What Activities Do Care Homes Provide?
Getting older can come with complications, some of these being hearing loss, reduced mobility, a weakened immune system and an increased chance of developing disorders. Because of this, it is essential that older people receiving health and social care can engage older people in activities that will help to reduce the impact of these complications. The majority of care homes and nursing homes like to adopt a holistic approach to care and do this through the facilities and activities that they offer to their residents.
An activities programme is a popular offering within a care home because it includes various entertainment and hobbies for care home residents to take part in regularly, and appeals to a wide range of ages, interests and abilities. It is also regularly rotated to ensure each day is different where individuals can enjoy a shared interest, form new connections and even learn new skills to promote wellbeing. For residents who may sometimes be unable to take part in the activities in a group setting, they are often adapted as 1:1 sessions to ensure everybody can live the lifestyle they wish.
There are an endless amount of benefits to an activities programme for seniors, whether they be physical or non-physical. Some common ones can include improved communication and cognitive functions, increased energy levels, better sleep and better physical and mental health. Most care homes work around the clock to make sure their residents’ needs are catered for, and a weekly activity planner is a brilliant way of supporting residents' overall well-being in care homes. We have collated a list of some activities that you can expect to experience in a care home or nursing home setting.
Exercise Classes
Exercise classes are an extremely popular activity that can be offered at a variety of levels, meaning all residents can get involved. Some examples of these include pilates, guided meditation, standing or seated yoga, tai chi, chair exercises and many more. This activity option is a physical one but is encouraged for those who are mobile and those with limited mobility, with many mental and physical health benefits as it can help to increase sleep, improve strength and it can boost mood.
Cooking & Baking
Cooking and baking is a nostalgic pastime that can be enjoyed by all. As well as working the brain, it is an activity that encourages reminiscence. Residents are given recipes to follow in small groups alongside staff members, which also allows them to read aloud with the group, describing what they used to bake in their youth or with loved ones. As well as being a stimulating activity, it creates a delicious end result for the residents to take pride in, enjoy themselves or gift to a friend or family member.
Arts & Crafts
Offering arts and crafts sessions is a brilliant addition to your activities programme as it is a universal favourite among residents. There are many kinds of crafts sessions that you can hold thanks to there being a variety of materials and different styles to adopt. Most arts and crafts sessions can be themed towards seasons, occasions, or just based on what your residents would like to create in general, such as making their own scrapbook or flower arranging. The benefits of crafts sessions include calming effects, encouraging social interaction with other residents, improved coordination and a boost in mental well-being. No two end results will be the same, meaning every resident can make something unique to take away that they can be proud of.
Bingo/Quiz Night
Holding bingo nights or quiz nights within a care home is a great idea to get the local community involved or a way to invite friends and family into your home to increase their social interaction and keep residents spending time with loved ones. This type of activity is a fun way to help improve residents’ reaction time and will get their brains working. They could work alone or make it a group activity and enjoy some friendly competition within the care home.
Games & Puzzles
In a care home setting, the provision of quizzes, games, and puzzles, including jigsaw puzzles, board games and garden games such as ring toss, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the well-being of residents. These fun activities not only serve as enjoyable pastimes but also contribute to the residents' cognitive ability. Engaging in such mentally stimulating exercises helps maintain and enhance cognitive abilities, fostering mental acuity and cognitive function. Additionally, active participation in group activities like board games and card games promotes social interaction, building a sense of community among care home residents. The challenges presented by puzzles and games contribute to boosting self-confidence and self-esteem as individuals successfully tackle and complete tasks. Incorporating a fun activity such as 'guess the bird sound' or 'guess the essential oils' can be a great way of getting people to use different senses. Whoever guesses first, a lucky dip could be given with a special treat to enjoy.
Singing and Dancing
Another popular activity that is offered in many care homes is singing and dancing. This can either be alongside entertainers in your care home, or in the local community at a hall or other location with live music. This physical activity can increase moods, boost confidence and have a huge impact on an individual’s physical health. Playing songs popular in the current generation, and ones enjoyed in previous generations gives the residents a brilliant experience of how music has developed over the years and allows them to reminisce over the music they used to and continue to love. Music therapy is a foundation for residents, loved ones and the local community to get to know each other better, whilst keeping active.
Activities For All at The Amwell Care Home
At The Amwell Care Home in Melton Mowbray, we offer activities, events and entertainment for all of our residents regularly. Some of the other in-house facilities we offer include landscaped gardens, a salon, a gym, a cinema room and more.
Our activities team ensures our social and activities calendars are always planned for residents so that they have things to look forward to and so that we can guarantee that no two days at The Amwell are ever the same. We have numerous locations within the care home where activities can be enjoyed such as art classes, therefore they can be carried out no matter what the weather is like. We also enjoy getting involved in the local community as often as we can, something we prioritise as our team understands the importance of getting residents out to meet new people and playing an active part in the social community.
Our Activities Coordinator regularly takes residents out on day trips out of the residential home whether to visit the local garden centre, dance classes and sing along at the community hall, leisure activities and tourist attractions all of which involve gentle exercise and getting fresh air and contribute to overall mental and physical health.
We also understand how important it is for older people to keep a routine, so we encourage residents to live as independently as possible and always have a choice over what they want to partake in. If there is ever an interest or hobby that residents particularly enjoy, we will do everything we can to ensure this is incorporated into our activities programme.
Receive Premium, Quality Care in a Luxury Setting at The Amwell
The Amwell Care Home is a private, luxury care facility located in the beautiful market town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. Our expert team offers superior levels of Residential Care, Dementia Care and Respite Care in our beautiful 88-bedroom care home. As well as our care options, we offer a range of wonderful facilities, all tailored to our residents including arts & crafts activities, dining with a delicious and varied menu, an activities programme, a hair & nail salon and more.
If you would like to find out any more information regarding our facilities or care at The Amwell Care Home, please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated team today. Email admin@theamwellcare.com or call 01664 882525 and a member of our team will be delighted to assist you.
