Social-Ability

How can I entertain people living in bed?

It can be difficult to find activities to do with someone who is bedbound. One great option is sensory activities. The Happiness Programme provides over 80 sensory games and activities, many of which are focussed on relaxation and stimulation for use with people at end-of-life care or people living from their bed.

At Acorn Lodge, a residential care home treating people with learning disabilities and other complex needs, the Happiness Programme is having a huge positive impact. We spoke with Tatiana and her colleagues about how they’re using the Happiness Programme and how much they love it.

“We’re using different types of games and programmes for different clients.”

Tatiana told us how at Acorn Lodge, they use the Happiness Programme in multiple ways. On the floor for more mobile residents, playing games like bowling and snakes and ladders or on the ceiling for residents in bed.

One of the residents at Acorn Lodge is bed bound, and they use the flowers activity to provide stimulation. When they do this, the resident will watch, clap and laugh along.

She also mentioned how great it is for when the weather is bad, as they use the Happiness Programme indoors alongside throwing parties to make residents happy and keep them stimulated even when outdoor activities aren’t an option.

“Residents can maintain and develop skills.”

She told us how the games and activities available on the Happiness Programme are extremely stimulating for residents, how they help to develop resident skills and that they do exercises to improve cognition using the activities available.

They also find the Happiness Programme to be a great instrument for socialisation, using games in groups of 3 or 4 residents.

Residents dance and play music and religious residents use the Happiness Programme for prayer.

“For bed bound people there are limited options, and the Happiness Programme answers all of our problems.”

Tatiana mentioned how the Happiness Programme has been life changing for a bed bound resident, who she says it has been almost impossible to provide activities for. At first, she had responded to her favourite music but that stopped stimulating her after a while. When staff use the Happiness Programme with her, they show her different images and Tatiana says she began to focus more and now, she smiles and claps.

She says “It’s the best”, all residents can use it whether they have mobility or not, regardless of age. For people who are bed bound, the Happiness Programme provides a resolution because of the different activity options like music, relaxation therapy and more.

“It is a wonderful instrument and it’s good there are constantly new games.”

The last thing Tatiana and her colleagues discussed was how much their residents benefit from our regular uploads of new games. She says how occasionally residents can lose interest in old games if they play too often, so the new additions are always exciting and residents are always happy to play on the Happiness Programme.

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