Daily Companions

Daily Companions I/DD Waiver Consumers were thrilled to visit the Mt. Aetna Nature Center in Hagerstown, MD.  According to our tour guide, the nature center has more African mammals on display than the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History.  Boy, were our consumers excited to see these magnificent animals up close!  Everyone decided they liked the lion and lioness the best, with the cheetah a close second.

At the bottom of the stairs was a mount of a Kodiak Bear from Alaska.  (All the mounts were donated). This bear, being quite a size, was looked on in wonder.  Everyone wanted their picture taken with the bear!

Upstairs were a number of animals you would find locally, such as fox, deer, skunk, and a number of birds, all depicted in their natural habitat.  It was easy to talk and picture these animals in the wild.  Cases of seashells, small sea creatures, and gemstones add to the interest.

The highlight for almost everyone was the Reptile Room.  We were able to get up close and personal with snakes, geckos, turtles, and lizards.  It was fascinating to learn about their feeding habits, where and how they live, and camouflage themselves.

Due to the weather, we were not able to access the outdoor tower, and the hiking trails, but DCI consumers definitely want a return visit this summer!  Be sure to look the nature center up; they are open on Saturdays for the public.

Exercise, weight-training, aerobics, Zumba – what do these words mean to you?  A way to lose eight?  Help your blood-pressure?  Deal with depression?  Strengthen joints and bones?  Does exercise of any kind just make you feel better and able to deal with whatever life throws at you?

Daily Companions, Inc. understand the importance of teaching life skills to our consumers.  These skills will enable them to be gainfully employed and in some instances, to live independently or with some supervision.  But DCI doesn’t stop there.   We recognize that exercise, in any form, is beneficial, not just for the body, but for the mind as well.  When we feel well, we can cope with problems better, and be more successful in our dealings with others.

Zumba is an exercise fitness program created by a Colombian dancer and cyclist/choreographer, Alberto Perez during the 1990’s.  Working our to the beat of salsa, flamenco, and merengue music feels more like a dance party than a workout, which makes Zumba so popular.  You don’t need to be a great dancer to participate in a Zumba class, you just need to like to have fun!

DCI Consumers were ready to go when their Zumba instructor, Sabrina Griffin-Elder, showed up.  At the first burst of music, everyone was dancing away the stress and the calories!  Sabrina held a lower impact class, designed for individuals whose balance may not be the greatest.  It was enough to help all break a sweat, and get “glowing”.  Everyone was laughing and calling encouragement to their peers.  They agreed it was the most fun they had had all week.  It didn’t feel like exercise at all!  Sabrina will be teaching Zumba on Thursday mornings to our consumers, and they can’t wait!

Teamwork is the theme for January at DCI.

A series of activities have been planned such as games, puzzles, scavenger hunt, etc. to help reinforce the idea of working together to achieve a common goal.  Why is this important for I/DD consumers?

Teamwork requires social skills.  Social skills are linked to communication skills, including the ability to understand figurative speech, and abstract ideas.  These skills are many times underdeveloped in persons with I/DD challenges.  This makes something like “teamwork” a concept difficult to grasp and put into practice.

DCI consumers practice skills every day, including manners, writing, math, time, etc.  Social Skills need repetition to be understood and learned.  That is why one whole month will be devoted to a selected Social skill, and practiced as often as possible that month.  Building on that skill, others will be added as the year goes on.

The first “teamwork” assignment was to take an odd assortment of containers and try to construct a tower.  The first two tries did not work as everyone attempted to work independently.  But with Staff explaining, demonstrating, and coaching, the third try produced a tower, built with everyone’s cooperation!  Consumers were laughing and very excited as they watched their tower grow.  Teamwork!  What a great skill for all to learn and practice.

For their Friday Field Trip, DCI Consumers enjoyed a morning at the Discovery Museum in Winchester, VA.  Although the museum is set up for children, adults can learn things too.

One interactive display showed how food or drink enters the human body, is swallowed, and then digested.  Chris found this to be very interesting.  He was encouraged to swallow and feel his throat as the saliva traveled down.  Other consumers soon joined in and watched in fascination.

Another display was set up that distorted size.  It was a mock room with shortened walls and low ceiling.  the consumers got quite a charge out of feeling “oversized” and wanted their picture taken!  The fun-house mirror caused much hysterical laughter.  What a surprise to see yourself so short!

An Indian log house proved to be an opportunity for learning.  Consumers spent time feeling the hides on the walls and guessing which animal the skin came from.  What did the Indians use them for?  How was food stored?  Look at the canoe made out of a tree trunk!  So much work!  A weaving display was set up and several consumers tried their hand at weaving cloth.  they decided it was much more fun to go to the store and buy a ready-made dress.

Puppet and the puppet theatre was popular.  Many of the consumers tried their hand at using the puppets and an impromptu show was held.  Their laughter said it all.

The top floor of the museum is open-air and boasts an oversized chess set.  Everyone enjoyed setting up the pieces.  Due to the wind and cold the consumers were forced to return indoors.  A final group shot was held and then it was back to the Day Center for lunch.  All would enjoy a return visit in the summer.