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

Forgot to say, they also have a regular mother and toddlers group attend each week too for most of the year. It's heartwarming to see the faces of the residents as they watch the little ones play, especially as some of the braver ones wander (in the secured area) and get lots of cuddles from lots of eager old ladies and gents reminded of their kids and grandkids

Group trip to Beamish - they do dementia visits...

https://www.beamish.org.uk/

It's brilliant - genuinely like going back in time.

Life drawing is very popular.
Quiz evening with fish and chips ordered.
Movie night/afternoon.
Watercolour painting.
Portrait painting.
Reading group.
Visit out somewhere- local history or museum or art gallery or National Trust place.
Walking group - doesn't have to be strenuous.
Baking morning.

Where is this care home. I wanna live there!

Model crafting - either small trains/tracks, airfix craft (model spitfires sort of thing) or mechano type things although nothing naybe too fiddly. I used to work in a care home and most activities were very female orientated. We've also got a few steam railways locally and they were great to get in for talks to residents.

And don't underestimate simple things like Mahjong, Bridge etc.

Do they have an allotment or access to a garden?

Cocktail making evenings.

Learn to DJ.

When my gran was in a home she used to hate all the 'Dame Vera Lynn rubbish'. Her favourite band were The Killers!

If everyone is still fairly active some sort of volunteering programme, either in person or online.

Felting lessons

Table tennis

Cat cuddling

A young male stripper for the ladies

Also maybe reading to young children sessions

A nursing home I know has realistic dolls which a lot of the dementia patients love to rock and hold.

Lego is also very popular there too.

They also have a weekly session where babies and preschoolers come in for nursery rhymes and songs.

Also bear in mind that increasingly the people in nursing homes are too young to remember the war songs. They're much more likely to have listened to rock and roll in their youth. The Beatles tend to be popular.

I follow a care home from America on Facebook and they have great nights,
Booze and tattoo. Non alcohol beer and temporary tattoos.
Burger nights
Tie dye nights
Movie nights
Pamper nights
BBQ nights
Water games day for the grandkids

If they're mostly mid Seventies, that means they were born around 1950, so would be in the age group for things like Black Sabbath, Floyd, Punk and the things I suggested rather than a Beatles' tribute, though - 70s and 80s music would be more representative.

Nowhere near as exciting as some of the fabulous ideas, and I haven't RTFT but...

The residents at my grandma's home loved it when young people went to visit. When I took my DC it used to make them all smile so much to see small children.

Could you get the local primary school to go in and sing to them? This is something I can remember doing myself (about 150 years ago!!!).

Last suggestion- have a first aider on hand!

A trip to the theatre or classical music concert. Pantomime at Xmas might be fun.

This. Buddy the residents up with a local primary child and build long term relationships. Then you can build activities around it - Xmas concerts, sports days, children v adults quizzes etc.

My husband says, given the likely age of the residents, a “Love in”.

Trip to the beach for any wheechair users in one of these.

https://www.rosscastors.co.uk/sandcruiser-beach-wheelchair.html?utm_source=google_shopping&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIubDXod_ohwMVJpyDBx28nAa6EAQYASABEgICe_D_BwE

@AlpacaAPicnic just out of curiosity, as this places sounds awesome, are they asking you to keep adding to ideas or are you wanting to do that yourself? Only asking as seems a lovely role but also unfair on you if dependant on you thinking of more ideas and I suppose more importantly, you don't want to create things that are too 'wacky' for the sake of it, if people are very happy as it is?

@cluefu oh gosh, no. Nobody asking me to come up with mad ideas! I just want to explore what's out there, and what's doable and really understand what individuals might want to do / see

Definitely not looking for wacky for the sake of it. Everything is done with the residents in mind and things should evolve for them - yes, the usual bridge / reading groups / singing has to have a well loved place in any care facility but it wouldn't do to just stop at the every day stuff I don't think. Enrichment / fun stuff / taking part really increases independence (for those who wish to participate of course)

Everyone has one…

maybe already mentioned but I have relatives who although elderly are fit and well and live in retirement village which sounds a lot like this, pretty basic but they both love indoor bowls

Music definitely, but aim newer as the people who now are in care homes will be post war mostly, too often concerts a stuck in the Vera Lynn era. Rock and roll night went down well at my local one. We also go in monthly to take communion and hold a short church service which is well attended, complete with hymns from 1950's school days if you know what I mean, and the very short sermon and readings we choose are "Sunday school classics".

Gardening club seems popular, those in wheelchairs/unable to stand are seated with a table to help pot or just the sensory experience of putting fingers through soil. I also go in monthly for book club which is very female dominated I admit, they all like murder mysteries

I love so many of these suggestions and also want to live there.

Could you get an ice cream van to visit? Talk from or visit to RNLI Station? Wild swimming, maybe a slightly less wild version in one of the lakes where there are staff and you have to pay. Trip out to play the penny slot machines. Final suggestion, a coding club, my mid 70s parents both took part in one put on by the U3A and enjoyed it.

Please recognise that some of the jolly and delightful activities, however well meant, will be absolute and utter anathema to a significant minority.

Make plans for them too.

This is the primary complaint of my 89 year old mother living at home "independently", who has never been near a retirement community even or ever visited a friend in one. It is the "jolly & delightful" activities that mainly deter her. I mentioned my friend's husband's mum (keep up everyone!) living in a retirement village. Immediate reaction: I wouldn't want that. We will reach a crisis point soon and she will sadly end up somewhere that she hasn't chosen. But the point about not all activities being suitable is very well made. My mum loves classical music - being forced to sit in a communal lounge listening to vera lynn, rock N roll, love-in, visit to children's school, pantomime, lego, beatles etc literally will be the death of her. And that's not what I want. But neither I not my sibling will host her in our homes.