“Rhythms of Wellness”

This is what feeling better

sounds like! Marcia Brenowitz NHA

North Star Rehabilitation and Care Community

Facilitating Drum and Rhythm Circles

A Project Supported by the

Colorado Culture Change

Accountability Grant-an Overview

For LTC Advisory May 3, 2011

What we will cover during our time together: An overview of the CCC Accountability

Grant request The benefits of drum and rhythm circles Who can participate in circles Equipment for a drum and rhythm circle Tips for conducting a rhythm circle

The 2010 CCC Accountability Grant

Provides and opportunity for homes to start or enhance a drum and rhythm circle in their home through the loan of equipment, books,

and an invitation to share a circle at North Star Rehabilitation and Care Community.

The benefits of the program is being measured in 3 areas

Stress reduction Pain reduction And sense of connectedness with self and

others

Why I asked for the grant to incorporate drumming and rhythms into therapeutic programming:

Building Community -

Drumming and participation in group rhythm sharing is a fun, natural and effective tool in building and supporting a sense of community. From the earliest times in man’s history, people have gathered together among clans and tribes to make sounds and use rhythms to celebrate, build unity and enjoy leisure time.

There is an ever increasing amount of research which points to the many physical and psychological benefits of drumming and participating in rhythm activity. Some of these include:

• a sense of belonging• a reduction in stress• an opportunity to experience self

expression and creativity• range of motion exercise in a fun

mode• relaxation    

And….

The impact on stress reduction and sense of connectedness is subjective and based on self reporting by resident community members and observations of care partners.

Pain reduction is evaluated through examination of routine and prn pain medications usage prior to incorporation of the drum and rhythm circles and after it is a part of the home’s therapeutic programming.

Sense of connectedness is based on self reporting and care partner observations around changes in interactions initiated in public areas with others and participation at social events.

How benefits of the program is being measured:

Training on facilitating a drum and rhythm circle has been done with: 4 Staff and 9 boys from Mt St. Vincent Home Activity staff who attended the annual

Activity Professionals conference in January Members of Pinon Management’s Wellness

Project Students in the current activity professionals

course at Arapahoe Community College

There is a role in a Rhythm Circle for every resident community member and staff member in your home!****and this is where our LTC staff shine -they are leaders in inclusion and accommodation! Some people will be physically capable of reaching out to

bang a table drum or a djembe type drum on the floor. Others will be able to tap along using a smaller hoop type drum which they hold in their lap. Some people will be able to follow the rhythm pattern and others will add a creative flair with their individual spontaneous playing.

There are a number of rhythm instruments which can be enjoyed by people who cannot drum related to contractures, spasticity, hemi paralysis which limits their mobility.

The drum and rhythm circle can also provide a fun way for partners in caring to spend time with resident community members they are providing services for. Hospice staff, physical and occupational therapy staff, restorative program assistants and mental health clinicians can accompany resident community members to the drum and rhythm circle and join in either as a therapeutic exercise or just for a fun shared experience. Family members can add to the activity too-either as participants or enthusiastic audience.

The basics for a drum and rhythm group includes: a room or area to play which is easily accessible and has

seating an activity calendar which identifies the group with date and

time opportunities to let your residents and staff know about

the group and get them interested in participating such as morning community meeting or Resident Council and Family Council.

instruments a place to store instruments when not in use a CD player and several music CDs to play along with staff to help people get to and from the group a record of participation form

Highlight the fact that a rhythm circle is a “conversation” using the language of sound!

Some fun exercises Playing along to a CD

Or: Starting with one participant and having the next

person join in until one by one –everyone is playing the rhythm together

Asking participants to play to the rhythm of your feet. Stand in the center and alternate walking, hopping, slowly and quickly

A round Divide into 2 sides

of the group. Have 1 side play one rhythm and the other play a different rhythm.

Play rounds of "3 Blind Mice" and Row Row Row Your Boat

The rhythm of a story Have resident choose a word and write it on a dry

erase board or large piece of paper. Weave a story from the words, when you use someone’s word-point to them and have them play their instrument.

Rhythms with intention Ask participants one at a

time

to name:

someone

or something

they wish to play for.

Have them start the rhythms and then have the rest of the group join in.

Concluding the circle You can end the group by asking everyone involved

to participate in heartbeat drumming. This is drumming together to the natural heartbeat we all experience even before we were born,

Alternatively, the people with soft melodious instruments such as chimes may be asked to play softly while participants close their eyes and breathe quietly to their own imagery or an image provided by the group facilitator.

Wellness exercise: consider gentle stretching: Once all the instruments have been gathered

you may wish to lead participants in some simple stretching exercises including:

Reaching arms forward an stretching fingers out

Rotating wrists in circles in both directions Shaking hands and fingers out Taking several deep cleansing breathes.

Inspire alertness with a deep belly laugh!( and raise those endorphins!) If your participants have been lulled to a dozing state by the

heartbeat drumming or soft chimes, you may find it helpful to bring them to a state of alertness by sharing a “good bye belly laugh”!

Approach each participant in the circle and tell them you will share a healthy deep belly laugh.

Ask the participant to copy you. Take a deep breath and give out a Ho Ho Ho. Smile or laugh to acknowledge your participants response back to you.

Maintain eye contact and now laugh a nice deep Ha Ha Ha. Acknowledge participants response back with a grin or smile.

Move around the circle until you have shared the laughter exercise with all the participants. You may wish to shake the hands of willing participants as you laugh back and forth.

Brookshire’s experience.Debbie Ahrens,

Activity Director

was first to use the grant shared instruments:

She reports residents who had not participated in other activities came alive in rhythm circle

Can I answer any questions ?Thank you for your attention.

And thank you to the Culture Change Accountability Board for allowing us to enjoy and share all the benefits of this grant project.