Activity Director for Senior Citizens
The best way to keep senior citizens motivated is through mental and physical activities. Those activities are best coordinated through a professional director. The purpose for an activities director at a senior citizens living home is to stimulate creativity in seniors’ lives. By planning daily activities, it helps seniors to stay active and live healthier. Keeping the residents active is also another great way to keep them social, which is good for their mental health. Studies show that active elderly individuals tend to have a longer lifespan than inactive individuals [Nuble].
In certain senior living homes, it is mandatory to have an activities director because they give the elders goals and expectations for their health then they can expect to take better care of themselves [Pennington]. The end result, they can enhance the quality of their life [Beamon]. These types of goals include losing weight and removal of lethargy [Pennington]. These are both mental and physical goals. “In order to achieve these goals, there are activities geared toward mental and physical health,” states Pat Beamon.
The mental health of seniors is activated through various activities that stimulate the mind. One such example is bingo. Bingo is always a hit with seniors [Wilson 1]. “Bingo encourages memory, listening skills, and reflexes,” says Matt Wilson from Free Press Times. The participants have to remember which number goes with which letter on their multiple cards. Some seniors that are hard of hearing need to listen carefully to understand the numbers called out [Beamon]. On various occasions the caller is not necessarily clear or sometimes speaks too quickly, the players need reflexes to cover their numbers as fast as he calls. Bingo is a game adored by all seniors [Beamon].
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Another game that takes place on a more formal level is the riddles game. The Little Yellow Book, an activity suggestion book for directors, contains many games which includes riddles that are geared toward seniors [Beamon]. The activity director stands in front of about twelve to fifteen senior residents and calls out the riddles given. This game is aimed for increasing their mental sharpness. It does this by encouraging them to think about what is presented to them [Pennington].
Scrabble falls under the same category as the riddle game. Scrabble also causes them to search what they know to achieve victory in their vocabulary skills by building words with the letters they have on the scrabble board. With the help of a dictionary, they are able to increase their vocabulary [Wilson 2]. “These mental activities ensure that many senior citizens remain alert and aware in their daily routine” says Beamon in a recent interview.
Many homes also have sing-along songs in which residents request their favorite songs and sing along with a leader. This is a gentle activity for seniors to not only have fun but to enjoy their mental exercise journey [Nursing 1].
Prizes are used as an incentive to encourage seniors to participate in planned activities. Budgeting allows funding for some prizes. The director carefully selects inexpensive items that could be used by men or women in everyday life. Examples of the prizes are: tissues, lotion, germ-X, bibles, books, small home décor trinkets, candy, ect [Beamon].
Monthly movies are some fun activities for seniors. ‘Movies from their era are great for bringing back good memories.’ [Wilson 1] “Every month we have a movie matinee for all the residents. I usually pick out the movie for that month but occasionally the seniors will request one. I always pick an old movie, usually black and white, but there are the times when we get a new just released film,” states Pat Beamon.
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“Physical activities are a must for any senior citizen trying to live a healthy life,” a physical therapist reports. A physical and enjoyable game is mini-golf. This game stresses concentration and is an effective way for senior citizens to increase hand/eye coordination. It also forces the seniors to practice balance and steadiness [Beamon]. These skills can be applied to their daily lives by aiding them in writing letters, playing instruments, and eating dinner states another activities director. Bowling is another alternative for seniors wishing to exercise weekly [Beamon]. It is a good sport that requires a sharp eye and a good aim [Pennington]. Bowling is not for all seniors though, one who wishes to play needs a good arm, a good back, and good balance [Beamon].
“Seniors love to line dance. A volunteer instructor arranges for floor space and recorded music. The instructor holds regular class sessions with those who have signed up. After the group members feel comfortable with the dances they have learned, they are ready to actually dance them at the next social dance event. Line dancing encourages aerobics, musicality, patterns spatial coordination and camaraderie.” [Thomson]
Exercising is an excellent way for seniors to stay physically healthy [Beamon]. “Activity directors are given CD’s with certain music and called out steps for the residents.” says an observer, “This CD makes the seniors pat their knees in a chair along with tapping their toes. They do many clapping repetitive actions. This gets their mind ready, up and going every morning and gets them prepared for the day. The exercising CD also gets them up on their feet. Not only is the music upbeat, it tells them to march in place and kick their feet too!” [Observer]
A sport that is not included in all senior living homes is water aerobics, aquatic aerobics instructor, Sherry White mentions. “It is recommended to be done at least five days a week,” she continues. The twenty minutes of cardio alone helps fight against several of the diseases that many elderly people are susceptible to [Jennrich].
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Other planned activities involve the youth. Some seniors volunteer to be mentors to school students to assist them with homework and school programs [Kaufman 1]. Activity Directors encourage students to volunteer to help with serving dinners, reading to seniors, and singing while playing the piano [Beamon].
Not all activities have to be planned at the seniors’ residents. Traveling is a perfect way to get seniors out and reminds them that their normal life hasn’t ended [Bonifazi 1]. Taking trips that are somewhere other than their home offer variety and mental stimulation [Nursing 2]. There are group travel tours including one-day events and extended trips especially designed for seniors [Wilson 1]. One-day trips are perfect for senior citizens because they are not too long nor are they too short. This helps them to get “away from their tiny living spaces” and enjoy a fun-filled day of sunshine [Bonifazi 7]. If residents can’t go outside, there are ways to bring outside to them. Stand up garden trays, greenhouses, and much more can add variety to their home life [Bonifazi 3].
Obviously any one of these activities have nothing but a positive influence upon whomever attempts them [Beamon]. “Senior citizens will find themselves smiling and having fun more often,” says Matt Thomson. “These activities will encourage the residents to stay awake and alert during the day. That alone will direct them into a better mood,” states Kim Ward, a nurse at the Olive Grove Terrace, a senior independent living home. There are cases in which some residents are blind. It is helpful for the activities director to help them eat and read to them in their own time so the directors are involved with the physically challenged as well [Beamon].
According to Pat Beamon, the Activities Director at the Olive Grove Terrace, being an activities director at a senior living home is a very stressful and time consuming job. There are many responsibilities expected of the Activities Director, other than just planning the activities. They must post the activity calendar on the bulletin board and decorate it with a monthly theme [Activities 1]. There are programs where teachers receive training on how to work with older people, “and how working with them enhances you.” [Kaufman 1] Helping to meet the mental and physical needs of seniors is what the position is all about [Clayton 2]. In order to get a job as an Activity Director, one must be able to communicate effectively and compassionately with individuals. One must also be eighteen years of age and have at least two years experience in a social program or have completed a state approved Activity Director training course. It is also required to be a Therapeutic Recreation Specialists [Activities 1]. Beamon spends at least forty hours a week making phone calls, getting activities together, planning the monthly schedule, and much more, even though she is only a part time employee. On top of that, most activity directors have more than that one job. “It truly is a blessing to live and work in Olive Branch […]. There are so many organizations that want to help out and volunteer here. It really makes my job a lot easier and less stressful at times,” Pat Beamon says while smiling.
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