The recent lockdowns have had a massive impact on the way that we provide enrichment and activity to care home residents across the UK. Social distancing protocol and limited resources have made it difficult to come up with new and engaging care activities, whilst also keeping residents safe and healthy. Care teams have had to change the way that they approach daily activities to keep residents active and entertained. However, just because there are new limitations on care home activities, doesn’t mean we have to make things less fun.
Below we have compiled some great new ideas on how to introduce new activities into your schedule:
Patchwork Poetry
This is a great activity for any word lovers!
Patchwork poetry focuses heavily on using both creative and cognitive skills to create something new out of old materials.
Start out by gathering a collection of reading material. This can be newspapers, books or magazines (You could even reach out to the local community and ask for donations).
Ask the residents to create their own poems using the words written in their text. Do this by selecting words and writing them down separately. You could try the blackout technique instead and shade in or create designs on the page to leave only the chosen words exposed.
If you like this activity, you should try ‘Proverbs’ on the Magic Table 360 for more word based play.
Virtual Picnic
This project can be arranged alongside resident’s family members, or with staff to create a ‘virtual picnic’.
The resident could be involved in the cooking process or cake decorating. They would then enjoy a small picnic whilst chatting with family members online, or socially distanced with staff. This activity is great for socialisation and fighting social isolation. The physical aspect can also be great for motor skills. Plus, the resident gets to enjoy a nice reward for all of their hard work!
If creating memories is what you’re looking for in your sessions, how about you try out our Magic Table 360 game- ‘Happy Memories’.
Blindfolded Painting
This one is great for the art lovers in the bunch!
Using a large scroll of paper. Together or individually residents can work together on sections to create a blindfolded work of art. This activity allows for a focus on the individual senses and taking away the visual element of painting focuses on developing the resident’s motor function. There is also a strong focus on engaging the creative part of the brain to create something wonderful. It can also be great for socialising with staff and other residents from a socially distanced environment.
If you want to introduce a less messy version of painting, try out our Magic Table 360 game series- ‘Paint a Picture’.
If you tried out or enjoyed any of these ideas, please let us know or contact us on our social media below.
Not a member of the Happiness Programme?
The Happiness Programme is a first-of-its-kind initiative helping to change the lives of people living with cognitive challenges. We use interactive light technology to provide meaningful activities for residents and patients in care homes and care settings. For more detail on what the Happiness Programme is and how it’s helping care venues across the UK, visit our getting started page.
Alternatively, jump to our dementia, learning disability and NHS pages for more specific detail on how it’s helping care homes like Barchester and HC-One as well as hospitals and local authorities such as St George’s Hospital, London and Westminster and South Kensington Council.
For anything else, you can contact us here too.
