ROMEO Club (Respectable Older Men Eating Out!)
Use a lounge or dining room that is not normally used during a lunch or supper time. Plan a special meal or use the meal that would normally be served at that time. Plan a simple program of interest to the men participating in the Club. "Stir" and you've got the makings for men having a good time.
(Beware: If your ladies catch wind of this, you'll probably be adding a JULIET
Club, too.)
Sportsman's Club
This is similar to ROMEO Club, but it gets just a little more "macho." Gather your men together once a month. Choose a different sport each month. For example, January's Super Bowl Game is a good time to have the guys sit around the TV to watch the game. Have a variety of "munchies" and non-alcoholic beer (alcoholic if they have an order). If your men are the kind to sit around in their undershirts to watch the game, let them. TV trays add a homey touch, too. If you have a local rent-to-own store, they might let you use a big screen TV for the event (tell them it's good "public relations" for them). It never hurts to ask.
Other suggestions: hunting, fishing (there's a new fishing game on the market that looks good), baseball, golf (take them out on the front lawn or putt on the parking lot), horseshoes, bocce ball, auto racing, etc.
Golf & Cookout
With warm weather approaching, many a man's mind turns to golf and cooking burgers (or other treats) on the grill. No, we don't let them grill, but we do have them tell us what they would like cooked on the grill (majority rules). If your golfers aren't able to go 18 holes (and you don't have a "putt-putt" course on the grounds), a simple putting green will do nicely. Encourage the men to talk about that "hole in one" they were "cheated out of." In most cases, the stories are unlimited.
Woodworking for Alzheimer Residents
It doesn't take too much money to put together a woodworking program for your Alzheimer residents. All it takes is some scrap lumber, sandpaper block, sandpaper, plastic putty knife, inexpensive paint brushes, Play Doh (or similar product), and colored water (tea or coffee work, too).
The residents sand the wood, use the Play Doh like wood putty, and stain the wood with the colored water. Of course, there's no finished product, but everything is non-toxic (in case they decide to eat or drink it) and there's little risk in injury.
The benefit of this woodworking project is that it usually holds their attention for a long time, and they feel like they've accomplished something.
Snowmen
For those of you who are experience winter's wrath, here's a way to turn all that snow into a positive activity. SNOW!!! Dishpans, buckets, cups, or any other clean container is ideal for gathering snow. Residents can name the color; touch it and state if it's hot or cold; make snowballs; and if they choose to eat it, it won't hurt them.
Once I took a large dishpan of snow into the Alzheimer's Dining Room as they were finishing their lunch. We made little snowmen and sent them back to the kitchen on their lunch trays. Boy, the Dietary staff was really surprised!
Sensory/Social Group
One way to decrease the number of 1:1 visits for sensory stimulation is to start a Sensory/Social Group. I schedule these groups before mealtime. Our facility has all populations in the same dining area with residents who require assistance for feeding at separate tables. (Some tables have residents who need the sensory input, and other tables have residents who use this time to socialize. Sensory --Social) Background music is usually played at this time. While the residents that socialize are doing their thing, I concentrate on a table of residents who need the sensory input. I concentrate on a different table for each session. The sensory input varies depending on the residents I'm working with - touch, smell, sight, auditory, etc.
Spinoza
Have you met Spinoza? He's one of the cuddliest teddy bears you will ever meet. He is surface washable, with any antimicrobial soaps or germicidal cloth (in keeping with infection control standards). I had one bear that was covered in pureed food. After wiping off what we could, I took the tape player and speaker out of the bear. He was then washed in a front load washing machine and dried in the dryer. The tape player and speaker were re-installed, and he's as good as new!
If you are not already familiar with Spinoza, he is 15" tall and weighs 3 pounds. He has a cassette player inside and a volume control knob (red heart) on his chest. He sports a red with white polka dot ribbon around his neck. There are several cassette tapes with songs and stories to play. Families can also provide cassette tapes with family memories recorded on the tapes. This way the resident can hear a familiar voice and they can get the mental stimulation from reminiscing.
I have woman who sits Spinoza on her tray table, holding him on both sides. Her vision is poor, and she likes to hold him so that they are practically nose to nose. While holding Spinoza, she talks and sings songs to him. Normally, she would not participate in any type of group activity. She is also one who will ignore staff when they visit on a 1:1 basis. Spinoza has been a God-send for this woman. He meets her needs.
Another example is a male resident who is profoundly mentally handicapped. Before Spinoza, I had tried every type on sensory stimulation I could think of doing for him. I still couldn't reach him. This went on for six years! Then, we had Spinoza for a 30 day trial. From the first moment I put Spinoza (with cassette tape playing) in the bed with this gentleman, his eyes went straight towards the bear. Spinoza was the key that opened the door of awareness for this man. He continues to enjoy Spinoza, but he also is aware of the other sensory objects in his room and throughout the Unit. His attention span has grown from less than 5 seconds to 5-6 minutes!
If you would like more information about Spinoza (and a possible free trial), please call 1-800-CUB-BEAR or e-mail at: spinoza@spinozabear.com
Moderate to Lower Functioning
Addressing this population can always be challenging. At times, they need to be occupied to prevent behaviors. All activities must be individualized to the resident's needs and interests. This can make programming difficult. Given this criteria, try this programming. At my last facility, we called it 'Busy Hands'. At my current facility, we use 'Busy Boxes' on a 1:1 basis. This activity provides plenty of tactile, visual and auditory stimulation.
Gather residents in the lounge or dining area. Since this activity targets the low functioning population, we use a wide range of materials.
For the person who used to sew - string cereal for the birds. Fruit Loops or Cheerios work well. Use plastic needles or the very blunt metal needles. (If the resident eats the cereal, it's added nutrition!)
Many lower functioning residents enjoy touching and fiddling with strips of bright colored material. Felt pieces with holes around the outside can be used with yarn for "sewing cards."
Encourage a resident to roll yarn into a ball.
Some of the other activities included in 'Busy Hands' or 'Busy Boxes' are: sorting through a recipe file box, looking through a box of postcards, folding towels or children's clothing, matching socks, putting silk flowers into plastic vases, etc. All of these activities give your residents purpose and promote success.
NOTE: If you know your residents past interests (work or recreational), you can assemble memory boxes for each one. The memory boxes can be utilized during this activities time, making it much more meaningful to them.
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