Enter a care home’s activity room and you will often find residents playing with toys and games and hear the delightful sound of laughter and singing. You might think these activities are designed for young children, but they have far more benefits for older adults than meets the eye.
The reality is that play and participating in meaningful activities matters at every age. This national Playday, we’re celebrating the fantastic work our activities teams do to incorporate play and exploration into our resident’s daily lives, and reframing the notion that play is reserved for only the young.
Why Play Matters For Older Adults
While we often associate the world of play with children, the benefits of playing to body and mind continues across our whole lives. Participating in play and meaningful activities supports mental health, boosts cognitive function, increases social interaction and improves overall mood and wellbeing.
Read on to see some of the amazing ways in which our homes at Orchard Healthcare Group are using play and meaningful activities to enrich their resident’s experiences.
Cognitive Function
Puzzles, games and playful interventions are shown to have great benefits for older adults and individuals with dementia. They keep brains engaged in the present moment, use problem-solving skills and the spontaneous fun engagement with others deepens social bonds.
The activities coordinators at Chatsworth Lodge Care Home in Chesterfield put their residents to the test with a challenge to see who could get all 15 balls through the hole by carefully moving the box. The use of hand-eye coordination and the element of challenge in this game encouraged spontaneous focus and cognitive engagement during play.
Social Connection
Play brings people together and increases social connectivity. A mix of movement and opportunities for laughter bonds residents and team members alike and creates a wonderful social environment in our homes.
Our activities coordinators regularly incorporate socialisation and play into the physical activities they plan for the residents. Many residents enjoy a visit from fitness specialists who often use play to get everyone moving! Three Bridges Nursing Home in Warrington in Warrington are always all smiles when companies like Rise visit to lead a seated sporting activity.
Intergenerational Relationships
National Playday typically raises awareness of the importance of play for children, but studies show that the intergenerational relationships that are nurtured when children and older adults play together boosts mood and forms a wonderful bond between the two age groups. While the children gain a sense of guidance and mentorship from the older generation, the older adults in turn feel a sense of purpose and leadership.
Our care homes are regularly planning visits from their local primary schools and nurseries that are looked forward to by all. Green Park Nursing Home in Warrington were recently pictured deep in concentration but still bonding over a love of football (and colouring)!
Person-Centred Care
Our activities coordinators always ensure the person-centred approach is at the forefront of their planning. This means that no playful activity is without purpose or benefit, and the residents are top deciders in what they want to take part in and experience in their home. Linking activities to personal interests and the resident’s life stories will turn something simple into a meaningful moment tailored to the people taking part.
We could show you countless fantastic trips and activities organised with each person’s life history and interests in mind. Check out our blog and Facebook for more. Take a look at Thornton Lodge Care Home’s exclusive Liverpool FC stadium tour, where residents and lifelong Reds got to meet club legend Ian Callaghan. Now regular attendees at LFC Foundation Red Neighbours sessions, these residents will never lose their love of the beautiful game!
Activities At Orchard Healthcare Group
After reading this post, we hope you can see how passionate our activities coordinators are in planning meaningful experiences and enriching activities for our residents. The care teams in each home love to see the smile on everyone’s faces when they are having fun, playing games and engaging with activities that matter to them.
Planning beneficial and engaging activities is not all child’s play. As activities team member Paige at Nesfield Lodge Dementia Care Home in Leeds highlights, an activities coordinator’s priority is to create moments that truly mean something to the residents. “Our role is to support and encourage individuals while promoting their independence wherever possible.”
Want to keep up to date with your loved ones and the great activities they are taking part in? You can find their care home here, where there is a link to their Facebook page for all the latest updates.
Interested in becoming an activities coordinator and making a huge difference to the lives of the people at Orchard Healthcare Group? Check out our careers page with the latest roles available.
