Template.latestActivitiesByTypeTable.helpers({
  residentsLatestActivities: function () {
    // Get resident activity details from template
    var residentsLatestActivities = instance.residentLatestActivityDetails.get();

    return residentsLatestActivities;
  },
  tableSettings: function () {
    var tableSettings = {
      showFilter: false,
      fields: [
        {key: 'residentName', label: 'Resident Name'},
        {key: 'homeName', label: 'Home Name'},
        {key: 'latestActivityDate', label: 'Latest Activity Date', tmpl: Template.dateCell},
      ]
    };

    return tableSettings;
  }
});

Template.latestActivitiesByTypeTable.created = function () {
  // Set instance variable for consistency
  instance = this;

  instance.residentLatestActivityDetails = new ReactiveVar();

  instance.autorun(function () {
    // Keep track of the selected activity type
    var activityTypeId = instance.parent().activityTypeSelection.get();

    if (activityTypeId) {
      Meteor.call('getResidentsNameHomeAndLatestActivityByType',activityTypeId,function(error,residentLatestActivity) {
        instance.residentLatestActivityDetails.set(residentLatestActivity);
      });
    }
  });
};

@@ -363,24 +363,35 @@
  %5B%0A        %7B
+%0A          
 key: 'reside
@@ -394,24 +394,34 @@
 sidentName',
+%0A         
  label: 'Res
@@ -427,24 +427,94 @@
 sident Name'
+,%0A          sortOrder:2,%0A          sortDirection: 'ascending'%0A        
 %7D,%0A        %7B
@@ -509,24 +509,35 @@
 %7D,%0A        %7B
+%0A          
 key: 'homeNa
@@ -540,16 +540,26 @@
 meName',
+%0A         
  label: 
@@ -569,16 +569,87 @@
 me Name'
+,%0A          sortOrder: 1,%0A          sortDirection: 'ascending'%0A        
 %7D,%0A     
@@ -652,16 +652,27 @@
        %7B
+%0A          
 key: 'la
@@ -689,16 +689,26 @@
 tyDate',
+%0A         
  label: 
@@ -730,16 +730,26 @@
 y Date',
+%0A         
  tmpl: T
@@ -764,16 +764,88 @@
 dateCell
+,%0A          sortOrder: 0,%0A          sortDirection: 'descending'%0A        
 %7D,%0A     

Add default sorting