Photo Credit: St. Petersburg Parks & Recreation
Most communities tend to do a good job in addressing the leisure interests of elderly residents who are still active and independent. However, when citizens move into supported-living facilities, they often lose their ability to maintain the community engagement and interaction to which they were once accustomed.
In St. Petersburg, Fla., the Parks and Recreation Department’s Therapeutic Recreation Division has been addressing this concern for 27 years with a unique program. The Balloon Volleyball League for Nursing Home Residents provides lively competition, healthy intra-facility rivalry, and the opportunity for considerable social interaction. In the late 1980s, the program was the brainchild of several nursing-home activity coordinators and the city’s therapeutic-recreation supervisor. Over nearly three decades, the league has grown from the original six teams to up to 24, and involves between 100 and 150 participating residents.
A city-owned, downtown facility, The Coliseum is the site of the monthly competition. The program is planned and facilitated by therapeutic-recreation staff members who do the booking, league advertisement, and team registration. They develop the tournament schedule and make any necessary amendments prior to and at each event. Staff members also handle the production of first- and second-place paper award ribbons for each match, assure all of the necessary equipment is supplied, set up the venue, and provide light refreshments. Games are typically refereed by the participating teams’ staff. If a few matches become heated, the recreation staff members act as referees. Following each monthly tournament, a ranking sheet suitable for posting and a letter reminding teams about upcoming tournament dates is sent to each team.