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Recently, a reader contacted me with a question about a situation that’s all too common at this time of year. Because of an outbreak of influenza in her nursing home, group activities were being limited. Also, any residents with symptoms of illness had to stay in their rooms. She wanted suggestions for solitary activities she could offer to her residents.
There are several other situations, too, where solitary activities may be needed. For example, a resident might feel fine and want to remain active, but they require isolation precautions for a contagious infection.
Or you might have an outbreak of scabies on your unit, and the residents must live under quarantine until they complete treatment. (Icky, yes, but it happens!) Furthermore, a resident might need to spend a lot of time in their room for their own protection while undergoing treatment for cancer or another illness.
Of course, the appropriateness of an activity depends upon each resident’s unique situation. But I’m hoping these seven ideas for solitary activities will be helpful to you and your residents.
1. Games
Print copies of games and make them available to residents. Options might include crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word searches, trivia quizzes, or mazes. You can also turn this into a friendly competition. For example, see who can make the most little words out of a big word, then offer a prize to the winner.
2. Bingo
Hand out paper bingo cards. Several times a day, announce a number via the overhead speakers. If they don’t allow this in your nursing home, you can also ask the staff to deliver the numbers when they enter the rooms to do cares.
3. Birds
If a resident needs confinement to their room for an extended period, offer to install a bird feeder outside their window. You might also provide a bird book so they can learn about the birds that come to visit.
4. Coloring
Hand out adult coloring pages. You can find lots of books that have perforated pages you can tear out for each resident. (ColorIt is my favorite brand.) Little boxes of crayons are readily available at dollar stores. Better yet, stock up for just such an occasion when crayons are dirt cheap during back-to-school sales.
5. Writing
Provide notebooks for residents, along with ideas for writing assignments. For example, one resident might choose to document their life story. Another might jot down advice for future generations. Maybe someone will even get started on that novel they always wanted to write.
6. Magazines
Find out subjects of interest to each resident and then ask for donations of magazines on related topics. Some residents may also enjoy creating collages from pictures in magazines.
7. iPods
Secure an iPod for each resident and help them load it with their favorite music. Many nursing homes have had great success getting donations of iPods from people in their community.
Now it’s your turn! What other suggestions can you add? I would love to see your ideas in the comment section.
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