World Mental Health Day

_{October 10, 2022}
Today is World Mental Health Day. The World Health Organization named this day in order to bring awareness to the growing number of mental health issues in our world today. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to creating a global crisis for mental health. Millions of lives have been changed by this pandemic and many are still struggling with the effects.

All of us at Darby Glenn believe in prioritizing mental health and well-being and promoting a positive work environment. Work can be a place of either opportunity or a risk for mental health. Working in the field of long-term care is not easy. We rely on each other to lift one another up during challenging times, and our residents rely on us to be the shining light in their lives.



Our Administrator, Lauren, is a huge advocate for her team’s mental health. “Mental Health is important. I want this to be a place where employees enjoy coming to work every day. We spend 40 hours a week at this facility. It is essential that we promote a fun and inviting place to work for all of us,” stated Lauren. She has been Darby’s Administrator for the past two years and has constantly promoted a healthy and fun work environment. During this time, she created the Fun Committee. This committee meets once a month to plan all the fun activities for the staff and residents.

One of the ways we help to create a fun environment is through food! Everyone here at Darby Glenn loves food so much that most of our events involve a treat that fits the theme. So far this month, we've had Cinnamon Roll Day and Chocolate-covered Pretzel Day. We are also planning a pasta bar, cupcake decorating buffet and something for Hot Apple Cider Day later this month. Another holiday we had fun with this month was World Smile Day. Our staff members had the opportunity to write nice compliments to recognize each other’s hard work. This sure brought a smile to their faces.



We also plan many dress-up days for our staff, which always brings so much joy to our residents. Another initiative put in place to promote a positive work environment is the employee snack cart. We stock this cart full of delicious snacks accessible for all staff when they are needing a little pick-me-up during the day. We also found that this helps keep employees motivated.

Today is about recognizing the everyday battle each of us faces in protecting our mental health. We hope to bring awareness to the ways we work to promote a positive work environment at Darby Glenn. Together, we can create a world where mental health is valued, promoted and protected.