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Solange

Diversional Therapist From Queensland, Australia


1033 Comment

Solange 21st Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Forum

Hi, Elaine, choose any trivia national Day like for instance 'National Comic Book Day' (Sept. 25) or any other in https://www.wardipedia.org/65-pointless-national-days/ and have a session to reminisce. For example:

Residents will share the comics they read as children
Draw cartoons from favourite comic books for a friendly competition
Read the group some trivia relating to Comic Books
Buy some modern comic books so they can see the differences (if any)

Solange 20th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

8 Creative Group Activities for Seniors

Hi Mike, I am very impressed! Fantastic community activity with fantastic results. Congratulations! Thanks for sharing.
Solange 20th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Forum

Hi Kylie, is there a way for you to put the leaders‘ in charge’? Of course, you would be still around for supervision and assistance. If ‘leaders’ have an important role to play they are often very gracious. You can engage their ‘help’ in running an activity. For instance, a 'Collage' could have them assisting their peers and you.

Collage Activity - a lovely art project for people with dementia.

Materials:
- Any colour cardboard or any sturdy paper
- PVA glue and brushes
- Miscellaneous small art material: ribbons, shells, bottle tops, wallpaper, cork, dried flower, magazines, pebbles, photographs, etc, etc.

Role of 'leaders':
- Cutting cardboards to size for background of projects
- Searching and cutting out pictures from magazines, old calendars
- Sorting beads/bottle tops, and any other items by size/ color
- Assisting peers with gluing when needed
- Removing projects for drying safely
- Chatting, offering opinions and reminiscing about the project
Solange 20th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Forum

Hi Michelle, it is exactly because they are frail and needy that they deserve all our love, attention and understanding. If they were more functional they would probably be at home or living in a Retirement Village. Don't worry, we all feel deflated at times by comments made by colleagues who don't fully understand our roles. Keep on doing what you're doing, I'm sure you are a wonderful support for your residents.
Solange 16th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Forum

Hi Sue, I would stock with things like hankies, women's magazines, biscuits, Crisps, combs, bobby pins, chocolate, socks in winter, paper fans in summer, Homemade Lemonade, birthday cards, colognes, Talcum powder, etc. Soon you will find out what is missing in the trolley via the requests.
Solange 16th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Forum

Hi Diane, perhaps changing the name to ‘Brain Teasers’ would not intimidate prospective participants. Golden Carers has dozens of themed Trivia like Colour Trivia, Horse Trivia, Tie Trivia, Amazing Beer Trivia, Big Cats Trivia, and many more.
Congratulations, your concern for continuous improvement is admirable!!

Solange 16th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Target Letter Game #1

Hi Beatrice, yes, you can go any way you want as long as every word contains the middle letter (in any position). Do not repeat any letters!
For instance: Take the letter 'L': Lad, lace, lack, led, let
Take the letter 'P': Place, pal, pea, pat, pace.
Take the letter 'A': Ace, Ape, At, Able, Ale.
It is a good brain game that eventually becomes very popular.
Solange 13th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Party Themes for Dementia Care

Hi Sharon, here is a link with a beach theme for a little reminiscing. https://www.goldencarers.com/beach-reminiscing/3907/ You could also make some DIY Popsicles, and lemonade, flowers crowns for the participants and offer fruit punch, fruit Kabobs, and deviled eggs sailboats.

Decorate the facility with coloured pineapples, shells, and straw hats.
Solange 13th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Forum

Hi Michelle, I know what you mean. You are quite right about one to one, you couldn't get any more person-center than undivided individual attention. But your manager is right too, while you attend

​some​ other​s​ go unattended. Try to find out via their families what sort of leisure they did in the past. Most likely they were busy with life in the past and only now they are ready to take on a hobby. The best thing is to start with very small groups like two or three people and engage them with Cards/ Puzzles/Word Search/ Find the Differences/Word Game. You would have to gather three like-minded residents so they can cooperate with each other. Meanwhile, you could be nearby with another small group. Eventually, you will need a volunteer or two to help you out and make the groups a little larger. All the best!
Solange 13th Jul 2018 Diversional Therapist

Whiteboard Word Association Game

Hi, Kaye, I assume that you write the month of July, for instance, on the board in a vertical manner. Then you ask participants: Can you think of countries starting with the letter ‘J”? (Japan, Jordan, Jamaica) then you ask: How about food? Can you think of food starting with the letter ‘U’? Udon, U-No bar (chocolate). And so on with animals starting with the letter ‘L’ and women's names starting with the letter “Y”. It is a good brain game.
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