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Enhancing the Lives of Nursing Home Residents One Volunteer at a Time

15 Benefits Of Robots In The Nursing Home

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nursing home robots

There’s been a lot in the news lately about robots assisting elderly people in their homes and long-term care facilities. When I first read about this concept, I thought it sounded too impersonal and perhaps even a bit creepy. But as I learn more, I see real advantages to using robots to supplement human caregivers.

At present, Japan is the world’s leader in the development of robotic caregivers. With a rapidly growing elderly population, as well as a significant shortage of nursing staff, this high tech country is the perfect stage.

Other countries such as Australia, Germany, Denmark, and the United States follow close behind. The major roadblock at this point is the cost. But as with any modern technology, we anticipate prices will go down over time.

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Best Tips For Selling Gift Baskets

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how to sell gift baskets

As I mentioned in previous posts about yard sales and bake sales, I love to share fundraising ideas for volunteer groups. We’ve had great success selling gift baskets through silent auctions. This works well as a stand-alone event or as an addition to another event.

These are a few tips we’ve learned over the years:

  • Gift baskets sell especially well before holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, and Christmas.
  • Remember that you can use containers other than baskets. Consider a flower pot, cooking kettle, cloth tote bag, small cooler, mixing bowl, wastebasket, cookie jar, or cleaning bucket.

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Know the Signs of a Stroke

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stroke in the elderly

Did you know that a stroke (also known as a CVA or cerebral vascular accident) often results in a wide variety of long-term problems? The type of problem depends on which parts of the brain the stroke affected.

Did you also know that we can prevent or minimize many of these problems with prompt medical treatment? There’s a small window of time during which they must start some treatments for them to be effective. For this reason, everyone needs to know the signs of a stroke!

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How To Get Free Magazines For Craft Projects

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This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

free magazines for craft projects

A favorite activity of residents living in our memory care unit is making collages from pictures clipped out of magazines. Besides having fun, I believe this project benefits our residents in several ways:

  • Art projects that involve drawing or painting often intimidate residents. However, anyone can make a beautiful collage.
  • The pictures trigger memories. When I ask a resident to tell me about a particular picture, they often recall a story about their childhood, family, or a joyful event in their life.
  • This craft project is very inexpensive. (I’ll tell you more about that in a minute!)
  • The collages spark conversations between residents as they compare pictures. They also laugh together when someone finds a particularly funny picture.
  • Family members show interest in the pictures chosen by their loved one. The collages often trigger happy memories for them, too.
  • When we hang the collages in the residents’ rooms, it sparks conversations between the residents and staff.

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Please Share This Clinical Trial Opportunity!

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clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease

Back when I worked as a nurse in a memory care unit, I remember attending a fascinating workshop about Alzheimer’s disease. The speaker updated us on groundbreaking research being done in the field. He said he was confident that scientists would discover a cure for Alzheimer’s disease within the next ten years.

That was over 20 years ago, and there’s still no cure. Kind of discouraging, isn’t it? But we can’t give up hope!

I’m sure you know people who are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could play a significant role in ending this terrible disease?

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