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Ash avatar
Ash Leisure and Life Style assistant

Hi Everyone,

Loving this site it has been such a help in my new role as Leisure and Lifestyle assistant in Victoria, Australia.

I work in a high care facility and have been struggling to get more than 3/15 residents involved in my activities each day. I have one in a "Princess chair" who is non mobile with limited arm and hand movements, a person in a wheelchair and the rest are very hard of hearing with dementia. Does anyone have ANY suggestions of activities that might cater to everyone for more than 5 minutes. I waste so much time setting up and rounding up people that by the time I'm out and ready to go they have all lost interest. I'm only a solo person with a few nurses around who are usually not available to help out.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Susan avatar

Hi Ash

Working with High Care residents is a challenge. Read this post from Lorraine and the answers to it. I think it will be very helpful to you.

https://www.goldencarers.com/comments/40840

Matt avatar

Hey there,

My advice to you would be to keep it simple.

Put some music on (most residents enjoy appropriate music) and blow up a regular sized balloon and play some balloon tennis 1:1. (ie. Residents are in a circle and you stand in front of each resident in turn 1:1 and throw the balloon 5-8 times) Even elders in princess chairs with limited mobility can do this. Grab a newspaper or On This Day and reminisce about the date/day. Do some other gentle exercises, after consultation with your site's physio. Get a whiteboard at the end and play a word game. Take a big word and get them to think of little words. Or, for high care dementia, hold up different shapes and colours and ask residents to identify them....these ideas will work with pretty much any groups, in my experience!

Ash avatar
Ash Leisure and Life Style assistant

Thanks Matt, I really apricate the info

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Christina McDonald
Retired DT Australia Flag
Christina McDonald
Once again, Golden Carers has come to the rescue. I especially love the Read Aloud Audience Participation activity, and I often choose a very shy resident to take part - it’s amazing how much it brings them out of their shell. The quizzes help keep minds active and give residents such a strong sense of self-worth when they get a correct answer.

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