Nursing Home Activities

If your loved one is living in a nursing home, they will probably want access to different activities. The activities that a home offers can tell you a lot about the nursing home and the quality of life of its residents. To learn more about common nursing home activities, read on.

Indoor Activities

A wide variety of indoor nursing home activities should be available to residents. A few common activities include:

• A cooking or baking club. Many people enjoy cooking as a hobby. If your loved one likes to cook, they should have an opportunity to do so in the nursing home.
• Game nights. Game nights are a common activity in nursing homes. This is because game nights allow nursing home residents to socialize and bond together. Whether playing cards, participating in a game of bingo, or working on a jigsaw puzzle, game nights can bring the nursing home community together.
• Movie nights. Movie nights are another common form of indoor activity that nursing homes provide.
• Nursing home resident suggestions. Nursing homes should consider suggestions for activities that nursing home residents make. While some requests might be unreasonable, the nursing home should make an effort to listen to suggestions. They should allow residents to form their own clubs or groups.

Outdoor Activities

It is important for nursing homes to provide outdoor nursing home activities for residents. Some common outdoor nursing home activities include:

• Individual time outside. Residents should have the option of walking around the grounds and enjoy the outdoors. This quiet, reflective time can improve your loved one’s mental state.
• Outdoor sports. Mild outdoor sports should be available for the more active nursing home residents. Sports such as bocce, yoga, and golf can help the active residents enjoy their time in the nursing home.
• Outdoor clubs. For some residents, outdoor sports might be a little intense. Clubs and activities that take advantage of the outdoors are appealing to some residents. For example, some residents will like a gardening club. Others might like a bird watching club or outdoor painting class.

Again, one important feature of a good home is that it is open to suggestions made by residents. If you find a nursing home that you like, but it has limited activities for residents, talk to someone about this. If the nursing home is open to suggestions it might listen to your loved one’s suggestions.

Improving quality of life is an important aspect of a nursing home. A nursing home’s job is to treat your loved one’s physical issues. But, it needs to maintain your loved one’s emotional and mental state as well. This can be achieved through a variety of individual and group nursing home activities.