Elderly people in need something to keep them occupied, otherwise it can be long day. Just because these people are in a facility does not mean they are not capable of doing anything without supervision. Many of these people are still able-bodied but need help with various aspects of life; they may have little family to help or their family is unable to assist them. There are a lot of fun activities that these folks can do to keep themselves occupied.
Classes and Lessons
Classes and lessons don't only have to refer to school, they can refer to any kind of session that teaches something. There are many things that the elderly can still learn, in fact, some still have perfect minds when they are in the 90s. These are good projects because they are run on a schedule, which means consistency for the participants.
Classes where they can be taught simple baking or cooking help keep the mind working. Craft lessons are good as well. Having them work with their hands is psychologically good for them. These classes, of course, should have an educated person supervising, and there should be a low patient to caregiver ratio.
Socializing
Sometimes long-term care facilities have ongoing gatherings for certain hobbies. These are socializing events that happen every week and sometimes every day. This can either be knitting, painting or other activities. These can also include reading hours where someone comes in to read to the elderly. It doesn't have to be reading, it can even be singing.
Making greeting cards and foam magnets are good projects to do in large groups as well. They take less supervision than other crafts. The materials are fairly cheap and are found anywhere. The crafts can also be given or used at a later time.
Group Projects
Instead of individual projects and activities that are done in social groups, there are group projects that are a lot of fun. This requires them to work together as a team, which maintains psychological wellness. These are generally for those who are more physically able.
One of these can be making a large mural. There will be some materials needed for it, such as painting clothes, which can be supplied either by the patients or the facility. There will also be paint, brushes, paint trays and so on. There also needs to be a picture for them to paint. Another form of this is the collage. This can be done with paint or other materials, and can be done by each person completing a square to make it a more organized process.
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