National Nursing Home Week 2015

By Cathy Braxton, Educator and Owner of Improv4Caregivers I recently had the pleasure of attending a refreshing psychology class at Purdue University. I had to refrain from raising my hand to participate, answer the questions and prompt new ideas as the professor presented the material. On this particular day we underwent an overview of the […]

Today, more than 45,000 people in the U.S. are receiving their Social Security benefits. While some retirees prefer to maintain part-time jobs that don’t conflict with their benefits or retirement plans, many others are uncertain about what to do with all the time suddenly thrust in their lap. While many older adults dream about the […]

Consider what activities are the most meaningful for participants and schedule them first. For example, make sure there is time for physical movement, getting outdoors when weather-appropriate, etc. Schedule activities according to the natural energy cycles of participants. Think about when participants are the most physically and cognitively alert. When do people usually feel sleepy […]

Are you looking for fun and safe activities to do with your elderly loved ones? Crafts are an excellent way for seniors to reduce stress in their lives. Doing crafts has been known to produce serotonin and boost self-esteem. Visualizing, working on, and then creating an item can help seniors feel better about themselves. Crafting […]

By Kim Grandal, ACC/EDU, ACM www.recreativeresources.com   Meditation is such an important aspect to our mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Many people think that it’s just a metaphysical woo-woo type of activity. Some people automatically think of spiritualists sitting in the lotus position (criss-cross apple-sauce) while chanting ohm. I assure you, I have never […]

At some point during the overall healthcare experience, most residents are likely to feel vulnerable, fearful, or anxious.  Team members who engage their resident-interactions with kindness, compassion and person-centered individualized care have an innate ability to calm many of these above-mentioned feelings while also strengthening relationships and improving resident moods, behaviors, and even certain health outcomes.  In turn, these positive encounters […]