Spark of Life Rehabilitative Program – Endless possibilities
By Nur Sahara Binte Kamsani – Spark of Life Master Practitioner and Medical Social Worker at Ren Ci Hospital, Singapore.
Since November 2018, Sahara and her colleague Moon have been supporting about 52 people with dementia who are residing in one of Ren Ci’s Nursing Homes through facilitating the therapeutic Spark of Life Rehabilitative Program.
I started my journey as a Spark of Life Rehabilitative Facilitator in 2016. It was really inspiring and refreshing to see the endless possibilities of positive connection that we are able to create as Rehabilitative Facilitators. In 2017, together with another Rehabilitative Facilitator, we had our very first Spark of Life Rehabilitative Program here in Singapore. The Rehabilitative Program members who were invited showed great improvements in their wellbeing as well as a reduction in the expression of unmet needs.
We witnessed possibilities beyond imagination during this journey with our Rehabilitative Program members. With the connection and genuine focused attention of unconditional love, we were able to ignite the spirit of our elders, which enabled them to sit out of bed and join us to visit the beach after a long time being bed-ridden. Families joined in and expressed their appreciation and gratefulness for the opportunity. We saw tears of happiness and moments of love, which was very special and moving. It always brings tears to my eyes recalling their precious memories. Our colleagues and management were spurred on by this possibility and have been very supportive and encouraging towards the Spark of Life Rehabilitative Program. They look forward to helping us prepare our Rehabilitative Programs Members at every Spark of Life Rehabilitative session. It is very heartening indeed.
I personally felt energized and often look forward to go to work on our Spark of Life Rehabilitative Program days. I am grateful to be able to feel the emotional and mental health benefits of having a positive, loving and encouraging vibes. I incorporate what we do in the Rehabilitative Program into my daily interactions with other residents, colleagues and community partners at work. This interaction of love and genuine desire to bring the best out of people changes my work attitude and improves my work relationships with the people around me. It is indeed uplifting to be able to create amazing alliances and partnerships because you practice the Spark of Life Philosophy in your daily living.
In 2018, the other Rehabilitative Facilitator and I participated in the Spark of Life Master Practitioner Program held in Perth, Australia. It was one of the best decisions we ever made in our lives! The course was moving and life changing. It supported us into understanding the science behind the Spark of Life Philosophy and the power it holds in improving the lives of people with dementia. It also teaches us the skills and knowledge we need to support our elders with dementia. It showed us how to embrace differences and love without limits. It helps us to start from within ourselves and beam the light of love and acceptance of uniqueness onto the people that we are supporting and caring for.
Our journey as Spark of Life Master Practitioners has been amazing because of the regular support that we receive. It is also comforting to know that you are supported and loved by other Spark of Life Master Practitioners from Dementia Care International around the world. This encourages you to support and love your colleagues who are caring for the elders with dementia. We are also given regular updates and refreshers that helps us to stay sharp and competent in providing the best care for our elders.
As a Spark of Life Master Practitioner, I see myself playing an important role in ensuring that my fellow colleagues are taken care of. My role is to encourage them to continue their good work and support them in enhancing their ability to care, communicate and connect with our elders with dementia. We have conducted education sessions on the Spark of Life 5 Core Emotional Needs, introducing ourselves using the Spark of Life Language and sharing through photos and videos on the contributions and creations of our Spark of Life Rehabilitative Members during the Rehabilitative Program. We always get to witness the surprised and amazed looks given by fellow colleagues who joined in our sharing. It’s an amazing feeling.
We started our education with our nursing team and medical social worker team. Now we are very blessed to have our therapist and administrative colleagues who have verbalized their interest towards the Spark of Life Philosophy.
Our journey to improve the lives of our elders with dementia, their family and our colleagues, who are supporting the elders and their families, has just begun. We foresee that this journey will be filled with a lot of love, good vibes and belief in the deepest core of our hearts that this is going to be life changing and ground breaking. This is the way to better quality care for our elders with dementia and their family members.
I believe our elders with dementia are alive in many ways and are patiently waiting for us to provide the opportunity to show it and surprise us. It is possible to witness the magical moments with them through the genuine connection of heart to heart, soul to soul and essence to essence.