How To Add Laughter To The Nursing Home

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We’ve all heard it said that laughter is the best medicine. And a good laugh feels great, too! Numerous studies demonstrate the positive effects of laughter in the nursing home. Here are just a few:

• Increases energy
• Provides natural pain relief
• Soothes anxiety
• Increases oxygen intake
• Improves sleep
• Decreases depression
• Fosters communication
• Improves circulation
• Promotes socialization
• Increases staff satisfaction
• Reduces blood pressure
• Lifts the spirits of those around us

So, what can we do to encourage laughter in the nursing home?

• Ask residents to tell their favorite jokes.

• Plan a silly dress-up day for staff and invite residents to dress silly, too. (clothes on backward or inside out, funny hats, wild hair, etc.)

• Watch classic funny TV shows such as “I Love Lucy”, “Mr. Ed”, “The Beverly Hillbillies”, or “The Andy Griffith Show”.

• Invite residents to join you in blowing bubbles.

• Begin an activity by sharing comics from the daily newspaper.

• Practice “Laughter Yoga”.

• Begin the day’s activities with a funny joke or a humorous quote. Check out this book from Reader’s Digest to get started.

• Watch videos of babies laughing.

“A day without laughter is a day wasted”—Charlie Chaplin

• Invite a clown to come in and provide entertainment. Or you can dress one of your staff in a clown suit and have them make balloon animals.

• Hold a hula hoop contest.

• Post funny cartoons where everyone can see them.

• Figure out what everybody’s name would be if spelled backward.

• Watch videos of puppies or kittens playing.

• Ask the staff to put on a silly skit. For ideas, think about the funniest skits you did when you were at summer camp as a child.

• Invite someone to come in and do stand-up comedy.

• Fly paper airplanes.

• Create a scrapbook of funny cartoons.

• Try to say tongue twisters.
• Play charades.

How do you promote laughter at your nursing home? Please share your ideas in the comment section.