To Attend or Not Attend…how can I increase activity attendance?

One question I hear often from Activity Directors is how they can increase attendance in out-of-room activities.  I am of the mindset that largely attended groups do not always mean the groups were successful.  Medium sized and small sized group attendance can also be deemed “successful” when they have high levels of engagement among attendees and facilitators.

My best advice to increase attendance is to keep trying, keep encouraging, keep building relationships, keep asking!   Other tips would include:

1. Have all activity assessments or resident interest surveys completed- that way you know what they like to do, what they used to do, and what they desire to do now.
2. Offer a surprise door prize (gift card, snack basket, etc.) unannounced, just because, for those attending. Make sure to spread the word that you will be doing that more often, and they need to attend activities to be counted in for a chance.
3. Give attendance tickets as an incentive for attending and then host a raffle or monthly drawing that residents can use the tickets for a chance at winning a prize.
4. Knock on doors prior to the start of the activity, invite the residents to the upcoming activity; personal invites are the best!
5. Collaborate with your care team partners- ask for help from other department staff to knock on doors, assist with transport to and from the activity destination.
6. Walk through the dining room at meals to remind residents of upcoming activities each day.
7. Post a daily or weekly copy of the monthly calendar to post on bulletin board, inside menus, at dining room tables etc.
8. Use a dry erase board, chalk board, or digital signage to post activity announcements.
9. Continue to build relationships with the residents so they may be more inclined to accept your invitation to attend your activities.
10. Ask families for assistance in encouraging their residents to attend the activities.
11. Encourage other residents who do attend to invite their friends to attend with them, offer an incentive prize for doing this.

I hope these tips will be useful for you in your resident engagement programs for increasing out-of-room attendance in activities.  Also remember that it is ok for residents to be by themselves in their room, as long as they are not becoming “self-isolated”.   Frequent check ins and inviting them to activities, are both great ways to create a small quick connection with your residents and gauge a pulse on possible self-isolation.

Kim Mead NAAP Leadership Team