We want our residents to “hold onto wellness as things in their life change,” says Volunteer Director Stacy Dunn. Our evidence based wellness programming has grown over the past several years and been defined as a priority in our most recent strategic plan. We offer programs that are based in research. Our classes have been proven to lead to behavior change and that, in turn, leads to better health.
In partnership with Trellis’ Juniper Program, we have offered programs that allow residents to go deep into making wellness an integral part of their lives. One of our residents, Lyn L., has committed herself to health and wellness, sharing this reflection, “I have lost over 50 pounds since living at Episcopal Homes. A massive amount of credit goes to Anthony’s walking group and his attention to my form during our training sessions.”
Most recently our partnership with Juniper brought an opportunity for both Stacy Dunn, Volunteer Director and Anthony Munkholm, Personal Trainer to receive their certification as Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) trainers. WRAP is an internationally recognized model for wellness promotion founded in Vermont in 1997, it is now used with groups, Co-facilitators, and individuals in over 10 countries and spans all ages, cultures, and life experiences.
The models is based around a Wellness Toolbox, which is a list of skills and strategies for keeping ourselves well and for feeling better if we don’t feel well, and importantly the tools are simple, safe, accessible. They are designed to give us hope and help us feel connected to others and to ourselves. WRAP participants agree to work on a 6-part plan that includes: a daily plan, identifying stressors, paying attention to early warning signs, learning to know the signs for when things are down or getting much worse, developing a crisis plan, and building a plan for once they are past the crisis. Our older adults want to feel empowered and make decisions about their lives and our staff are committed to ensuring that when they’re doing this that they have a strong support network of people and resources to help them reach their goals.
We will be offering evidence-based group wellness such as WRAP and Live Well with Chronic Conditions classes in the coming months. For more information about these programs and to learn more about how you can get involved, please contact: Stacy Dunn, 651-288-3688 or sdunn@episcopalhomes.org.