Whether you’re struggling to meet their individual personal needs or you just want to appeal to all of their preferences, considering most care homes have limited time, resources and/or budget, this can quickly become an overwhelming task. Fortunately, activity planners can overcome this hurdle with the right knowledge and planning.
To give you inspiration, I've created this guide listing the top 10 care home activity ideas you should consider tying with an explanation of the benefits to your residents, staff and your service. After reading it you should have lots of great ideas to improve residents' health, happiness and well-being.
Care Home Activity Ideas – Our top 10
1. Music
Music has been shown to been very beneficial, especially for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Music memories are retained by the brain even as other memories and even language disappear in dementia, because regions of the brain involved in music memory processing (like the cerebellum) are affected much later in the course of the disease.
Music can trigger happy memories from a person’s past that they otherwise would not be able to recall. Numerous studies have shown music can reduce anxiety, depression, help maintain speech and language and even lower markers of biological stress. Studies also indicate a prolonged outcome, for example non-communicative people being able to communicate much better for a time after the music has stopped.
Even for people who don’t have Alzheimer’s or dementia, music can boost mood, energy, reduce stress and improve relationships with staff and other residents of your care home. Music gets people moving, talking, reminiscing and smiling. Participating, or just listening to the music can do the same for your staff members too.
Activity ideas to harness the power of music for dementia include:
- Create personal playlists for residents with their and families help for listening on headphones
- Playing music in group rooms in the home
- Group activities listening and singing along
- Group activities using instruments and play along (you may be able to work with local organisations, schools or even bands to do this)
- Hire a music therapist – for a more curated experience
- Get a band in – you may find local bands who are happy to volunteer their time and cover hits your residents remember
2. Meditation
We’ve all heard how beneficial meditation is for stressed out young professionals, but older people shouldn’t miss out on those benefits too. Meditation has many psychological benefits such as reduced anxiety, stress and depression.
It can even have a positive impact on heart health, especially in older people, as studies, from Harvard University and The American Heart Association demonstrate.
You may want to bring in a professional to do guided meditations, ideally a volunteer of course.
However, there are lots of free guided meditation videos on YouTube, with some specifically aimed at older people. Although it’s probably aim for the best rated or highest quality videos. Numerous apps and programmes, starting from beginner to expert are also available, Headspace being the most widely used.
Regular practice, ideally daily, is key to getting the benefits of meditation. But this can be as little as 10 minutes each day, so it should be easy to build this into your daily schedule. If you keep it up the benefits should be widespread and long lasting.
If you're looking specifically for meditation activities for people with dementia, this video from care provider Care Visions might help:
3. Exercise
An exercise-based activity can be anything from aerobics and dance classes to a scenic or local walk around the grounds. Exercise classes are great for focusing on balance, mobility and strength, while walking can be a great opportunity to get residents out and about without being too physically demanding. Also, everyone loves to dance. Whether it’s a lesson or a free-style session to live music, this can be a great way for people to feel free and young again.
4. Relaxation
Everyone deserves a relaxing day, especially during their retirement and the majority of people enjoy and can participate in this kind of activity. A relaxation-based activity can do wonders for people’s mental health and it can provide them with comfort in their old age. Some examples include massages, meditation and yoga or Tai Chi classes. This could be a great choice of activity if the last one was more physical, or if you’re looking for something for them to do before bed.
5. Support Hobbies
Finding out everyone’s hobbies and interests could be a great way to get people excited about participating in the next activity, and it gives other residents a chance to learn and develop new skills. You could get people to learn a new instrument or play one that they’ve spent a lifetime perfecting. Or you could help them maintain talent and knowledge by getting skilled people to teach others. Movies nights are another option. They are a great low risk bonding experience.
6. Brain Training
There are some really good brain-training activities out there that can improve cognitive function, memory and thinking. As well as being beneficial to brain health, these tools can be fun, interesting and engaging. For example, crosswords may be something your residents participate in outside of activity day, but you could make this a group activity using a projector and a quiz-like setting. You can also host game nights and provide residents with a range of jigsaws, puzzles, board games and guessing games.
7. Group Activities
A well-structured group activity can reinforce and teach a range of skills. This includes planning and managing time properly, improving communication skills and building stronger relationships. However, they don’t have to be an awkward experience for introverts. You can promote singing by having a choir or simple sing-along sessions. Quiz nights can be a great way for people to get to know one another. And finally, story-telling using staff or residents, an actual story tell or an audiobook can be a fun experience.
