Deb at 800-294-0051, ext. 30, or e-mail deb(at)axiomnews.ca.
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