Activities

As a slight diversion from the OP, my sister and I visit my aunt fairly regularly and hatched a plan on one visit to play her a few tunes on our piano accordions. Having asked the care home if that was OK, and if they had a bigger space we could use as aunty's room was a bit small to do this in, we turned up at the care home, to find we were to 'perform' in the main dining room, we'd been given 'star billing' and it looked like the entire residency had turned up to listen! However, everyone seemed to enjoy it, there was lots of interest in the instruments and how we came to play them, and we were asked if we would do similar events in the future!

No extras at the care home I visit

Thanks for all the contributions. It does seem as if there's a very wide range of activities on offer. The one observation I'd make is that there is little mention of stuff that might traditionally be more male orientated - watching sports for example. Maybe that's explained by a lower proportion of males in care but they just be my guess based on the belief that females still tend to live longer than males.
I'm encouraged by the suggestion that a lot of the activities are provided in-house but what sort of amounts are we talking about for the 'paid' ones? Did that create any tension between those that could afford them and those that couldn't? My assumption is that social services won't pay for any of these extra activities.

It's such a fulfilling role, isn't it?
I taught lots of things I had no idea how to do, myself, but we had such a good time.

There were 75 residents, though, and just me, and I was starting to feel unwell.

I really wish i could have stayed there.

MissAdventure

After many years working in Adult Education I spent several years working as Activities CoOrdinator at a Day Care Centre and I was involved with a project for older, isolated people encouraging them to enjoy new pastimes.

I taught watercolour painting, macrame, decoupage, knitting and crochet, cardmaking, making rag rugs, salt dough and anything else people liked to try. Profits from making things like cards went back into buying more materials. It was lovely to see many of them so enjoying their new hobbies that their relatives bought them paints, brushes etc for birthdays.

At my Mum’s care home they had quite a lot of activities which people could choose to participate in or not. There were also outings organised to flower festivals, nature parks etc.

Sometimes they had a film afternoon, they had a knitting group, quizzes, special big jigsaws with beautiful designs, adult colouring books, planting bulbs, making cup cakes.

They had visits from miniature donkeys and ponies and they had duck eggs which they enjoyed watching hatch. When the ducklings hatched they let them run about and the residents loved it. They also had guinea pigs brought in which were very popular.

The care home Managers were very keen on getting people out in the fresh air when the weather was good and they had a lovely sheltered courtyard packed with flowers and shrubs. Very comfy chairs with pads, tables with parasols and the staff brought out sunhats, suncream and icelollies and cold drinks.

Some of the homes I visited had lovely gardens but they were never used by the residents.

They must miss you, MissA.

Ooh, knitting. (Not that I can knit!)

Of the paid activities, we had lunches out, theatre trips, and cinema ones.
Some people went to their own choice of clubs, and the mobile library came round fortnightly.

We had (at least) monthly entertainment, such as a 60s night, afternoon tea dances, and so on.

Residents meetings once a month, where family came, and any reasonable suggestions were implemented.

I was an activity coordinator in my last proper job.

We read the newspaper every day, and chatted about the articles and headlines. (I bought in the free metro paper, which one of the station staff put away for me, so most people who were interested had a copy)

We then had a go at the crossword.

I did footspas, for interested people, and we did cooking twice a week.

We did crafts a couple of times a week; once a week was with children from a local nursery, who came to visit.

We played games with balls, did quizzes, had a reading corner, and a tv nook for those who wanted to watch specific things.

The local church came in an held a service weekly, and we went for walks, sat outside, and had a gardening club.

Belly dancing once a week, and chairobics each morning.

We set aside lunch tables for people who had family come and eat with them, and I had a mobile "shop" (an old medicine cabinet in wheels, which we decorated)

Bingo - because everyone loved that, alongside all sorts of other free things I could think of.

I should say that none of these cost extra.

There should be a range of activities available which can help give a shape to the day and week. Different activities suit different people and some people just like a quiet place to be rather than being expected to get involved in anything. The care home I know has quite a range of occupation available depending on the individuals. Generally, most like the lady musician who comes along to play her piano. Some people enjoy singing along,others just listen. It's their choice.
There are interest groups of all sorts. The garden there is really beautiful and some like to potter about and others just to sit and enjoy it.
Recently I went to a prosecco and cheese group for ladies. The men had beer and bacon rolls.
A lot depends on there being an imaginative and active activities co ordinator who really gets to know the residents.