In a nursing home, creating activities for the residents to participate in is a very important factor, although it is quite difficult to get right. The reason for the difficulty is due to the different factors to be considered in drafting up activities for the residents. When considering activities for the seniors of a nursing home, the recreational therapist has to consider pertinent factors like the physical limitations of the residents and also their cognitive ability. It gets more challenging when you realize that the recreational therapists have to also match the right activity to each resident, taking into account the resident’s specific cognitive abilities and physical limitations. They also have to work hand in hand with the nursing staff to find the most beneficial activity for each resident. Thankfully, there are a ton of fun and engaging activities to pick from for seniors of a nursing home. These activities consist of games, gardening, storytime, and much more, which shall be highlighted below.
Five fun activities for residents in nursing homes
1. Board and Card Games
This is quite the obvious activity, but it works, and not just for seniors, but for everyone. A board or card game is always a great way to pass the time, joke and talk with friends, and much more. In a nursing home, the seniors can be grouped by their cognitive ability to play games at various levels. A popular board game with nursing homes would, of course, be bingo, which is quite popular with seniors and allows them to play for rewards. These are all available in nursing homes in Myrtle Beach and other places.
2. Gardening
An activity every senior can do is simple gardening. A fair 80 percent of residents in a nursing home would enjoy carrying out simple gardening, which is planting flowers in pots and placing them at their window or growing easy herbs in a window garden. Nursing homes can get volunteers to help the residents carry out this activity by either working with them to water the plant and such or working under their direction. This activity allows residents to get some fresh air and mental stimulation to keep depression and boredom away.
3. Storytime
No one likes telling a story more than your grandpa, grandma, or your old uncle, so why not let them. The nursing home can get children to come to listen to their residents tell tales of their youth and stories of their time. With kids getting more interested in history, there’s no harm. Another aspect of this activity is getting volunteers or staff to read to nursing home residents.
4. Food-centered activities
Activities like baking bread or making deserts for fellow residents in the nursing home is a good way to spend the day. There’s no harm in providing a controlled environment where seniors can participate in food-related activities for their fun and benefit, and that if the staff as well. It also provides a great opportunity for the residents to be social with each other, sharing lemonade and discussing politics.
5. Pet therapy
This activity is mostly for the senior pet lovers in the home; however, it can be therapeutic and beneficial to all. This activity comprises trained volunteers bringing certified therapy pets into the home for the residents to pet and interact with. It’s a great way of drawing the more reserved seniors out of their rooms or their shells.
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