Activities

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My daughter is an activities coordinator in a dementia care home so organising any group activity ( apart from dancing is very difficult)
She is also a licensed masseuse. Most of the residents love her head and hand massage. Music features very large except when one particular group is played and one resident wants them played over and over and over 😩
She spends a lot of time talking to the bed ridden residents.

A lot will depend on the category of need provided by the home. Residential, Nursing, Dementia care all have different levels of need. A lot of homes won't have activity centres but will have activity coordinators, some inhouse, some visiting. You will need to assess what's on offer in accordance with your father's need and ability.

My neighbour moved into a care home in October last year and I visit her every Sunday. There is a timetable of activities each week, which includes singing round the piano; skittles; carpet bowls; art and crafts; a visiting storyteller; a Saturday film in the 'cinema'; pampering sessions; a visiting banjo player and group exercises. After the evening meal there are board games and dominoes in the bar. My neighbour says the activities are mostly pretty much the same each week, but actually she likes that. She doesnt go on the outings, which in the winter were mainly to the garden centre or a nearby small museum, but apparently in the summer are to local beauty spots and events happening in the village. At Christmas they had Santa with real reindeer and a childrens choir from the primary school. The only extra payments are for entry fees on the trips out and those are relatively modest. Each resident has an Alexa in their room and a wide variety of streaming services on their TVs.

I have been quite often to care homes with my Ukelele group playing old time songs which the residents love and join in . A pleasure to visit them ! 😀👍

I do indeed understand why, Annie, and I am so happy for you. I remember you talking of the familiar accents you hear now. You have indeed come home and are making that place better for others. Well done. X

Definitely GSM you understand why x What is of value is being part of the local area, fund raising etc. and I have returned to where I was born 😀

That’s lovely Annie. It sounds as if your new home is so much better than your last.

A llama visited me last summer, Eric, he will visit again this summer, we raise funds for his home for neglected animals

schnackie

Primrose53 - miniature donkeys and ponies!! Where do I sign up?!

It was hilarious seeing the lift doors open and miniature donkeys getting out on the first floor! They were adorable. I will see if I can find photos.

I'm glad you made the right choice, Annie.
Truly glad that you took your time and did what was best.

MissAdventure Arthritis from ankles to shoulders , I chose to move to a. Nursing home and chose which one, not in the area I was living. My sisters say I. live in a holiday hotel! definitely not awful, I certainly made the right decision and choice.

That's so nice to hear, Annie, and proof that not everywhere is awful, as some people think.

GSM many activities and we choose, we are 3 sections , nursing, physical disabilities, Alzheimer’s, beautiful large grounds so those from Alzheimer’s have their own area, I have French windows in my room so I choose what shrubs, plants etc and have a sitting area of my own or if I wish try planting in
the entrance gardens. Quiz night, coffee shop, small pub, cinema, a Welsh choir visits regularly and very much loved by many, karaoke! , this is Wales. A kitchen for residents to try baking, hand crafts, monthly afternoon tea for residents and their families, manicures, facials,reflexology .we also fund raise for things in our area, a hospice, homeless. The young physically disabled have a great time on the mountain roads and walkways, in their wheelchairs picking up rubbish, they get visits from sports men and women too. A local history group gives talks, a local school for children with learning difficulties
visit, painting and drawing is shared.

No charges unless leaving the grounds, naturally we pay for coffees, lunches etc, train tickets.

Start visiting homes. I was shocked when looking for my mil. One home had a very small dining room and said that some residents ate their meals in their room. Another had no carpet, just lino because it was easier to mop and it still smelt strongly of urine. One elderly lady was told brusquely that she had missed her chance of an afternoon cup of tea as she came down too late. One looked like an ex brothel. At the end of a long and distressing day we found a lovely home and I pleaded for her to have the last remaining place.

What activities are provided Annie?

I live in a nursing home

Family of residents could also volunteer, too.
A quiz night, perhaps.

Just download the questions from the internet, maybe even set up a "mastermind" type challenge.

Wow, some wonderful ideas here. When I can volunteer in a care home I will use some of these.👍

I was going to say that people need to be aware that an activity centre built into the home may not necessarily provide the kind of activity that their person would best benefit from.

They may get more from having a good old chat, or a damn good laugh with someone, rather than state of the art equipment.

What a shame for the people who live there, Aneeba

It is a surprisingly hard job to get everyone onside, and doing meaningful things, but yes, family should check that activities are actually taking place.

That's why a paid activity person is a good idea, rather than expecting overworked staff to take on extra work.

I used to "get it in the neck" from staff, who liked routine, management, who like to tick boxes but didn't always deliver, and the residents as well.

Miss A, I wish you had been working at my mother's care home! When we were shown round her home making up our minds as to which one to choose apparently offered numerous activities. It transpired, once we'd moved her in, that they frequently were cancelled or were laughable if they did go ahead... Gardening club was the residents standing or sitting round a young girl whilst she stuck in a pansy. Cooking was them wheeled in to sit and watch another member of staff mix up some biscuit mixture etc etc. There was a fantastic guitar playing singer who had real energy and got them singing along, dancing if able, but he was really the only one who gave a meaningful experience to the residents. Beware the hype, ask to pop in and see the proffered activities in action, preferably without warning!

Primrose53 - miniature donkeys and ponies!! Where do I sign up?!

Outside the home activities can vary, SCLA.
From the cost of just a tea or coffee out, to lunch, or a cinema trip.

Usually the out of house activities were fairly low key, and would cost perhaps £6 to £8 for a silver screen showing at the cinema, as an example.

Lunch out could cost around £12 in pub, if we went with the special offers and deals.

I didn't deal with the finances, really, but always put up posters a couple of weeks in advance, so that family could (hopefully) ensure that the person had enough to be able to go.

For men in the home, I persuaded the handyman to ask for "help" around the home and gardens, and I started a men's nook, where they could watch football, or westerns.

I didn't ever notice a problem between those who could afford extras, and those who couldn't.

There were actually few people who wanted or were able to do big trips out.

Garden centres were our favourite, overall.