Table Tennis
For this version of table tennis, you will need one balloon tied to a ribbon. The ribbon should be half of the diameter of the table. If your table opens up for a leaf, thread the ribbon through the crack in the center and tie a knot on the underside. If not, use a piece of masking tape to secure it to the top of the table. This trick will keep you (or the leader) from having to chase balloons. This game can be played with just your residents or intermingle them with school kids or children from a daycare center. The children make this a perfectly acceptable activity in the surveyors eyes.
Shoot-a-Round
Shoot-a-Round is a wonderful piece of equipment. It comes in a handy nylon bag, but opens up to a large "basketball" set up. It can be purchased through several activities suppliers and comes in 2-3 different sizes. The one we use is ideal on the floor for wheelchair bound residents. It can also be placed on a table for ambulatory residents. (Our residents are amazed to see us fit this great big piece of equipment back into its little bitty bag, too.)
Frog Toss
Have you seen the cute little bean bag frogs? Several suppliers sell these frogs. They are very colorful and made of vinyl (easy to sanitize). We made our own lily ponds (1 from a blue sheet and 1 from a round blue tablecloth). We cut lily pads from green material and fused it to our "ponds" with a product called "Wonder Under" (an iron on fusable product available in fabric departments). Our residents have a lot of fun seeing who can get the most frogs on the lily pads. We also have a version of the lily pond game that we keep track of the residents' scores.
We also play a variation of this on March 1st (National Pig Day). Instead of the frogs, we use Pound Piggies (little stuffed animals). The pond is turned over and pieces of brown felt are laid on the material for mud puddles. Pig Toss is played the same way as Frog Toss.
(NOTE: I had a 93 year old retired school teacher who enjoys this so much that as soon as it's announced, she practically flies to the lounge in her wheelchair to get there!)
Don't Limit Yourself
Don't limit your resources. Beach balls (any size), parachutes, balloons, gift wrap tubes, old pantyhose, the elastic from a pair of men's briefs, a sheet, etc. work well with promoting upper and lower extremity exercises. Be sure to have some music playing in the background. The "good old tunes" are nice. Residents can sing the old songs while they exercise. A good march tune or music by Kenny G is also very good. Be creative, use your imagination, and your sense of humor - exercises WILL be fun!!!
NOTE: Two balloons can be tied together. When hit, they will spin and turn a ho-hum balloon volleyball into a lot of fun!
Tips to Sneak Movement into Other Activities
You know the residents (we all have them) that in no way, shape, or form are NOT going to do anything that looks or sounds like an exercise group. For this bunch, you've got to sneak it in.
Play music before an activity. When you enter the room, dance your ambulatory residents to their seats. Before starting an activity, ask a question that requires a show of hands. Before Bingo, ask 'Who's going to win today?' Later, ask 'Who's going to win the cover-all?' You'll be surprised how many hands go up high. (My residents also have to holler 'Bingo' as loud as they possibly can.)
So, consider your program and your residents. I'm sure you'll be able to 'sneak' more exercise into their lives without them realizing what they are doing.
Antique Car Show
Do you have a local antique car club in your area? Ask them to visit with several cars for a facility 'Car Show'. Just 6 to 10 cars are enough to create a very nice show for your residents. Have your residents vote on their choice. Award a trophy to the Residents' Choice winner. (It doesn't have to be a huge trophy. You can get a fairly nice trophy for $10 - $15.)
The best part of the car show is to hear your residents reminisce about cars that were important to them in their past. One of my ladies said that she used to go out on dates in a Model A Ford with a rumble seat. Another lady told me pretty much the same story about a '65 Ford Mustang.........
NOTE: If you have a local motorcycle club, you might see if they would like to do a show. If one of their members has a sidecar, see if they would be interested in taking a resident around the block.
Adopt a Resident
Some businesses are willing to "adopt a resident" as a service project for their employees. For example, a restaurant in our area has adopted one resident from each of the five local nursing homes. Their employees send cards for the resident's birthday and all of the holidays. Each month, one of their employees (some bring their families, too) visits the resident and brings a gift. At Christmas, the restaurant arranged transportation for the resident to attend a special luncheon at the restaurant. Everyone had a great time, and they got to meet people from the other facilities, too.
Dances & 6th Graders
6th Grade is a good age for children to help with a dance. Not only can they help with decorations and serving refreshments, but they are good at motivating residents to dance during the "Big Event." We have had the children helping residents to "dance" in their chairs, "wheelchair dance" on the dancefloor, and get up to "dance" with walker, canes, or independently. During our last Dance, the children taught our residents how to do the "Chicken Dance" and the "Macarena!"
School Programs
Have lunch at an Elementary School. This can be set up to take residents (six is a good number) once a week, each week eating with a different grade level. The school will usually provide the lunch. This is a good activity for coverage by your local newspaper. Try it. Your residents will want to go back again and again.
Take a couple of your residents to a Kindergarten Class to read a story. The teacher provides the book to go along with the program the children are studying. This can usually be done weekly if transportation is not a problem.
Community Theater Outings
Is there a community theater group in your area? Are theater tickets too expensive for your residents? Is transportation a problem? If so, here's a possible solution to your problem. Contact your local theater group and ask if they would allow your residents to attend their dress rehearsal. Many times they will allow nursing home residents to view the dress rehearsal as a public service. For transportation, talk with the owner or manager of your local taxi company. They are often willing to make special deals to help get our residents into the community (this even works for the circus or anything else where you can take your residents).
In the event that your theater group is not willing to let your residents attend their dress rehearsal, ask them if they would provide a video tape of the program after the show closes. The video will be almost as good as being there, and you can make it a special event by serving refreshments.
