Photo credit to photographer: Anna Vdovenko
What do a theatre major, a physical therapist assistant, and a Boundless Wellness Director have in common? If you’re Kimberly Wright, Boundless Wellness Director at McLean, they’re all areas of expertise that belong to you.
Kim, with 20 years’ experience as a licensed physical therapist assistant, is thrilled to have been given the opportunity as Director of the Boundless Wellness program. “When I started working at McLean it was as a treating therapist. But another part of my job was being a member of the Wellness Team, as an instructor and educator. So, when the new programming, The Goodrich expansion, and all the other new plans started to become reality, I transitioned into becoming the Wellness Director for the entire campus. My work covers the entire McLean community as well as the employee wellness program.”
So just what does Boundless Wellness program entail? As Kim sees it, “One size does not fit all. My job is to ensure there’s something for everyone. We believe people should be able to live full, meaningful lives without the constraints of ‘you’re too old for that.’ Our job is to assist in finding ways to make their dreams accessible.”
Kim is an expert in helping a person attain Boundless Wellness. “What I think is so important when we’re helping rehabilitate people is getting them to the point where they’re not simply surviving but thriving. Meeting these needs means there needs to be a blend of emotional and spiritual elements, along with the physical. That’s what leads us to the wellness side of things.”
When McLean decided to create the Boundless Wellness program, Kim immediately applied to lead it. “Because I was already doing some of this, and because they knew me and where I was coming from, it really seemed to be a good fit. I believe I had the vision they were looking for. There’s a culture of wellness which had already been established here, simply due to the fact we are a healthcare facility, which allowed us to enhance the program that had already been started.”
“Even so,” Kim recalls, “people want reminders as well as little tips and tricks. What came back from the wellness survey we sent out was that people were interested in challenges. So now we do routine fitness challenges. We also have a newsletter called Five to Thrive, based on the idea that all it takes is five minutes of your time to do something promoting your health and making a positive impact on your life. If you can do five minutes a day, it can have a giant impact on your overall health and well-being.”
Kim is also excited about getting a jump on involving McLean’s soon-to-be newest residents, the Depositors who will be moving into The Goodrich, which opens this summer. “Every month I’ve been meeting with them on Zoom,” she says. “We discuss different wellness topics. We’ve discussed serious things, but we’ve also talked about topics like self-massage and even done Tai Chi together. Sometimes it’s light and sometimes it goes a little deeper. But on the third Monday of every month, I meet with them to help develop relationships, so they know who I am, and I know who they are. It helps me get a sense of what interests them, so when they move in, I’ll already understand their specific needs.”
Kim is also enthusiastic at the prospect of moving her classes into The Goodrich. “The new expansion is going to offer so much more just because of the additional class space we’ll have. I also have more options for different spaces because The Goodrich has an auditorium. I could fit a lot more people in there versus the smaller fitness studios in the classroom space we currently have.”
The concept of Boundless Wellness includes seven dimensions under its umbrella, including physical, social, emotional, spiritual, vocational, environmental, and intellectual. And as Kim plans for the studio’s move to The Goodrich, she’s working to ensure every person on the McLean campus, including residents and employees, has access to the life-enhancing concept behind Boundless Wellness.
“No matter who you are,” she explains, “no matter where you’re from, or where you are on your journey to wellness, there’s a space where you’re welcome — where we’ll do everything we can, to support you in whatever you want or need in your life.”