People of Perley - Dana Lawless

When Dana Lawless first walked through the doors of Perley Health, she was a student on placement in 2019. “I fell in love with it right away and decided I wanted to work here,” she says.

Today, she is one of the people helping shape what comes next.

Dana is the program co-ordinator for the new Active Seniors and Veterans Living Centre at Perley, a role that reflects both where she started and where she is going.

She began as a music therapist in the Therapeutic Recreation and Creative Arts department, working in the Gatineau Building with residents living with dementia, Alzheimer's, and advanced frailty.

“It's a very interesting experience working with people with dementia,” she says. “There's a lot that you can learn from them. I think the biggest thing is just how everyone needs connection and to be seen.”

At that time, her days were filled with group sessions and one-to-one visits. Here, music was the bridge. Sometimes unpredictable, often, powerful.

“You could have someone who doesn't say much, but they start singing their favourite song,” she says. “It's really hard to put into words how special that is.”

Dana has many favourite memories from those days. She got to know a resident from Newfoundland who shared a new song with her every day, eventually teaching Dana how to play them.

“We actually started working on songs together,” she recalls. “A highlight was when we performed one of his favorite East Coast songs at the Christmas variety show.”

For Dana, moments like that revealed something deeper about the units.

“There's something about the secure units that surprises people – the community that comes from it. It's really special when you're working with people who have such complex needs. But the community that is built is really something special.”

The sense of community remains a defining experience to this day.

“Everyone's there to lend a helping hand – from the rec staff, the nurses, to food and nutrition, the housekeepers, but also the family members who are coming in to visit their loved ones. There is a really strong community on all those units that is really special to witness.”

Dana also points to the people who guided her along the way. She trained under longtime Recreation Therapist Dave Harris, whose mentorship shaped her approach. It is part of a culture she sees across the organization, where experience is shared and new staff are supported with opportunities to grow and learn.

“I feel like I've taken on many hats here at Perley, and I've been given lots of opportunities to learn new things and new challenges, which is all really exciting.”

That openness has led her down a new path. Dana has stepped into her new role as program co-ordinator for the new Active Seniors and Veterans Living Centre.

The Centre is designed to reach older adults beyond long-term care, supporting independence, health, and connection. For Dana, the timing couldn't be better.

“I think so many seniors, throughout the pandemic, realized the impact that social isolation has,” she says. “This feels like the perfect time to offer a program like this.”

Early feedback had a big impact on Dana. One participant challenged the idea that support is only for “older” seniors.

“She said no one is too young to start their aging journey,” Dana recalls. The conversation shifted the way she thinks about aging and how Perley can support people in their wellness.

Dana sees the centre as a place to build community beyond Perley's borders, and a way to expand what Perley can be.

“There's something for everyone here,” she says. “You feel it the moment you walk through the doors.”

“And I can say with the utmost certainty that every single person here, whether it's a volunteer or staff member, family member, resident or tenant, everyone makes a difference in each other's lives. At its core, what makes each day different is the sense of community and connection.”

Watch Dana perform and original arrangement of "What a difference a day makes"