We are IH: Alicia Cardiff

We are IH is a recognition campaign to spotlight Interior Health employees and medical staff – through pictures and stories. 

Name: Alicia Cardiff

Worksite: Dr. Andrew Pavilion, Recreation Department, Summerland

Years of Service: 1

Job Title: Recreation Therapy Assistant

As a Recreational Therapist, it's more than helping clients strengthen their physical, social and cognitive capabilities. It's about engaging with clients and bringing a smile to their faces.

To help us celebrate Recreational Therapist Month, Alicia, a Recreational Therapy Assistant with Dr. Andrew Pavilion in Summerland, shares her journey to finding her passion for helping others through her work.

Alicia’s love for fitness ignited at the young age of 16, as she became a certified lifeguard and fitness instructor. Working in city pool facilities in the Okanagan, Vancouver and Nanaimo, Alicia gained first-hand experience in recreation. Inspired to learn more, she pursued a diploma in Recreation Service at Langara College followed by a Bachelor of Recreation in Nanaimo.

Alicia was able to utilize her education and experience to pursue her passion of travel, as she taught backcountry safety awareness for BC Search and Rescue throughout the province. When she wasn’t touring BC, she was travelling the world, including a period of her life living in Ireland.

Upon accepting the position of Recreation Therapy Coordinator at Sun Point Village in 2006, Alicia brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to long-term care for Baptist Housing. Eager to expand her knowledge, she furthered her education at the University of Calgary in the Community Rehab Program. This highlighted her passion for seniors, including a focus on fall prevention and becoming a certified senior’s fitness instructor and personal trainer. Passionate about engaging with those with dementia in meaningful activation to help minimize their responsive behaviours, Alicia’s next career goal is to become a certified dementia care consultant. This would allow her to offer education to people in long-term care, their family, and staff, helping others provide the best possible care.

Alicia took a step back from work to focus on starting her family with her husband in Peachland, where she was also born and raised. Now that her two boys are 5 and 6 years old, Alicia wanted to return to work close to home.

Intrigued by the smaller size facility with more one-on-one time, she accepted a casual position at Interior Health with Dr. Andrew Pavilion. The love that Alicia has for her job is admirable, as she notes that if she won the lottery she would still love to continue her work.

Grateful to have the opportunity to help others, Alicia brings a positive outlook to her work and life. Located in the Okanagan, Alicia is able to continue to pursue her outdoor lifestyle, with 27 years of snowboarding under her belt, a passion for hiking, training for triathlons and tending to her ever-growing garden. Her energetic personality and sense of humour brings life to everyone around her. Thank you for all that you do!

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