Ideas for activities
A little goes a long way
Care home staff are busy people – you have lots of different jobs to do every day. So this section has ideas that you can include in your work day, no matter how little time you have. Small changes can make a big difference and really help to make residents’ lives brighter.
Here are three commitments you can make to residents that will make a difference:
- Connecting residents with the community and outside world, and connecting relatives and friends with the life of the home.
- Understanding residents’ lives (past and present)
- Encouraging conversation, mobility and physical activity, and daily activities.
|
Some of the suggested activities in this section will require further training and guidance from an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists can offer assessments within care homes, so that residents are better able to engage with activities that support their health and wellbeing. They can also offer training schemes for care home staff to support residents to maintain their independence and enjoy their daily routines. |
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2008)[1] recommends that:
Older people should be offered regular group and/or individual sessions to identify, construct, rehearse and carry out daily routines and activities that help to maintain or improve their health and wellbeing.
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2008) Mental wellbeing in over 65s: occupational therapy and physical activity interventions. PH16. London: NICE.