If you find that interest and enthusiasm in programmed activities is waning, it may be time to revamp your Activity Program! Activity Coordinators should consider conducting a survey of residents to seek feedback on Activity Programs annually or bi-annually. Gather feedback and improve your Activity Program with the sample survey templates provided!
Seniors need to keep active for the health of their bodies and minds. Here are some ideas for activity directors to keep the group active and involved.
Hello fellow Activity Directors, I’m excited to share an incredible project that I believe can bring some warmth and connection to your senior living community— “Generations in Ink: A Pen Pal Project.” As activity directors, we’re always on the lookout for meaningful ways to engage our residents, and this program has been nothing short of magical. In a world driven by digital communication, we sometimes forget the beauty of a handwritten letter. “Generations in Ink” is our way of rekindling that magic and forging bonds between our residents and school-age students. It’s a heartwarming experience that fosters understanding, empathy, and friendships that span generations. How It Works: A Bridge Between Generations: “Generations in Ink” transcends being a mere pen pal project. It’s more than ink on paper. It’s the smiles, the laughter, and the profound sense of belonging that this program fosters. It’s about building a connection to the surrounding community and providing purpose to the residents that reminds them that we all have something unique to offer and learn from each other. Join Us: I invite you to be a part of “Generations in Ink.” It’s easy to get started. Simply download the specially curated starter packets, 1 for residents and 1 for teachers, and witness the magic of handwritten letters as they build bridges between generations. [Download the Packets below – Make sure to download both packets] Thank you to Jen for inspiring this activity!!
As your residents' dementia progresses, it can be challenging to find appropriate activities that are simple, yet meaningful. Try providing activities that appeal to their five senses. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
Activity directors are hard-working, compassionate, great multitaskers, and efficient communicators, but just like any other occupation, activity directors can forget the reason why they chose such a demanding profession. Here are a few tips to help you get your passion back. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
March Calendar Senior Activities, Elderly Activities, Activities for Activity Planners, Mardi Gras Party, St. Patrick's Day ideas and more
10 free and easy group activities for the elderly and seniors. Great for nursing homes and assisted living retirement communities, activity directors
Daily cognitive activities in your activity program are important to keep your senior residents engaged, mindful, and alert. Here are a few cognitive activity ideas that can be used as one-on-one activities or group activities for your residents. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
In order to run efficiently, most assisted living facilities require the use of student volunteers to help out with activities. There are plenty of activities with which these student volunteers can assist you and your residents. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
Reminiscing with the elderly is a wonderful way to validate the lives of individuals and provide seniors with a sense of purpose, especially those living with dementia. Reminiscing activities also encourage social interaction and promote interpersonal skills.
Caregiver created list of dozens of dementia activity ideas.
Don't forget to schedule fun activities during the evening hours to keep your residents entertained and engaged. Here are a few activity ideas to add to your senior activity calendar. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
This is a wonderful game designed to improve dexterity, foster social skills, and create a warm atmosphere of reminiscence. It can be adapted to any occasion! Residents will enjoy reminiscing and sharing stories.
When I started my first Activity Director job, I was only a few years out of college. While I had worked with seniors in a skilled nursing community before, nothing quite prepared me for taking on an Activity Director role. Here are a few things I wish someone had told me in those first few weeks, months, and years.
The assisted living activities calendar ideas is the very best reminder. A meeting calendar is ideal for you. The calendars are supplied on this page alongside hyperlinks to download them. Such a calendar lets them mark important small enterprise occasions, conferences, and other business-related pursuits. If you happen to're searching for a extra eye-catching calendar,
Activity ideas to celebrate the month of June for seniors and caregivers. June activities for seniors can be fun and also help us to kick off the summer!
Being a teacher or activity director is hard work. From planning to managing student behavior, there is a myriad of requirements that make this job hard when done right. Now, we have a new element to add to this already … Read More
The assisted living activity calendars is the perfect reminder. A meeting calendar is ideal for you. The calendars are provided on this web page alongside
People living with dementia deserve to live to their full potential, with meaningful activities and the right support to achieve maximum engagement in social and leisure pursuits. Engagement and participation are good indicators of quality of life for nursing homes and other senior care organisations. In this article we cover: 9 Principles of The Montessori Approach 12 Examples of Suitable Montessori-style Activities What is Successful Engagement?
What senior doesn't love to see a smiling child's face? Here are a few intergenerational activity ideas to incorporate into your monthly activity program. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
Sharing and recollecting memories with seniors in long term care helps them to affirm who they are and to maintain self worth. It is also a stimulating mental activity, promoting good social interaction and strengthening friendships. Residents may benefit from listening to the wonderful and touching stories of their peers. Reminiscing stories may be video recorded with the resident’s permission and as per facility protocols. If this is not possible, chronicle the memories in a scrapbook to share with members of the families. Reminiscing sessions give staff a better understanding of their clients' needs, leading to improved care. In this article we provide 13 meaningful themes for reminiscing.
With an increasing number of seniors having poor vision, it's necessary to provide more activities that can accommodate residents with limited or low vision. One way to help these residents is by providing activities that involve their other senses. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
Everyone experiences the world through the senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. These senses diminish with age, impacting lifestyle and well-being.
