Residential homes for older persons - Consolidated activities list identified from Enter and View Visits
We have compiled this activities list from the Somerset LINk Enter and View visits. Please share this list with residential services you know about and please let us know of any activities you are aware of that can add to this list...
A broad range of activities in residential services for older persons is important as it can provide residents with choices about meaningful ways in which to spend their time. It is especially important when residents are no longer able to access outside activities.
Some homes in Somerset have noted that engaging residents in activities is difficult and have struggled to find meaningful activities to offer.
List of activities
- Annual carol service
- Armchair exercise
- Art class
- Arts and crafts
- Assisted gardening
- Barbeques
- Bingo
- Chiropody
- Clothes direct visit the home
- Comedian visits
- Cooking
- Crochet
- Crossword
- Dancing
- discussion group
- DIY club
- Dough modelling
- Drumming for the brain
- Film club
- Flexercise
- Flower arranging
- Garden Games
- Garden walks
- Gardening (indoor & outdoors)
- Guide Dogs
- Hand bell ringing
- Head massage
- Knitting circle
- Life Story books
- Model making
- Monthly in-house church service
- Music and movement
- Musical Entertainers
- Nintendo Wii exercise
- Old fashioned sweet shop
- One to one manicure
- One to one time to chat
- Pets at home service
- Quizzes
- Reminiscence (Group & 1 to 1)
- Singing
- Songs of praise
- Spare room made into own bar
- Visitors and staff bring in pets to visit
- Visits from local falconry/ bird sanctuary
- Visits from the Donkey Sanctuary
- Visits from the owl sanctuary
Trips out to...
- Garden centre
- Local school nativity
- Theatre
- Pub lunch
- Just for a drive
- Fish and chips out
- Shopping and Christmas shopping
- Christmas lights
- Library
- Sea side
- Local castle or national trust historic building
- Coffee shop
- Cinema
General good practice identified - Activities
- Display an activities timetable on the notice-board and provide a copy to each resident.
- Include an activities list on the home's web site.
- Offer regular individual activities on a one to one basis. This can include assistance with a hobby, writing a life story book or just time to chat or reminisce.
- Encourage and support residents to organise their own activities.
- Invite near by homes to partake in events and activities such as garden parties, quizzes, visiting entertainers and tea dances.
- Discuss activities at resident meetings monthly.
- Offer a mixture of individual and group activities.
- Give gentle encouragement to participate in activities ensuring no-one feels guilty for choosing to opt out.
- Employ an activities co-ordinator or give staff a specific role and time to plan activities with residents.
- Arrange fund-raising activities such as car boot sales which contribute to the 'Residents Fund' which can then be used to pay for trips out and additional activities or equipment.
- Allocate time for staff to arrange individual activities for residents or spend one to one time with a resident.
- Space permitting, invite local clubs such as WI and local film club to meet at the home ensuring residents can join in if they wish.
- Make enquiries to the local Rotary Club, Stroke Club, Scouts Association etc. to see if they can support with arranging transport to community events or rent their minibus.
- Seek volunteers to help run activities.
For more information
For more information about this project, or to tell us what you think, contact Jonathon Yelland at the Somerset LINk office on jonathon.yelland@helpandcare.org.uk ot telephone 01458 250674.