The residents at Cambridge Life are never quite sure what Epiphany Jackson is going to come up with to keep their wits about them.
And while her name suggests she comes up with the programmes in an instant, the opposite is the case, and she has recently been honoured for the initiatives she designs.
Epiphany Jackson with the award she won at the recreational therapists’ conference in Auckland. Photo: Supplied.
Jackson has been awarded the Judy Cooper National Excellence Award by the New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapists. The award highlights innovation, dedication, and excellence in improving the quality of life for residents through therapeutic recreation.
“People think we’re just playing games and that’s our job, but not really. When residents come into the facility, I do a holistic and physical assessment. From there I write a care plan for them based on that, what they used to do, what they like and what they are capable of. So, it’s not just bingo,” she said.
The case study she used for the award was an activity she designed around international travel.
“Some of our residents and staff are not able to go abroad anymore. So, I’ve got the world coming to them through armchair travel.
“Every month we go around the world to different countries. We select the countries based on something like Independence Day in the US or anything special in the country,” said Jackson.
She made passports and boarding passes. They get stamps and lineup in a boarding area – and always travel first class.
“We will watch a safety video, things like that and then we serve food I’ve prepared.
“When we went to Japan, we had sushi. Belgium, we had Belgian chocolate and made some Belgian waffles.”
Resident Terry Murphy, who tipped The News off about the award, said the activities always keep him on his toes.
He has lived at Cambridge Life for 15 months.
A recent virtual domestic “trip” to the West Coast made him laugh.
“She had a huge aeroplane taking us to Hokitika Airport.”
Residents also get one on one attention. Murphy loves fixing things, so she asked him to sand down a table for her as part of him keeping busy and alert.
She gives them all pet names – Terrific Terry is his.
Jackson is originally from the Philippines where she was a registered pharmacist. She travelled to New Zealand on a student visa to study diversional recreational therapies and is now getting her pharmacy degree recognised here.
In the Philippines she owned a chemist shop.
She started at Cambridge Life three years ago during the Covid pandemic.
She and husband Brenton, from Cambridge, are both studying, he accountancy and she pharmacy.
The national award was named after Judy Cooper who was a champion for aged people care and a former patron of the New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapy.
Epiphany Jackson with Cambridge Life resident Terry Murphy who she encourages to keep busy by sanding a table for her. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
