Woodworking Program at the Kipnes Centre for Veterans
September 19, 2024 - If you visit the Kipnes Centre for Veterans on a Wednesday morning, you might be surprised to hear the buzz of saws and hum of handheld sanding machines. Each week, residents and clients pick up their woodworking tools and get creative with projects in the Kipnes Great Room and out on the patio. It’s all a part of the centre’s new woodworking program, a therapeutic recreation six week sessional program that residents at Kipnes helped to kickstart.
“I used to do a lot of cutting. Mostly figurines and things like that,” says Guy, one of the Kipnes residents who wanted the opportunity to work with woodworking tools again. “I had saws, planers and sanders, and I missed working with them.”
At first Guy wished he could bring his own tools to Kipnes, but staff worked to find a solution that would bring Guy’s favourite hobby to his new home and bring together residents and clients of the Kipnes Adult Day Program (ADP). Kipnes staff looked into creating a woodworking program for clients and soon connected with Kent, a former junior high shop class instructor. Thanks to funding from the CapitalCare Foundation, Kipnes was able to bring Kent on to provide the tools and guide the six week program.
Kent (left), Leslie (middle), and Guy (right) painting blocks of wood.
“We told Kent we’d never done a program like this before,” said Shauna Kessler, recreation therapist at KCV, “but we know it’s a meaningful pastime for our residents.”
With interests like woodworking that require a lot of tools and safety education, residents can be referred to external programs. But the Kipnes staff was dedicated to seeing if they could make a woodworking program work inside the centre.
“We had to factor in fine-motor skills, gross motor skills, eyesight, hearing—all of the usual risk assessment factors to figure out who could safely participate in this program,” says Shauna.
After identifying interested and eligible residents, Shauna found a woodworking project from a sister organization in Ontario that residents could collaborate on: creating a wooden Canadian flag.
“Since a lot of our residents are veterans, we thought this would be a great project for them to work on,” says Shauna.
Kent provided the equipment, set up the workspaces, and offered safety demonstrations and assessments. Then, with the help of the CapitalCare Foundation funding the program, everyone got to work.
Kent had never worked in a continuing care setting, so he didn’t know what to expect.
“What I’ve learned is that this is more of a social thing. We’re not as concerned with what they’re building as we are with how they’re connecting.”
Bernadine Bezanson, a therapy assistant from the KCV Adult Day Program helping clients with their projects, had been hoping to integrate more programming between continuing care residents and the adult day program clients.
“When I asked some of the guys in the Adult Day Program if they wanted to participate, they were excited,” said Bernadine. “The clients have enjoyed this, especially the guys working on their own projects. They’re building charcuterie boards and can’t wait for Wednesdays.”
Bernadine helping a client from the Adult Day Program sand their charcuterie board.
Leslie, one of the day program clients, has enjoyed working alongside the KCV residents.
“Some of the people in wheelchairs can’t do as much, so I like helping them out. But this project has brought people together. It’s very safe, and Kent helps us figure out what to do. My uncle used to try and teach me woodworking, but he moved too fast! This is much better.”
Participants who aren’t comfortable operating tools can contribute by painting, measuring and sanding. And for many it’s also about enjoying the sound of the tools and smelling the sawdust, which rekindles fond memories.
Ultimately, Shauna is pleased with the results, and she’s excited to have the flag completed and displayed on the wall in the Great Room for Remembrance Day.
“It’s been a long work in progress that’s challenged us to see what we can do differently, but it’s given everyone involved a sense of purpose and community.”
“It’s nice to see how many people have enjoyed working on this project,” says Guy.
The Kipnes staff’s dedication to finding a way to make the woodworking program a reality exemplify CapitalCare’s commitment to pursuing innovative approaches that improve residents’ quality of life. The woodworking program builds upon the 2023 – 2027 strategic plan by embedding choice and building social connections while integrating new ideas into the centre’s therapeutic recreation. By fostering an environment where clients and residents feel connected and engaged, KCV staff enhanced person-centred care and empowered others by working together with purpose.