8. Outdoor Pursuits
Getting your service users into the great outdoors is extremely beneficial to people. The fresh air, exercise and the benefits of nature are great for both mental and physical health. Some outdoor pursuits you can consider as an activity include gardening and gardening games, such as ring toss, skittles or boules. These activities can also be a great way to get people to socialise with each other and can be adapted to suit everyone’s different abilities.
9. Arts and Crafts
Creative people love arts and crafts. They can be a fun and engaging way to get everyone talking to one another. A great example is scrapbooking. This can be a great way to get everyone to share memories and learn more about one another. It can also be therapeutic and wholesome. Seasonal-themed projects are the perfect way to engage residents and can be an opportunity to get families involved. For those who aren’t as comfortable with arts and crafts, teaching art classes could boost their confidence.
10. Daily Tasks
This may not sound exciting, but it can be a great way to help people feel independent and at home. Most of your service users would have spent their lives as a homemaker, so getting involved in basic daily tasks such as setting the table, folding laundry or methods of self-care can provide a sense of purpose and fulfilment. A great way to incorporate daily tasks into an activity is during special occasions. For example, decorating the care home at Christmas and Easter.
Notes for the Activity Planner
Please note, when planning activities, it’s important to consider accessibility. This can include making sure people with cognitive impairments and limited mobility can participate in what you have planned. Also, has freedom of choice. It can be an impossible task to find something that appeals to every single resident, no matter how organised and prepared you may feel. So, you must offer flexibility and do your best to ensure that the activity on offer is appropriate. And remember, generic choices are likely to be even less popular.
Another area of concern that should not be overlooked is ‘risk.’ This can act as a barrier and could cause conflict between staff and service users. For example, someone may want to participate in a dance class, but the risks involved may lead to staff discouraging their participation. This highlights the importance of risk management policies and procedures within the care home. These must be updated regularly. They should also be made readily available and staff should know how and when to access them.
The Importance of Activities for the Elderly
There are numerous benefits associated with activities for the elderly. In recent years, older people have been overlooked. As their age increases and their cognitive ability and mobility lessens, others underestimate how important it is to encourage and support them to engage in a range of activities.
In care settings, it’s even more important to get them mentally and physically active, as an unstimulating and rigid daily route can contribute to the poor well-being of individuals which can be reflected in both their mental and physical health.
Encouraging service users to participate in activities is a way to maintain and develop their personal identity, as it offers opportunities to continue doing the things they love, or even learning or trying something new. Taking the time to learn what every individual enjoys can build relationships between residents and staff and show service users that they’re in a supportive environment that cares about them in a person-centred way.
Activities also encourage social interaction between residents, which can create a sense of community, giving everyone a sense of belonging and well-being. Being away from everything you know, your family and friends can create a sense of isolation. Planning group activities will help people with similar interests come together and bond, helping them maintain existing relationships or even build new ones. In return, this has the potential to reduce the risk of loneliness and depression.
Finally, carrying out activities that are both mentally and physically stimulating can be fantastic for the mental and physical health of your service users. Not only does it get their brains and bodies working, but it can also reduce stress and anxiety, which can have a negative effect on all aspects of health. Being mentally and physically active can also boost self-confidence, happiness and longevity.
How Activities Can Help You Market Your Care Home
No one wants to end up in a care home that’s dull, boring and lacks entertainment. It makes each day predictable, can make it harder to build strong relationships with the care team and other service users, and it can have a negative impact on their mental health.
Having a schedule full of engaging and interactive activities will help your care home stand out from the competition in your area. This is because it shows that you go above and beyond as a care service to keep your service users entertained and physically and/or mentally active while spending fun, quality time with them. It also indicates that your care service manages its time and budget well enough to be able to plan and participate in regular care home activities.
You can use this concept as a unique selling point when it comes to marketing your care home, especially if you know that this makes you different from other care services in your area. This can help grasp the interest of your target audience and attract new residents to your care home.
Time for Activities with Care Home Software
As you can see, hosting a variety of fun activities in your care home will benefit the mental health and well-being of your service users, while forming a positive image of your care service. These positive interactions can be used as a unique selling point of your care home, making it easier to promote to the public and stand out from the rest. It can also be used to boost and improve your marketing campaigns.
To help reduce your care team’s admin time, increase your budget and maintain safe staffing levels, you should consider investing in Access Care Home Software. It can also help you plan group and personalised activities more easily and reliably.
Our care home management software is the only system you need to improve standards, automate processes, and increase residents’ well-being. With over 30 years of experience digitising care services, we know exactly what you need to succeed. Our software is suitable for providers of all sizes and provides support for every aspect of residential care. To learn more about what we have to offer, contact us and speak to one of our experts today.