Recreation
Recreation at Wilton Meadows
No matter what stage of life you’re in, enjoyable activities are vital to maintaining and improving your quality of life. This is especially true for those living in nursing homes.
Nursing home activities not only benefit residents psychologically, but they also contribute to the social, physical, and spiritual well-being of residents living in long-term care facilities.
- Reduce depression, agitation, and anxiety
- Foster dignity and independence
- Combat loneliness
- Provide structure and a sense of normalcy
… and are an integral part of more person-centered care throughout long-term care facilities like nursing homes.
Nursing home activities can help remind residents of the hobbies they were once passionate about.
There are several types of activities that are most important to the senior audience.
- Social Activities for Nursing Home Residents
- Building relationships in nursing homes can be difficult for residents.
Activities can be a great way for seniors to build relationships and feel like a part of the community. Aside from reducing loneliness, research has found that social activities may:
- Improve nighttime sleep
- Maintain physical function; and
- Reduce cognitive decline in seniors
- Birthday parties
- Coffee chats
- Ice cream socials
- Church services
- Reading groups
- Holiday celebrations
- And more
- A reduced risk of falls
- Reducing the risk of high blood pressure and helping lower blood pressure in those who already have hypertension
- Improved mental health
- Improved cognitive functions
- And more
- Stretching/Exercising
- Walking
- Chair Yoga
- Finger painting
- Paper crafting
- Decorating baked goods
- Ceramics and pottery painting
- Etc.
- Instruments
- Technology
- Photos
- Newspapers
- Activity books — word searches, coloring books, sudoku puzzles, etc.