Over time, residents (and staff) can get tired of playing the same games, day after day. To ease the monotony, consider spicing up your bingo games to create more interest for you and your residents. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
Chair Activity Bingo! Great way to get active in a classroom with limited space. Also great for senior centers! Chair Activity Bingo! Great way to get active in a classroom with limited space. Also...
Things to do in November with seniors and the elderly.
Depois de longas férias, cheias de atividades interessantes, nada como começar o ano voltando para a escola com muitas histórias na mochila. E se não aconteceu nada muito incrível, bom, não tem problema, pois deve ter sido especial de sua própria man
A rising trend in senior living is pairing up residents with younger local students to be pen pals. Here's how to start a pen pal program at your community.
As an Activity Coordinator, things can get really busy and there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. It’s hard to sneak away time at your desk for notes or planning because every activity is so hands on. Well, I have come up with a list of 10 activities most seniors should be able to do independently so you can take some time to work at your desk, plan activities or just catch up on emails. 1. Gardening Club I just set out supplies on a table, zip lock of dirt, flower pot, seeds, water, maybe some small plants. Sometimes I leave markers, stickers or paint so they can decorate the flower pots. They come in, chat, share stories and enjoy getting their hands dirty. I put down plastic table cloths I get from the dollar store to make clean up a piece of cake. 2. Card Games Again, I just set the tables with any supplies they need, (cards, card holders, automatic shufflers, score pads, list of rules and pencils) and let them enjoy. The games most popular with my group is Hand & Foot, Bridge and Spades. 3. Travel Video Experience This one is really fun for my group. I use a travel video, sometimes documentary style, sometimes just images/vlog style. I pick a food from that location, ex. for our video about Berlin, Germany I put out a selection of sausages and some pretzels. I also put out some beer or an apple juice punch (for those who can’t have alcohol). I decorated the snack table with little German signs and little volkswagon toy cars and such. Again, I just set the table and start the video, they help themselves to snacks. I’ll try to link some of the videos we have done, the Travel Experiences have been a really big hit with them, and it’s a nice little break for me too! 4. Word Games/Picture Finds I have several of these on my site, sometimes I download them from www.teacherspayteachers.com. It’s an easy activity they can do on their own. They like to sip coffee and gossip while they work on them. 5. Card Making I just set out the supplies on the table that they like to use (cardstock, glue sticks, scissors, stickers, stamps, scrapbook paper, etc.). We have a resident who keeps a list of anyone that is sick or has a birthday coming up and each person in the group picks a person on the list to make a card for. 6. Happy Stitcher Group We have a group of ladies that enjoy knitting. They get together about once a week and knit baby blankets which we later donate to local charity groups. This is a very independent group activity. 7. Prayer Group We have a box in our main hallway that residents drop prayer requests into. Each week our Prayer Group meets to go through the requests and pray together for each other. I usually provide them some refreshments but otherwise this is a resident led, independent activity. 8. Flower Arrangements This is not an activity that we are able to do terribly often, but it’s great fun when we do. I have established a rapport with some of our local florists in our area. When their flowers get to a point where they can not sell them but they are still good for a week or so, or they may be cut short and were scraps from another arrangement, they donate them to us. We usually get a fair amount so I just spread them out on the table, give my ladies some recycled plastic bottles and let them go to town. 9. Put on a Short Play This is something my residents are doing right now. It’s a very short comedic play (3 scenes) or so. Not much props (I am helping with those). They have weekly play practice on their own and I just help with the set up. 10. Laugh Lines Group This group meets to laugh and socialize together every 2 weeks or so. I look up a bunch of appropriate jokes, print them out and stick them in our Funny Fish Bowl. They take turns taking out jokes and reading them to the group. I usually leave out punch and maybe some pretzels or goldfish. They love reading the jokes and laughing together. It’s always a great time! Hope these inspire some activities at your facility!
Questions, games, and activities to help a senior/elderly rediscover childhood memories. An e-book in PDF format.
Here is an over 80s song list. It includes lyrics to over 80 popular songs from yesteryear to enjoy in a sing-along. Sing the first line, and then ask residents to sing the next line!
At times during the month, it is necessary to supply residents with activities to meet their spiritual needs. Here are a few types of spiritual activities that you can add to your current activity program. Get more senior activity ideas at notjustbingo.com TODAY!
In most senior care communities, there are residents who prefer solitude or have introverted tendencies. These individuals enjoy being in their bedrooms and often choose not to actively seek interactions with others. In this article we cover: Loners vs. Introverts: An Important Distinction Common Reasons for Choosing Solitude Mental Illness and Social Alienation Considerations Isolation in Senior Care: Addressing the Challenges 15 Activities for Loners and Introverts
Laughing doesn't just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter has been clinically proven to strengthen your immune system, activate and relieve your stress response and stimulate many organs. In this article we cover: Sometimes Laughter is the Best Medicine 10 Benefits of Laughter Tips for Adding Humour to your Facility 12 Activities to Make People Laugh The Importance Of Laughter In Long Term Care Facilities ›
Caregiver created list of dozens of dementia activity ideas.
Fill in your info below to get the 5 minute storytelling scripts There are 6 pre-written scripts to use and share!
Things to do and places to go during May with seniors and the elderly. Celebrate May Day and Mother's Day, be a bird watcher, visit antique stores, and more!
Caregiver created list of dozens of dementia activity ideas.
