Entertaining old people? - leisure activities

Hillbilly Housewife wrote: Some of you might know that when I went on mat leave, I agreed to take over the leisure activities where I live/work... and so now I am taking over completely as of Monday morning, a whole month amd a half early. For now it's only a couple hours each day, but still.

Catch is - now they want me to do more irregulr activities - there is stuff like Bingo, scrabble, bean bag toss every week, plus there is someone who comes in to do excersizes, and i'll be teaching aquaform a few times a week. We also have someone from the school board teaching computer classes right now, unti the end of May, and ther will be another class given after that - not ure if it will be painting or dancing... there's a pretty big on demand list for both - but there needs to be a certain number or requests before the school board considers it.

Anyways - they want MORE. I'm also in charge of my own budget - and I get 1900$ this year, just with the little boutiques that come every wednesday afternoon - they pay 25$ or 50$ to rent a table or two to be able to sell in-house.

I came up with a Rock-a-thon - people who want to participate have to findf their own sponsors - and then they can rock in a rocking chair for a set amount of time. lol In the main game room, there's like 30 rocking chairs... so why not? People apparently like to rock themselves... might as well make it an event.

Also a "community blanket". Loads of ladies here knit and crochet - so if everyone can agree to a needle or hook size, we can give them specific colors of yarn, a pattern for squares, that we can assemble and raffle off - or donate to the needy - whatever they want to do with it.

A contest for best: hat, costume, joke

A baking contest - pies or other baked goods - followed by coffee and tea and enjoyment of the food

Movie night - we provide the movie and the popcorn, they pay 1$ or 2$ to come enjoy it as a group in the game room

Pool tourament: there are 2 pool tables in the game room - why not use them? Some of the sticks need new ends - so participants can pay a small entance fee to help pay for them, prizes to be won

Darts tournament - there are 2 dart boards on the wall in the game room - again - small entrance fee, prizes to be won of course

short stories writing contest

making a book of poems - submitted by employees and residents and can be enjoyed by all, by being printed for those who'd like to have one - a few dollars maybe?

They want a few activities every day. Well - they want the proposal for them anyways - they asked me for 52 new activities - one per week for the next year. and they will pick and choose - then I have to improve on the others.

I have a commitee of residents who help out, but they help out more for the weekly stuff like bingo and cards.

So - HELP! Help me knock their socks off!!!

luvbug00 replied: What about a poker terniment? or singing lessons? or t-shirt decorating to give to grandkids or whatever? or stuffed animal making? or I dunno???

fashionmumofboys replied: Sounds like you are going to be a busy bee. Wow.

I will try to come with up with some ideas and post them later.

C&K*s Mommie replied: I like all of your idea Rocky, including *happymoms* idea of a t-shirt decorating contest, that can be purchased and given as gifts (after the contest). Maybe some sort of auction, will small things from their home~ but you may have to impose a limit on the final amount. I am sure our older citizens are on fixed incomes, so money is very tight.

That is the only thing I can think of right now....be back later to try to give another idea.

Hillbilly Housewife replied:

They have their card games - they're responsible for that - although I could slip it to the comitee, and it could still count as an activity.

I could give singing lessons - or have someone come in and give them (i used to sing semi-professionally for weddings and stuff like that, I don't anymore - but did for a friend's wedding this summer) but I'd hate to "waste" an hour on 3 people, kwim? so there would have to be 20 people sign up to make it worth it

t-shirt decorating sounds fun!!

luvmykids replied: Wow, you have a ton of great ideas! What kind of place is it exactly? Just assisted living or full out nursing home? My grandparents live in an apartment in one of those places and they do just about all the stuff you said, except the rock a thon

They also do silk flower arranging, memory books for grandkids/great grandkids, interview and record each other reminiscing (to give to kids, gkids), and paint your own pottery.

moped replied: Cribbage tournaments

moped replied: A dance? LOLOL

kimberley replied: scrapbooking or even a "show & tell" hour where they can reminisce about a photo or a dress or a war medal. there is gardening and swimming in the summer and all my older relatives gamble so maybe a monthly trip to a casino. cooking, singles dance ... not sure what else.

Hillbilly Housewife replied:

Man am I glad to have all you around... singles dance - love it!!

CantWait replied: I really like Kimberley's suggestion of the show and tell hour, that would be super neat.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: I realized after Marie posted that I meant to have's kim suggestions in the last quote - but i'd re-quoted another one... whoops!

I really like the show and tell too.... and the tape one - i've actually been asking my mom and grandmother to record themselves... dunno wh i didn't think of that!!

My3LilMonkeys replied: I don't know if these ideas would work, but what about asking a local SPCA to bring in a few dogs for an afternoon? Or seeing if a local drama club can put on a show for them?

At the retirement home in my area they have local organizations put on displays for the residents - a miniatures club does a regular display 4 times a year of the things they build and they open it to the public too - I love that!

amymom replied: How about an adopt a grandparent with a local school. And the 'grandparents' read to the young ones or the other way around. The school might come (or you guys go there) and visit once a week ... like reading buddies or some such thing.

C&K*s Mommie replied: I really like the ideas of getting the youth involved somehow. Whether with the idea of reading to the young/or vice versa. Or adopting a GP, show and tell, memory books. Good ideas!!

MamaJAM replied: How about a 'heritage day' every 2 months or so. You can find out what some of the background of the residents are...and do some 'homework' on that country - then give a small presentation and, if possible, as anyone from that country to talk about it a little too. Pick a different country each time. If you split them up...having them every 2 months or so - you'll have more time to research...and the residents can have time to suggest their country and help you out.

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
There is a Zootherapy session given once a month already.... the spca could bring some in as well!

Display - like an auction? or regular museum style display? We could open it to the public - but for security purposes, we can't unless the "public" are guests brought by the residants.

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
Oooh that's cool!

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
*I* think that this is really neat. However there are maybe 4 people in the entire residence that are of "un-Quebec-er-ness" - who aren't from Quebec. It is sad that where I live, most people don't even speak english... only french - and they like it that way. They're very.... i'm not gonna say what's coming to mind.

There are several employees who are hispanic - they speak french as well - i have no priblem understanding them, even with a heavy accent - but the people who live here don't even TRY to get what they're saying.

For example: paper in french is spelled Papier, and pronounced : Pah-pee-ay. The hispanic employees might pronounce it: Pah-pee-eh-ray (with the little spanish sounding r - lol) but come on - practically the same - you don't have to be "exact" especially when in context. so unbfortunately I don't think it would go over well - but I will still include it - because you never know.

Actually - i just reread - i think that if i gave ther presentation, there wouild be less complaining that they wouldn't be able to understand... lol so it might go over better than I thought!!!

amymom replied: Rocky, since there is not much diversity in the resident's heritage, why not call it 'around the world day' or something like that. It could be when you get travel posters from local travel agents, maybe someone has dreaded slides or movies from when they visited there, or the local library could provide a travel video. And maybe the food that day or a snack for the event could be from that country. Like if you did Ireland or England you could do an afternoon tea; and Italy you could do a spagetti dinner etc.

Anyway it looks like you got lots of ideas here, you and the committee ought to come up with lots of activities. Have Fun!!!

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
that's a great idea!

The worst part - I have a slide machine and about 8 boxes of slides from my childhood.

Such a neat idea - I love it!