Forum Discussion

Hi Jo. Here in Australia we have a company called Bunnings (a large hardware retail store chain). They run sausage sizzles on their sites but will also come out to aged care facilities to run sausage sizzles on their sites too. Could you run a Family fun day on a weekend, liaise with the local community, perhaps you have a business like a Bunnings that can run a sausage sizzle on your site (bring their own BBQ etc) Liaise with the local schools/ dance schools/ sing schools to get the local kids along to do a dance show/ music show/ choir show and provide the energy that youth brings. Make it a success, take lots of photos and resident testimonies of what a great day it was? Having a BBQ on site for a quarterly friends and families of the residents BBQ is a great opportunity to find volunteers too! Hope this helps in some way.

Hi Joanna, that is a difficult situation. Management are being extra careful which is understandable and obviously, there must be more to it than just saying, no - "for their own sake". There are some legitimate reasons to restrict a small number of elders from engaging in certain activities. But that should not be the rule; what about independence, autonomy and control over their own lives that is so much talked about and encouraged? There should be a careful balancing act between the risks and the benefits​ relating to activities​. Of course, running a safe facility is definitely a priority, but it is not the only role ​that care organizations have.​ Encouraging residents to be involved in their own care and entertainment would reward the facility with happier clients.