Hullabaloo

Full Life Care hosts its first ever video dance party

American Bandstand and Soul Train, move over.

Making good on a promise made to Adult Day Health clients last month, Full Life staff pulled together their first video dance party last Thursday.

Beginning with Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Full Life’s Iesha Gizaw led a screen full of guests through nearly an hour of current and classic rock and pop tunes. Nearly everyone online was busting moves.

Special guest for the afternoon was state Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D) Dist. 37, Seattle. Sen. Saldaña has been a strong supporter of Adult Day Health programs and was instrumental in securing increased funding for ADH in the legislative session earlier this year.

“My legislative assistant (Coco Chang) and I both attended.  It made my week!” Sen  Saldaña said. “I loved to see clients, aides and their families moving to the music, smiling and connecting with one another.

“Following the lead of the clients’ request for a dance party seems to fit into the name of your organization — Full Life. Adult Day Health Centers and in-home visits meet clients where they are in their homes and communities, so they can retain their full lives longer.”

Full Life VP of Operations Scott Slater added, “Sen. Saldaña cares about what we’re doing, so I thought she’d like to see for herself first-hand some of what we’re doing. We’ve had to become incredibly creative to continue delivering services, but our clients need us.”

Indeed, Full Life has re-configured just about everything with the Adult Day Health program since closing its three centers in Kent, Columbia City and Everett in early March. At first, staff began reaching out to clients by telephone and sending them written therapy plans. That soon evolved into online experiments. Therapists and a volunteer from the Everett center produced an exercise video for clients to enjoy at home. Soon after that another case worker held a video conference with her client, the first of its kind.

That was quickly followed by a group video meeting with nearly a half dozen client participants. It was out of that virtual gathering that the idea to stage a dance party idea was born.

“We know it’s important to maintain some kind of contact with our clients who’ve come to rely on us playing an important role in their care regimen,” said Glenda “Moe” Pocha, Program Manager of the Everett Adult Day Health Center. “Activity and social interaction play a vital role in maintaining their health and overall wellbeing and keeping their lives rich and full. They need to know that we care about them, even when we can’t be together.”

Without a doubt, there will be another dance party. Iesha’s already taking playlist requests for next time.