Our very own Christina Lamar, Activities Director is making a notable impact on the lives of our residents, while inspiring other staff to do the same! She is one of the many Bethesda Senior Living care givers training in Teepa Snow's POSITIVE APPROACH™ - a progressive therapy for helping seniors and their families recognize and manage the early signs of memory change.

"My name is Christina Lamar and I am the Activities Director at Park Regency Loveland. I have worked with BSLC for 13 months. My position at Park Regency brings me joy and it is a passion of mine to provide a wide variety of activities to connect people through music, art, food and fun!

I graduated in 2006 with my BS in Psychology and went to work for a non-profit in Denver. It was then that I realized my love for seniors and my abilities to provide better quality of life and care for them. I have a heart of compassion and joy for life and enjoy sharing that compassion and joy with our community.

The POSITIVE APPROACH™ is used on many different levels in our community. Not too long ago, one of our residents was really getting to the point of feeling lost and confused. She would express her anxiety and worries about not knowing what to do several times per day. We had started an adult coloring group and I encouraged her to join. The coloring has brought her so much joy and fulfillment. She loves it. Occasionally still, she will have days when she needs encouragement and I will remind her how much she loves coloring.

We allow our residents to have an active role each month in the activities schedule. We have an activities meeting every month. We, as a group, decide where our outings will be and where we will eat out. I listen to their ideas for new activities and allow them to express their thoughts and opinions about new ideas. This allows them to maintain that sense of being valued knowing that they are being heard and it keeps them connected in activities that they are interested in and familiar with.

The benefits of this approach are significant for staff and residents. It allows us to create a peaceful, caring environment where everyone has the opportunity to grow in their experiences as a community and as an individual. It is a joy to work here and I look forward to coming in every day."