Martin

HI Cathy, we have been doing them 'virtually' over Zoom, it seems to work well.

I have been having a sort out of the supplies cupboard and found an (unopened) Virtual Reality headset - the type where you have to put an iphone inside. Does anyone have any experience using these with seniors with dementia? Did they enjoy it?

If so, are there any programs you would suggest?

Have you tried birdwatching? This seems to go down well with our male residents... If they are able, perhaps making bird feeders is another idea.

Thanks Jean, this is such a great idea, I will give it a go.

Hi Nadine, we have got in touch with a local nursery school and they are getting the kids to paint cards for the residents. They did it for us at Christmas too and the residents loved it!

Hi Kelly, I started about three months ago and I have learned that while it is always important to have a plan for what activity to run, it is also really important to be flexible according to which residents are in the room and what mood they are in.

Some residents will prefer things that make them think (newspapers, reminiscing, quizzes) others prefer more practical things (gentle exercise, crafts, baking). Make sure you are prepared for either.

Once you meet your residents and find out what they are like, it will get much easier.

Good luck!

Thanks for all your help and great ideas. We had a lovely day and the residents really enjoyed themselves.

I have been tasked with putting together an activity for the residents for dignity day (1st Feb) but am struggling to come up with an idea. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.