Caring for Your Loved One

How Activities are Used to Enrich the Lives of Residents

When looking for a place for your loved one to call home, many concerns may come up. What will they eat? Will they be comfortable? Will they be safe? While these are common questions asked, another big factor to consider is life enrichment; what will your loved one do throughout the day to stay entertained?

In nursing homes, it is a top priority to make sure every resident has a fulfilling life. This goes beyond providing good meals and a clean, comfortable place to call home- it includes creating activities that residents can enjoy.

The Importance of Activities in Nursing Homes

Well-planned and enriching activities are important for the overall wellbeing of residents in these facilities. These programs can contribute to the residents’ physical health, improve their cognitive abilities, and encourage social interactions.

Physical Wellbeing

One benefit of activity programs is their positive impact on the physical wellbeing of residents. These activities can include a range of exercises and are often designed to help meet the unique needs of each resident. Through movement and exercise, residents can improve their mobility, avoid stiffness, and strengthen certain muscle groups.

Cogntive Stimulation

Apart from helping the body, activity programs also help keep the mind healthy. Activities can include things like puzzles, crafts, and memory games. These activities target specific areas of the brain to increase mental engagement, slow memory decline, and improve overall mood.

Social Interaction

Social activities are important for resident interactions. They help build connection and community among residents and staff alike. Forming friendships and bonds provides a sense of belonging and improves many other forms of health, such as mental and social wellness.

To guide and implement each pillar of wellness, most facilities have Certified Activity Directors in their buildings. These are professionals who assess needs, lead, and develop activities for residents.

The Role of Activity Directors

Activity Directors play an important role in enriching the lives of residents in these communities. The work they do often brings residents joy, engages them, and gives them new experiences.

Activity Directors wear many hats to ensure residents have a well-rounded and fulfilling experience. They act as the creative directors, coming up with ideas that cater to a variety of interests and abilities. They are coordinators, making sure each activity runs smoothly from start to finish. They also serve as community builders, creating opportunities for residents to connect with one another through shared experiences.

Planning With Purpose

There is more to planning activities than what meets the eye. Activity Directors often plan with several things in mind: needs, variety, and impact.

Tailoring to Resident Needs

Activity Directors take the time to know residents individually, understanding their preferences, interests, and needs. This allows them to cater certain activities to different resident abilities, ensuring residents across all functional levels receive the same enjoyable experience. For instance, residents who have worked with their hands may be more likely to get involved with activities like gardening and those who grew up playing music may be interested in performing on a facility piano.

Creating Variety

Activity Directors plan a mix of activities each week, including crafts, parties, concerts, sports, and games. They also organize participation in local events and come up with ways to involve residents in the community. This variety ensures there’s something for everyone.

Anticipating Overall Impact

Planning activities becomes easier when there is a clear purpose in mind: to engage and better the lives of all residents. Activity Directors will often put together activities that bring the most joy or encourage the most participation. The end goal is to impact residents in a positive way.

The work of Activity Directors goes beyond just organizing fun things to do. They play a crucial role in enhancing residents’ overall wellbeing. Through their understanding, creativity, and organization, they create joyful experiences and improve their quality of life.

Activities in Creative Solutions in Healthcare Facilities

At Creative Solutions in Healthcare, our approach to activities is about creating experiences that resonate with each resident and create an overall enriching environment. We want you to have peace of mind knowing your loved one will have many opportunities to be involved in engaging activities throughout the day.

Our Activity Approach

At Creative Solutions facilities, we recognize the importance of variety in life enrichment. To appeal to this variety, we divide activities into 8 domains, Physical, Creative, Spiritual, Social, Community, Entertainment, Emotional, and Cognitive. Our buildings host an activity from each domain monthly, while incorporating physical activity at least 3 times per week. This gives residents different experiences to look forward to throughout the month, such as painting, gardening, or going on an outing to an organized community event.

Understanding Individual Preferences

Our Activity Directors take a personalized approach, recognizing that each resident is unique. Rae’la Allen, Activity Director at The Atrium of Bellmead, states, “I begin with evaluating the residents that typically come to activities at the designated times, and then customize what I can to ensure the residents have the most enjoyable experience.” This commitment to understanding individual preferences ensures that activities are personally meaningful to each resident.

Inclusivity Across Ability Levels

Recognizing diverse needs is at the heart of our approach. Rae’la emphasizes, “Residents often need different modalities depending on their physical and cognitive limitations. It is my job to ensure all residents, regardless of abilities, receive and enjoy activities that they can participate in.” This inclusive mindset ensures that every resident, regardless of their abilities, can actively engage and find enjoyment in the activities offered.

Maximizing Benefits through Collaboration

We encourage collaboration across departments in order to provide the best outcome. Working together with other departments, therapy in particular, can help to increase the benefits for our residents. By working hand-in-hand with Occupational and Physical Therapists, we maximize the positive impact on residents’ physical and mental health.

Through our personalized and collaborative approach, we strive to make every activity a meaningful and enriching experience for the residents in our care.

How Do I Find an Activity Program Near Me?

One of our core values at Creative Solutions is Enriching Lives, and we commit to this by ensuring that our residents are happy, healthy, and active. With facilities across Texas, we have life enriching activity programs well within reach of you and your loved one.

So, if you’re looking to better understand what daily life can look like inside one of our buildings, call a facility near you and inquire about their activity program.

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