Karen

Thanks Judy and all. I'm going to try this!

I think making little shamrocks and stringing them together is a good idea, also having an irish themed quiz, and attempting the irish jig!

Hiya Lorraine! My residents find writing very difficult, but I'd like to be part of the pen pals idea, because I can help them, if they tell me their thoughts and I can write them. Also it would be good to read to them. Lorraine, I've made a note of your email address, mine is [email protected]. I am based in London, England and they would love to hear from residents just like them from all over the world. Susan, thanks for the link. I'll follow it right away..

Hmm, this is a really tricky one. I don't imagine your home would employ volunteers? I know the care staff are too busy. It's good, leaving board games and puzzles on tables. But they really need someone to interact with them. I suppose during the week you could tell some of the more high functioning residents, to go round and ask the others if they want to play that board game with them. And you could ask the residents how they found the weekend without activities and how they feel about that. The only other thing I can think of is getting a carer to put on DVDs for them. The last thing we want to do is add to a carers workload, but if any of them agree or they are free, they could read a quiz to them?

In my facility we don't have any baking or cooking activities with the residents, because of food hygiene plus they are not allowed in any of the ancillary areas. But I thought of reading recipes with them, and talking through the method and the ingredients of making a Sunday roast with them for example, or baking a cake. They are very good at remembering the ingredients when I ask them, and show them food from their countries, and reminding them of the food that their families sometimes bring in for them. So that's how I do a "cooking" or "baking" activity with them. I know other facilities will let them participate in cooking, but ours doesn't.

Hello all! I have a new activity that I am going to start tomorrow.

I am going to hold a discussion group, seating the residents around the table, and I am going to record the conversation. (Obviously, by applying any relevant procedures in gaining consent) These conversations can be emailed and passed onto the families of the residents so that they have something good to remeber them by when they pass away. I am going to have a scrapbook for the care home, with photographs of activities and outings that they go to, so it is something for visitors to the home to see, and ask the families if they would like individual scrapbooks as a keepsake also. I'll let you all know how I get on: I just hope and pray that they will participate tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Yes, thank you Elisa. This sounds like a very good resource you have. Our residential care home is staffed 7 days a week, so the residents always have something to do until 4.30 every day. On Sundays, we also have Bible and Hindi stories to read to them. During the week, I have tried Aesop's fables and they love it.

Hello Louise and welcome. Well done for settling into your new role and I really hope you are enjoying it. There are a few things you can do, for example, research gentle chair exercises for the elderly, pop a CD on, and do them with them, sit them around in a circle or rows first. Do you have an ipad or mobile device yourself or in the home? You could google biographies of famous figures they had in their time, like Frank Sinatra or John Wayne, something that they can identify with, and read it to them. Do you have colouring books? You could help them with colouring pages, if they are willing to participate in that. There is sensory touch and feel time - you could give them objects to feel, such as rough, smooth, soft. If you have dominoes or snakes and ladders or any other board games in your home, you could ask them to participate in that. If you have a black board or whiteboard in the home, you could have, what I call, a spelling and discussion group session. You can talk about anything - pick a subject that you know a little bit about, such as old TV and films, gardening, summer holidays - begin talking about it, and ask the residents in turn to spell particular words and write it on the black board. As you are new to this role, I suppose you would need to get to know the residents life stories, what their hobbies are, and what they used to do for work. Do you do quizzes? The residents would love that. Do yo ualso have an activities manager that you can liaise with, and he/she can guide you? Mine provided me with a resources folder when I first started plus there were plenty of things on the activities shelf, though I do go out and buy more, plus fill up the activity folders with printout of stuff like quizzes and biographies, etc. I think there is absolutely nothing like just sitting next to them and chatting to them. This helps you get to know them as well on a personal level thus building up trust and rapport. Please post back and tell us how you get on! Good luck! xxx

Yes, thanks Susan. I have seen your posts, they look really great and helpful xxx

I suppose you could begin by talking about the accomplishments and lives of famous LGBT people. Oscar Wilde is one example. That could set the tone for discussion.