Solange

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.

Hi Jennifer, you may wish to explore why the applicant wants to be a volunteer.
Motivations worth taking notice of include:

- They want to give 'something back' to the community
- Desire to gain experience in a field they hope to be able to work in one day
- Need to meet people / need to feel needed
- Have skills from previous paid position that may be useful
- A desire to keep active (if person is older)

If the applicant is unemployed, try to find out why.

Also make sure to prepare a 'Position Description' describing a small list of tasks available for volunteers, so the applicant can compare them with their own skills and expectations. You will find relevant material in this link: https://www.goldencarers.com/volunteers-handbook/3252/

I hope this helps. This is a great question to ask on our Facebook Group page too:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ActivitiesForSeniors/

Hi Amanda, you are very lucky to have volunteers, they are invaluable assets for any care facility. Volunteers can teach a small group (2 to 3 persons, cognitively similar) how to play card games; they may have to learn simple games like: Go Fish! Crazy Eights, or any other game they know. Volunteers could also facilitate small groups for these activities:
1)Take a couple of clients to a coffee shop (approval from management and written consent from clients or family is necessary).
2) Creative work: sculpting, painting, colouring.
3) Board games.
4) Cooking activities: frosting cupcakes, filling Halloween bags of Trick or Treat, making fruit kebabs, decorating half boiled eggs,
5) Craft: Chocolate Holder Chicks for mothers’ day, Festive Wall Art, decorating eggs for Easter.
Best wishes.

Hi Kymberly, there are some activities that sometimes alert the interest of clients and don't need a lot of supervision.

Depending on stage of dementia you could chose from these activities:

Word Search, Picture Puzzles, Sorting Colour and Matching Shapes Games, Spinning Tops, Pairing and Sorting, cutting pictures from magazines (safety scissors required), Fiddle Boxes, Doll Therapy, Speciality books (cars, boats, caravans, trains), Colouring, Scratch & Sniff stickers, Spot the Differences.

All you do is show them and perhaps start the activity for them to continue.

Regarding the men not wanting to do anything; it is so true, memory clients are forever nodding on and off during the day. On the other hand, excessive nodding during the day (falls asleep while watching TV, reading a newspaper, or sitting on a sofa or during a conversation) could be caused by disturbed sleep and may be treatable. Inform clinical staff of your concerns.

Best wishes.

Hi Darlene, I am afraid I am not qualified to help you there. A Nutritionist would be more suitable. Interesting that you are involved in the menu of your facility; that does not happen in Australia in my experience. It is certainly an interesting and challenging facet of your job.
Best wishes.

Hi Shannon, yes drumming is a great activity for clients; as well as being diverse, fun, and different, those with physical issues can also be included. You could hire a Drum Therapy facilitator or facilitate it yourself. If you are doing it yourself, first learn a few beats with the links below and repeat them in a Drum Circle session; a circle of residents, each holding a drum.
The following links will give you a good idea on how it goes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBsxPFLWAfQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8Ru09OH3zM&list=RDUBsxPFLWAfQ&index=2
Best wishes.

Hi Christine, over fifty chicks!! That's impressive! Thank you very much for sharing. Cheers.

Hi Darlene, to make shopping less time consuming there are a few things to remember such as:
• Composing a grocery list and sticking to it
• Avoiding impulse buying
• Looking for specials on staple items
• Buying in bulk when it makes sense
• Don’t forget your coupons (if applicable)
• Keeping all the receipts to enter into a spreadsheet

Good luck with the shopping!

Hi Susan, in my experience, one activity that always engaged clients alert or otherwise was poster making. We would give them lots of magazines, travel brochures, and old calendars, and ask them to cut (use safety scissors) the pictures relevant to the poster. For instance, Mothers’ Day is around the corner and a poster or two would be nice to decorate the facility. The Mothers’ Day poster can have different themes such as ‘Mothers’ of the World’ with mothers and children/babies from different countries, or ‘Famous Mothers’ with celebrities and their children, or a flower poster with pictures of all the mothers in your facility. You may also try some easy craft activities and games, links below.
https://www.goldencarers.com/mothers-day-flowers-craft/3583/
https://www.goldencarers.com/the-price-is-right-game/3200/
https://www.goldencarers.com/school-days-reminiscing-cards/3831/

Hi Ana, it depends on your set up. You may use a corner of the recreation area to keep the dolls. In this corner you should have comfortable chairs for clients to sit and nurse the babies. Also have a changing table, baby clothes and other baby related items. Usually the clients just enjoy holding the dolls. This activity can be daily for as long as there is interest.