Engaging activities keep our residents connected
With summertime in full swing, lots of Wisconsin residents are enjoying activities like picnics, road trips and outdoor activities. It’s no different for residents of Rennes assisted living, who have the ability to choose from a steady line-up of activities that match the seasons.
For July’s National Anti-Boredom Month, Rennes highlighted the importance of staying engaged and active, and the ways in which staff helps plan programs that will appeal to everyone.
While the activities vary between each residential facility, one of the commonly planned activities is craft-making, says Cheri Stark, Social Director at The Renaissance Assisted Living in Wisconsin Rapids.
For example, residents recently worked painting flowers on a scenic background using straws, as well as making Mod Podge trinket bowls, Stark said.
Creative variety of activities
“We also have movies a couple times of month,” said Cheri Stark, Social Director at The Renaissance Assisted Living in Wisconsin Rapids. “With the weather being nice out, we’re playing Cornhole, and we go out for ice cream rides.”
Stark also has planned “produce Bingo” with prizes from the local farmers market, coloring contests, and scavenger hunts, which were particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, when outside visits were limited.
“During COVID they couldn’t have company in and out, or they might be able to only be on their wing,” Stark said .”So, we had to implement how to get people out and get them exercising.”
This month, “we made refrigerator pickles, for which there’s always a nice crowd because it takes them back to canning, and they love that,” she said. Residents then each get a jar or two to take back to their room, and the jars are later reused for future projects. “Next month, we’re going to be doing salsa.”
While there are always favorites like Bingo and entertainment, different activities are planned individually at each facility because what appeals will change with the residents living there, she said.
“I think in order to best facilitate activities, you have to know the population that you have,” Stark said. “Right now, crafts are very popular. But there was a time nobody cared about that.”
The Renaissance Assisted Living in Wisconsin Rapids currently has a men’s group that enjoys discussion sessions and a happy hour. But each facility remains flexible to provide the activities and groups that will be the most dynamic. Whatever the calendar says, keeping residents engaged socially is a priority each day throughout the Rennes organization.
“Personally, I don’t like to have a calendar that is the same each week, with the exception of people who come in to volunteer,” Stark said. Having that flexibility allows people to enjoy activities that the might otherwise miss because of regular standing appointments each week. “And I think you have something more to look forward to when you can look at a calendar and say, oh, this week we have such-and-such coming up.”
Social connections are invaluable
The value of staying active can’t be overstated. Regular social connections help keep people engaged mentally, and participating in activities also helps maintain physical ability.
“If somebody comes in and just sits day in and day out, they’re going to lose their motor function. They’re going to lose their mental function,” Stark said. “We want residents to maintain as much independence as they have had prior to coming in here. And a lot of times we can find people who have improved.”
Some of the physical activities include walks outside, music to dance to, and building-wide scavenger hunts.
“Sometimes activities can be a very important part of a facility because it becomes the residents’ hub for mental, social, physical capabilities across the board,” Stark said.
Rennes staff works to ensure it offers a variety of activities that appeal to and meet the varying abilities of its residents.
“Even with each craft, it can go from something very simple to something more complex,” Stark said. “In August, we’re doing an acrylic painting class. A lot of the activities can be done orally, such as reminiscing and group discussion, which benefits people who may be visually impaired.”
And these activities benefit the staff, too, by conveying insight and knowledge that younger generations haven’t experienced firsthand. This can range from the practical—such as Victrola phonograph players don’t require electricity or that a block of ice can be stored under sawdust and not melt—to the emotional, Stark said.
“I’ve learned the value of family by seeing who comes and goes and what kind of relationship a resident has with their kids,” she said. “I’ve learned more from them than I’ve ever could have offered them. Hands down.”
