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Interview With Cart Creators
Since my post highlighting creative activity carts, I’ve gotten lots of questions about how to create said carts. Thankfully some very wonderful Activity Professionals from Connecticut reached out to me and accepted my offer of an interview. (interview was conducted via video call, answers to questions have been summarized/paraphrased and approved by all participants) Meet Kathleen, Jordana and Sharon from Glen Hill Center in Danbury, CT. Kathleen – Director of Recreation at Glen Hill Center. She has 23 years experience working in recreation and a total of 35 years working in the senior population! She began her career, working as a CNA for 12 years in a skilled nursing facility.…
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6 Craft Youtube Channels You Should Be Following
I don’t know about you but I am always scrambling to find the right craft for my group, especially finding one that is AGE appropriate. For my memory care group, it’s hard to find crafts that are not childish. For my assisted/independent group it’s hard to find crafts that are purposeful and useful because they don’t want clutter. Then there’s the added complication of their physical abilities. The memory care group is very limited both physically and cognitively (following multiple steps). Anything too complicated will be frustrating and not enjoyable. For my independent/assisted living group, even though cognitively they are sharp, physically they often have difficulties ie. fine motor issues…
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Most Creative Activity Carts
Hello! I hope everyone is surviving Lockdown at their homes. It has been a truly crazy, crazy year. I can definitely say we have all learned to get a little …creative. With many of us unable to conduct group activities as we are used to, we have started a Creative Cart Revolution and I’m here for it! I do hope that if you haven’t joined this revolution, you will find inspiration here. I’m so thankful to all the wonderful men and women that have shared their lovely creations with me for this post. There are truly a LOT of creative people out there, cheers to you! I won’t ramble on,…
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10+ Cognitive Activities To Keep Elderly Mentally Stimulated During Lockdown
One of the biggest concerns I have for my residents during a lockdown situation is not only their physical health, but their mental health. That includes their cognitive functioning. Often in a lockdown, activities are reduced and socializing is greatly reduced, this means that our elders are not getting the mental stimulation they are accustomed to. Without that regular cognitive stimulation, they can experience dramatic cognitive decline, and surprisingly quickly. To combat this risk, I’ve compiled a list of several stimulating activities to get those neurons firing. Of course, please don’t neglect crafts, self care and other activities; you’d be surprised how many cognitive skills you can work on with…
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10 Crafts To Do During Lockdown
As cases of the virus become more and more common, our daily routines become more and more uncommon, we are all searching for ways to cope. Here is a list of simple crafts that you can do in small groups or one on one to help boost morale among your elders as well as provide some mental stimulation. Please note, I have included links to resources (with permission) where I can, as well as pictures. These are not affiliate links in this article, I’m just trying to provide as much resources as I can. I will be adding more pictures and resources in the coming days as I acquire permission…
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September 2019 Activity Calendar
September is a month we say goodbye to Summer and hello to Fall! This calendar has a lot of really fun Fall crafts and activities to celebrate the new season. Download below, enjoy!
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10 Independent Activities For Seniors
As an Activity Coordinator, things can get really busy and there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. It’s hard to sneak away time at your desk for notes or planning because every activity is so hands on. Well, I have come up with a list of 10 activities most seniors should be able to do independently so you can take some time to work at your desk, plan activities or just catch up on emails. 1. Gardening Club I just set out supplies on a table, zip lock of dirt, flower pot, seeds, water, maybe some small plants. Sometimes I leave markers, stickers or paint so…
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August Activity Calendar
August is a month to enjoy the last bit of summer before we welcome the fall. Here are some highlights from our August Calendar: *We are organizing a Back to School Supplies Drive for our local schools. *Watermelon Social & Games *Wellness Festival *Making Vinyl Record Clocks *Making Picture Puzzles This calendar also includes 9 socials/parties, 6 crafts, 14 exercise ideas and more! Download Below:
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Space Activity Packet
In honor of National Moon Day, July 20th 2019, I have created some fun games to share. Because National Moon Day falls on a weekend this year, I created these with intent to leave on our activity table in our main room for my residents to enjoy independently. I also left a basket of MoonPie cookies, because it was just too cute not to. Included in the download are: Space themed Picture Find, Word in a Word, Word Scramble and Word Search. I intended these for independent fun, however, these would be great for some occupational therapy or one-on-one sessions. Hope you enjoy!
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At The Beach Activity Packet
Included: Picture Find – in 3 different difficulty levels, great for one on one sessions with Alzheimer’s or patients with disabilities Word Find – always a hit for all Word Scramble – great challenge for those who enjoy brain games Download here:
