Carers' Corner

How to select suitable activities for elderly home residents ?

Participation in activities is a good way to improve elder¡¦s adaptability and provide them with more social interaction. Suitable activities are especially important for elderly home residents to help them adapt to living in the homes.
The importance of activity to elderly home residents:

1. The sensory stimulations involved in activities can promote elders¡¦ physical health and enhance their cognitive function, social skills and emotional control.
2. It offers an opportunity for the residents to keep in touch with the outside world which helps to reduce their sense of loneliness and avoid social disengagement.
3. Active participation in activities enhances residents¡¦ skills and talent and so helps them to better understand their abilities. The encouragement and recognition received enhance their self-worthiness.
4. It enriches residents¡¦ lives, allays their anxiety and emotional distress.
5. It helps to reduce wandering behavior amongst demented residents.

The importance of activity to elderly home staff:

1. It enhances communication between the residents and caregivers.
2. Caregivers gain better understanding of the residents¡¦ abilities and limitations, hence facilitating care.
3. Participation in activities for the carers can also increase their job satisfaction.

The choice of activity
Activities can be classified into individual, small groups or collective activities. For the quiescent residents, group activity is more suitable as it encourages participation through group dynamics. Group activities also involve less manpower and are more practicable in elderly homes settings. Some examples of simple activities are given below:

• Cognitive activity: playing chess, playing mahjong, computer game, reality orientation activity, reading newspaper, etc.
• Physical activity: fitness class, Tai Chi, etc.
• Social activity: tea time gathering, group game, visit, group picnic, etc.
• Self care activity: grooming, food preparation, etc.
• Leisure activity: Yum Cha, horticulture, Cantonese opera, outdoor activity, watching television, etc.
• Work-related activity: volunteering, assisting other residents in shopping, simple cleansing, etc.
• Creative activity: calligraphy, painting, handicraft, etc.
• Spiritual activity: religious activity.

How to select and design suitable activities for elderly home residents
Caregivers can select and design an activity for residents systematically through the following steps:

1.Assessment	Use holistic approach in assessment, bear in mind residents¡¦ interest, preference and abilities. Assess the residents¡¦ physical, cognitive, social and emotional status in their daily lives and note their impairments and limitations. Consider environmental factors and constraints and try to match the objectives when designing activities.
2. Planning	Consider the aims of each activity, the nature (e.g. group activity with 2-8 residents or collective activity with more than 8 residents), type (cognitive, physical, self care, religious or leisure activities), number of participants and their abilities. Based on the above information decide on the date, time, frequency, leader of activity, number of staff required, equipment and venue preparation. Group residents with similar interest, needs or temperament. The number of participants would depend on their physical abilities. A suitable group size is around 6 to 8 participants. It may be necessary to cut down the group size to 2 to 4 participants if they are frail and more assistance is required. As most elders may have difficulty to concentrate, activity should not be too long. In general, it should not last more than 45 minutes.
3. Selection	Select an activity that suits the residents¡¦ physical and cognitive abilities. Avoid too much competition. Avoid selecting monotonous activities which are boring. Simple activities can also meet the aims. Focus on the fun part, the residents should enjoy the process, which should be a positive experience with a sense of achievement. The activity can be a part of residents¡¦ daily schedule such as folding clothes, horticulture and simple cooking tasks. Select activities that allow flexibility in the level which can be adjusted for different residents.
4. Preparation	Select a quiet, comfortable environment to avoid disturbance. Prepare all the necessary equipment beforehand, so that there is no need to leave the residents alone during the activity. Ensure safety, for example, clear passage and stable furniture, etc. For demented residents, a reality orientation board with the date, weather and title of activity can be put up in an eye-catching area. Alert residents before the activity to prepare them psychologically. Prepare a programme rundown. List all the content, steps and necessary equipment needed for the activity so that the caregivers can be more familiar with the procedures.
5.Implementation	Encourage residents¡¦ participation in the activity. Even the physically disabled residents, who cannot join, can observe and give applause. Encourage residents to maximize their knowledge and skills. During group activities, ask the more capable residents to help the less capable ones. Use graphics or words to prompt as may be required. Sit in a circle with a table in the centre so that residents can have eye contact with each other. Provide residents with a name badge. During the activity, address residents by their names so that they can become familiarized with each other.
6. Evaluation	After the activity, homes can evaluate the activity by the following criteria: Has the objective of the activity be achieved? For example, has the activity enhanced residents¡¦ sense of belonging? Evaluate the effectiveness of the activity, for example, has the activity enhanced residents¡¦ skill in daily living and communication; improved their concentration or changed their degree of happiness? Evaluate the process of the activity, for example, residents¡¦ participation and their degree of engagement.

Conclusion

Participation in activities can bring about a sense of achievement and provide residents with an opportunity to develop their skills and talent. Caregivers should arrange different kinds of activities so that residents with different physical abilities, background and interest can make the best use of their potential through the activity and enhance their self- worthiness and satisfaction in life.


 

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Activity and Elder