You're in charge of arranging activities for residents in a care home. What are you going to plan? Unusual ideas welcomed

[AlpacaAPicnic]

This is a private retirement village with a very healthy budget for activities. They do all the usual things you might imagine - flower arranging, crafting, baking, rambling for those who are able, various talks arranged and various evening dos

But what can I suggest that's outside the box? They're very good at having some excellent ideas and have recently had therapy penguins (yes really), Caribbean evenings, barbershop quartets etc

It's my new role and I wondered if you could suggest something that might work. Of course I've got my own ideas but wondered if there was anything you'd like an older relative to experience

A mix of independent folk, those with dementia and those with care needs. We can do individual activities and tailor them to all residents

An African drumming class/session?
Setting up a residents newsletter/newspaper that they could edit and contribute to, and distribute to the home residents and their families?
Bake off style competition?
Massage therapist to massage the residents and teach them self massage techniques/how to massage eachother?

And this is the problem I have. They already do so so so much great stuff. Really outside the box ideas for them. So coming up with stuff is quite tricky.

Fairground idea is brilliant. Hook a duck! I think they have a news / current affairs club but I'll look into that.

They have their own library, bridge club, bowling green, nature reserve, gardening club ... lots!

A silent film night, perhaps with Buster Keaton, a pianist could come in and play the background music.
An introduction to Gemology evening.
A sheepdog demonstration
Star gazing and astronomy for seniors, it help to boost memory

@JC03745 an artist coming in to do portraits is brilliant. Maybe caricatures for fun?

Get some bands in to play things like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Nazareth, Aerosmith, King Crimson, Rush, Pink Floyd, Pistols, Ramones, Clash, etc. Also include Two-Tone, Reggae, Dancehall (especially with the punk bands, as you'd get them both on the same bills), Funk, Disco, 70s Hip-Hop, maybe a decent soundsystem.

It won't be hard to find them (pay them properly) and it'll be fun to have themed gig nights with associated foods, dancing and it'll more be representative than giving them all tambourines to shake along to the local ukulele group doing Yellow Submarine.

More than anything, my mum loves it when the local school children come in and play with them. They have Lego sessions, arts and crafts, board games all sorts. The younger the better.

@JC03745 and yes - set in acres of garden and a nature reserve with a lake so honestly, it's got the lot

Ooh and this would be a coup - some radio programmes (thinking things like Any Questions and Gardeners Question Time but probably others) are recorded out at different locations - you could try to organise one of them coming to your work.

I think the main thing to remember is that the residents aren’t children and will appreciate being treated like you would treat someone who has been a teacher/mother/councillor/soldier etc not a baby.

Came on to say exactly this - hook up with the local nursery. Old people love children and little children generally love old people. Everyone benefits.

Streaming of opera or ballet- Royal Opera House used to offer these. There are plenty of theatre-goers who miss being able to attend in person when they lose mobility and the music is still appealing when the ability to follow a plot has declined.

A fancy chef to do a cookery school. They follow the chef and make their own meal, and then dine with a nice glass of wine

See whether you can safely organise a trip to a kids ball pool centre- massive slides and things- a private session.
You’d have to scout it out to see whether the accessibility was any good.

Kids’ games- revisit your youth with games like grandmother’s footsteps, what’s the time Mr wolf, in and out the dusty bluebells. Blowing bubbles. Play dough.

Footpainting And finger painting.

Clay potting. Maybe a local paint a pot shop could do a session where they bring everything to you, then take it away to glaze.

Nerf wars!

netball using gym balls and an arm chair as a goal.

Silent disco

See if there’s an AmDram organisation locally that could put on a sketch show or lead a workshop. A drama teacher in a school may be able to lead something, or do a project with students.

I’m a fan of people getting to enjoy things again, or experience things they were too old to enjoy when it became fashionable.

Is there someone from a family history society who could come in and give a talk?

The Royal Academy of Dance has a specific ballet syllabus for seniors called 'Silver Swans' and a number of local dance schools offer those classes, usually during the daytime. Maybe the dance teacher could come in and do a taster session.

Late MIL used to go to an elderly day centre, and she once made a collage from magazine clippings.

What about a casino night? I’m sure there are companies that bring in roulette tables etc, and some of the residents would relish a chance to dress up I’m sure.

You could also do “seasons” so eg September is French month so there will conversational French and French films and maybe French themed cookery classes and then an all French lunch or dinner at the end. Other themes could be varied, like you could have a 1970s month or week, a sea theme, a renaissance theme.

one other idea which sounds bonkers but a relative adored attending - art classes for the blind or partially sighted, with lots of collaging, modelling clay, all sorts ❤️

@Bristolnewcomer that would be amazing wouldn't it?

And yes. I agree. My role will
Involve speaking to each resident and finding out what they want to do. So Tom with dementia will have different wants and needs to Sue who is maybe not very mobile but able to walk with assistance. And then you have the residents who are fully independent and live on the retirement village independently

So it's about finding what they love to do and trying to make that happen

Hair dressing session using hair dressing dummies

Small animal visitors like rabbits

@NeverDropYourMooncup budget is very generous so payment not an issue. Love the idea of a decent tribute band or just a band playing maybe 60s hits or whatever

I'd say the average age of a resident is probably mid 70s but of course there are some very elderly ladies and gentlemen there too

My mum (not dementia) loves bingo, card games, bowling (she is in a wheelchair but still can do it) but the best are the cycle trips.

The home has two adapted bikes where they can add wheelchairs to it and they take the residents out for a spin. The home is near fields and cycle paths and they are out for 30-45 minutes.

Contact a local animal shelter to see if they can bring cats or dogs for petting sessions.

Do you have a local choir who can come, do sessions with 1940/1950 music. My mum has a lady who does folk songs with them, it took a while for her to get the lyrics back but she now loves singing along.

It's over now but their home also did little bets on the football championship and Olympics and had "public viewing' in the lounge with snacks and drinks.

@MissStilton had already suggested streaming ballet but the NT do the same, a home near me has a cinema room with proper cinema chairs and a big screen - that would be amazing.

An alternative therapies session Reiki, Ear candles, acupressure, cranial osteopathy, sound baths etc?

A live pub band (decent one) with covers of songs from the 70s and 80s?

A jazz evening with tables set up like a jazz club, proper moody lighting and a live band?

If you’ve had a Caribbean event what about other nationalities/ethnic groups with food, music and a talk?

strip bingo? Me and my sis are gonna insist on this when it's our turn to go into a home - but I'll let you have the idea now😁

Family history "club" - I have heard of genealogists doing this, going in an hour or two, couple of times a week, helping people who are interested research their family history and log their discoveries online.

You have said exactly what I was going to say ! People in their 80s would love ABBA ,Queen,Rod Stewart ,Madness etc

Stargazing get local astronomers to come and give a talk and bring their telescopes 🔭

Exotic animals mals, eg Zoolab? My dad loved it when they brought in lizards & snakes.
It sounds like they have most things covered, and some great ideas on this thread.

PS I need a therapy penguin too.

I was going to suggest this, we used to have a lovely man who came in and sang, he'd move about the room and let them join in and sing to none verbal people and get smiles from everyone. Edited to add Abba, Elvis and the Beatles were always popular song choices and they used to join in
Ice cream sundae making, eat your own creation.
Pub quiz (sit staff next to people who need help)