Regarded as an expert administrator in the field of senior care, Melissa Khedar is a life enrichment professional with more than twenty years of experience in Canada’s private and public sectors. In the past, she has held such senior programming positions as Corporate Director of Life Enrichment with Lifetimes Living Inc., Director of Recreation with Revera Inc., Activation and Volunteer Services Supervisor with the Region of Peel, and Director of Resident Programs with Diversicare Canada Management Services Company Inc. Her latest position is Senior Manager of Adult Day Programs with The Neighbourhood Group Community Services, a social agency serving more than 40,000 people in 30 locations across the Greater Toronto Area. A strategic thinker who is always looking for new ways to expand her horizons, Melissa credits her career success to her creative and open-minded approach to senior life enrichment, as well as her advanced collaborative and planning skills.
When not working, you can usually find Melissa Khedar either curled up with a good book or visiting the many parks, preserves, and other natural areas surrounding her home city of Oakville. Whenever she has the time, she also loves to travel to unfamiliar places and immerse herself in the local cultures.
Q: What made you choose a career as a life enrichment professional working with seniors?
Melissa Khedar: I knew since I was a teenager that I wanted to pursue a career in senior care, mainly based on service volunteer experiences that I’d had. But as I grew closer to that goal, I had to decide which discipline to specialize in. It should come as no surprise that there are a great many to choose from—everything from occupational therapy to patient advocacy to audiology to general nursing. What appealed to me about studying life enrichment was the fact that it was the one area where I could help seniors enjoy themselves and expand their horizons, rather than addressing their basic needs or trying to slow the inevitable physical effects of aging. Back then, I really liked the idea of being the person responsible for making sure they had a good time. I still do. It’s now two decades later, and I know that I made the right choice.
Q: Where do you find inspiration when you need to create new programs and activities for the seniors under your care?
Melissa Khedar: The overarching principles I try to keep in mind when developing new programming are empathy and understanding. I do my absolute best to put myself in the shoes of the people in my charge. So, when I have an idea about a new class, day trip, or activity, the first thing I do is ask myself a series of questions: Is this suitable for people of advanced age? Will it engage their minds? Will it be fun for them? Will it bring them fulfillment? Will it be too physically taxing? The other major way I find inspiration is by having meaningful conversations with the seniors I work with every day. I genuinely enjoy talking with them, and most of them are not shy about telling you what they like and what they don’t like. Sometimes they even make suggestions of their own—and I’ve ended up using those on more than one occasion!
Q: What did your educational path look like?
Melissa Khedar: After high school, I enrolled at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. By that point, I knew I wanted to work with seniors in some capacity, and I knew that required a background in life sciences. McMaster is renowned for having one of the best life sciences programs in Canada, which is why I chose to study there. I earned a B.Sc. in Life Sciences and a BA in Gerontology, and also completed a Geriatric Certificate Program from McMaster. Beyond that, I build on my qualifications every chance I get. For example, I earned Long-Term Care Management Certification and Long-Term Care Administrator Certification—both from the Canadian Health Care Association—in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
Q: What are some obstacles you’ve encountered while doing your work?
Melissa Khedar: One thing that took some getting used to over the years was switching between the private and public sectors. The modes of operating, practices, and processes are very different between the two. I’ve also worked within the public sector in different provinces, and each jurisdiction presents its own unique challenges depending on the legislation that has been passed. Ontario law is different from Saskatchewan law, and so on and so forth. So, I’ve had to memorize a lot of things like that over the course of my career. But to be honest, other than administrative matters, I’m sort of amazed at how smoothly things have turned out. It can also be difficult maneuvering new policies and procedures, regulations and protocols issued at a provincial or municipal level.
Q: What is the one thing you wish you knew before entering the field of life enrichment?
Melissa Khedar: Looking back, at the outset of my career, I don’t think I realized just how attached I would get to the people under my care. It was definitely a pleasant surprise, but it does sometimes make it difficult to say goodbye when I have to move on to a new position. That being said, I wouldn’t trade the relationships I’ve made for anything in the world. I love my seniors!
