Importance of Activities in a Skilled Nursing Facility
Various studies state that nursing home residents will experience positive affect and decreased agitated behaviours when activities were tailored to their skill level and style of interest (Kolanowski, et al., 2005). Activities in nursing homes are able to promote their sense of purpose, self-esteem, pleasure, comfort, education, creativity, success, and independence.
- Participation in activities will help improve their mental well-being and can eliminate depression. An active social life helps improve a resident’s mental health.
- It allows residents to be in a group of people that can build friendships and support systems to improve their psychological and social health.
- Activities give structure to the day for residents, which give them a sense of safety knowing what they would expect from the entire day, helps with passing the time, and give a purpose to their life.
- Activities can utilize interests from their previous professions. It reminds the residents of their passions and hobbies that they enjoyed previously.
What kind of activities work best?
Do start to relate things make you smile. Ideas such as relating activities with music, beautiful photographs, outings, animals, children singing are great ways of enriching their lives. Special activities such as manicures, massage, yoga, light exercise and food tasting can all be enjoyable too.
In Lecadia Primacare Center, we prioritize activities that can improve our residents’ physical health. This is because our main mission for activities is allowing them to gain back their body strength, muscles & improve body controls for daily living activities such as eating, dressing, and bathing. Examples of activities we have are as easy as throwing a ball, ring toss & chair yoga.
Conclusion
Apart from medical care, therapeutic recreation is the best reason to be in a nursing home. In Lecadia Primacare Center, we would assure that residents will receive essential healthcare in nursing homes & providing recreation which gives them the opportunity to improve their wellbeing.
