Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,
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Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be
Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care professionals to get an easyceu or two
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The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]
Engaging in creative
endeavors is vital for long term care residents. It is an important way to keep
them thinking. It keeps their minds working and raises self esteem.
One such activity that easily
encourages creativity, I call, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
This is an easy activity to
do as long as you have the right picture for participants to describe and the
right frame of mind to facilitate the discussion of the picture. As with any
activity you need to adapt and modify it so that it is success oriented and
failure free.
Use a picture that is colorful
with large, easy to describe items, that interests your audience.
Baby photographs are one type
of picture that seems to have universal appeal for nursing home residents
especially those with dementia.
You act as the facilitator in
some cases. Be ready to help the participants with discussion questions. Make
sure you have pencil and paper handy. You may want to give some higher
functioning residents some paper and magic markers so they can jot down some
“notes” for you. Of course, you will be taking down most of the information.
Before you show the person(s)
the picture, tell them you are going to help them write a story about a picture
because you know they are smart and have good ideas.
Now you are ready to show the
picture(s) to the members of the group. As you ask the questions, make sure you
show the picture to the participant(s) that you are directing the questions to.
You or someone in the group can be the eyes for visually impaired participants.
However, you will see that the discussion may take on a life of its own where
the picture may not even be needed. Think of the picture as a story starter.
You might begin with the
question, “Do you like this picture?”
If the majority of the
audience says, “No”, use a different one. It is important to have at least two
pictures available in case this happens.
Now that you have a picture
most group members like, you want to ask a series of questions about it.
As
you ask the questions about the picture, note any remarkable responses. That
is, statements about the picture that will make the story interesting. Remember
to assist members of the audience with answers to questions by providing the
help they may need.
For
example, if they are having trouble deciding what season is shown in the
picture, talk about the seasons of the year, by asking them to name the
seasons. If they are having trouble, give them a choice of two. If there is
still some confusion, say that the baby and the lady are wearing swimsuits. Ask
about the season that swimsuits are worn in etc.
Understand that you can ask
any question that you want to, which will help facilitate the discussion.
You could print out a list of
these or similar questions to help you in the note taking process
You may have to give two
choices for an answer to a question if you do not get any response from an open
ended question. An example to the question, “How is he feeling”, might be: “Is
he happy or sad?” If you still don’t get a response, then say, “I
think he is happy because he is smiling. Do you agree (say the participant’s name)?” Then
you might extend the thought by asking about the baby’s face. There is a good
chance a participant may say that the baby is smiling. You could ask what kind
of smile he has etc... You can include these facts in the story when you write
it.
Emphasize that there are really
no right or wrong answers to any of the questions. Tell them that it is just
what they think the answer is. Again stress that you know how smart and
creative everyone is.
Thus this is a good creative
outlet for long term care residents even if they have limitations.
You may want to have the
group members suggest an opening line to the story such as: “Once upon a time”,
“One sunny day”, “A few days ago” or whatever works.
After you have compiled all
the answers to the questions, write a simple story about the picture using all
or some of the answers given.
Then, later on, show the picture
and read the story perhaps noting some great remarks of those that
participated. Of course, be complimentary. You may want to post the story or
create a short story book. Sometimes I share ideas that were expressed in this
group to family members.
You probably will not include
as many details.
Adorable Photographs of Our
Baby, flash cards, are ideal for this activity
As with any activity, a sure
way to guarantee success is for you or the group leader to be animated and
excited about doing the activity. Praising the participants for their efforts
is key to a positive outcome as well.
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