The Health Benefits of Silence in Senior Care

By Haley Burress United States

Found In: ›Activities ›Articles

Have you ever left an event feeling exhausted and overstimulated? Our residents are often shuffled from one group activity to another, with little time for recuperating in between.

Discover the benefits of silence and how to offer opportunities for your residents to enjoy silence and recover their energy.

In this article we cover:

Benefits of Silence and Solitude
How to Foster Silence In Your Community
Silence in Group Activities
Individual Silence and Solitude
Silence as a Gateway to Health

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Comments Post a Comment

Olwyn 17th May 2019 Diversional Therapist

Lovely ideas here. Thank you Haley. Overstimulation can definitely be a problem. Some days in the afternoon, right after the lunchtime meal, I put a youtube movie on of fish in a fish tank, with no sound. Even the medical and allied staff enjoy this hour of peacefulness. There are many similar videos such as waterfalls, or waves crashing on a beach on Youtube. I have also found some DVD's in the Op shop thrift stores.

Haley 21st May 2019 Recreation Therapist And Writer

Great idea, Olywn! I'm sure it adds a peaceful element in your community during a chaotic time (meals are always loud and bustling).

AJ 17th May 2019 Activity Director

Yes, the days of "activities as a party atmosphere all day everyday" are so outdated. We have leisure reading, at 2:30 everyday where residents can come in browse newspaper, magazines, do a word search puzzle, etc. 3x a week (during the winter months) we have coffee cafe where it is a coffee house atmosphere, light music in the back ground, coffee/tea/hot apple cider are served. Things dont always have to be loud, bright and in motion to be an activity!

Haley 21st May 2019 Recreation Therapist And Writer

I completely agree, AJ. I'm also glad that we can meet the needs of our residents in a variety of different ways, since everyone is unique. Love your coffee shop idea as well - keep up the good work!

Kim 14th May 2019 Activity Officer

I just can't love this enough. Personally I am a big believer in silence and find that our residents can be over stimulated which therefore causes " behaviours" . I like to have a peaceful setting for our activities and read the feeling in the room before we decide to play music or chat. Myself in social situations where there is so much noise and commotion going on I feel anxious and angry at times so can completely understand how this would affect our residents on a daily basis. This is a great read and very informative. Well done.

Haley 15th May 2019 Recreation Therapist And Writer

Thanks for the feedback, Kim! Like you, I find myself overwhelmed and overstimulated during busy events or in big crowds - our residents likely feel that way sometimes too. Thankful you already see the benefits of peaceful settings - your residents are better for it!