CSM OT Students Design Program for Intercultural Senior Center

OMAHA, Neb. – A project designed by College of Saint Mary occupational therapy students to help senior citizens with cognitive decline is now a reality.

OT doctorate students in Assistant Professor Kristan Pilakowski’s class created the Room of Colors, a memory care program that provides activities, education, and additional support for seniors with cognitive deficits, at the Intercultural Senior Center, 5545 Center St., Omaha. A ribbon cutting showcasing the center’s 15 years of growth and the Room of Colors was held March 19.

“The Room of Colors program is a game-changer for these individuals. It enables them to continue benefiting from all the other opportunities available at the center, but in a way that is sensitive to their declining cognitive abilities,” Pilakowski said. “The students used significant research to support the development of the program.”

As part of this community-based OT course, students must partner with an organization and develop a program needed to improve the health and wellness of the community agency’s participants or improve a program currently in place to serve the participants better. The students are tasked with designing a program that includes developing a marketing and sustainability plan, strategic and financial planning, staffing, locating potential grants to fund the program, and evaluating the success of the program.

Students involved in the Room of Colors program were Ashlynn Schmaderer, Laila Saadi, Abigail Schmidt, and Ha’ani Naputi, members of the OTD Class of 2025.