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Sarah 29th Mar 2017 Activities Assistant
I am looking for new ideas for our activity calendar, what would be good ideas to incorporate people living with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or multiple personalities? I see lots on here for dementia and Alzheimer and I figure someone has some wonderful ideas out there for this! Thank you in advance!
Solange 30th Mar 2017 Diversional Therapist
Hi Sarah, activity interventions for people with mental illness are often created for small groups (4 to 6 participants); it is said to be more effective. You could try board games, group art (painting or sculpting), watching a movie and discussing it, visiting local cafes, T-Shirt recycling, gardening, drawing, talking about fears, and exercise. Hope this can help. Cheers.
Shelley 11th Apr 2017 Music therapist
I work with individuals in long term care living with symptoms of mental health diagnosis. These individuals now seek me out for interaction and feel other staff do not understand them. We have honest conversations in small groups, we support each other in game situations, where everyone helps everyone, and I actually let them make their own group rules. They have have very little control over their life and this simp,e change empowers them. They are given small plants to care for on their window sill, something to care for. We have music groups, sharing music preferences, at times listening, at times reviewing the lyrics. When they live in long term care it can be easy to be stuck in a group listening to Frank Sinatra.

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