In New Orleans, Mardi Gras marks the end of the Carnival season, and features parties, parades, costumes, and citywide revelry.
Inspired by this festival atmosphere of joy, energy, and creativity, longtime Certified Recreation Therapist Michelle Peterson, CTRS, CADDCT, CDP went above and beyond to bring a piece of Mardi Gras to her patients in the Senior Behavioral Health Unit at Temple Health-Chestnut Hill Hospital.
“The group I have now responds really well to art, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to get them engaged,” says Peterson, who invited patients to create Mardi Gras-style masks. They also listened to festive music, played bingo, and shared favorite holiday and springtime traditions.
“We talked about the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, and Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday,” Peterson continues. “There are so many people from different backgrounds on the unit, so this gave everyone an opportunity to reflect on their own traditions.”
Peterson, who has worked at Chestnut Hill Hospital since 2014, uses her background in therapeutic recreation, psychology, and fine arts to create engaging programming for the patients on the unit. Her Mardi Gras mask-making exercise was especially successful.
“I printed out pages of mask designs, and I had patients color them in,” Peterson explains. “Then, I cut each of them out and glued them onto popsicle sticks. Then, during the afternoon therapy program, I laid all of the masks out on the counter. I gave everyone poker chips, and I had our patients use them to vote on which masks they loved the most.”
The next day, Peterson asked patients to try remembering which mask was theirs, incorporating memory recall into their daily therapeutic activities. Above all, she’s focused on programming that feels rewarding and creates a positive, exciting atmosphere on the unit.
“We focus on so many things: art, music, crafts, reminiscing, coping skills, development, and an overall sense of self,” Peterson says. “It’s really different every single day, which I love.”
