Barber National Institute
Title: A Health Initiative Through Competition and The Outdoors
Student Interns:
Logan McFadden
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Colleen Cole-Jeffrey, PhD
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Cheryl Lepkowski
Barber National Institute
Community Site:
Barber National Institute, founded by Dr. Gertrude A. Barber, is rooted in discovering the potential in anyone, regardless of ability. The Lakeside Senior Center, a community participation support program of BNI, provides services to older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Clients are provided with a community environment in which they can increase independence and improve life skills.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps intern’s project took a holistic view of healthcare by addressing cognitive, physical, social, and dental health. The intern implemented the dental health initiative through an interactive PowerPoint presentation in which clients matched healthy food choices, paired bags of sugar with popular beverages, and saw a visual representation of proper care techniques. To enhance retention of previously taught information, the intern created Jeopardy-style games with categories such as “Dental Health” and “Healthy Habits.” To promote cardiovascular health, range of motion, and hand coordination, an Olympic Games event was held for the clients. Additionally, the intern encouraged hand-eye coordination and effective communication by teaching the clients to fish in nearby waterways.
Reflections
Creating meaningful connections with people in order to make a significant impact in their lives takes commitment and patience. I observed firsthand how building these connections can drastically change how somebody lets others influence their lives. Throughout the internship, I observed a significant difference in how clients took information I gave them and processed it, which I equate to building relationships and earning the trust of the clients. This experience highlighted the integral, yet less obvious, components of change. I am excited to drive healthy change in my future patients’ lives using skills that the clients of Barber National Institute, LECOM, and Bridging the Gaps gave me.
Logan McFadden
