Guest Guest_flgirl Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable. I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pat8231 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Hi Flgirl. Hope you remember me. We met at the center during my interview (sort of an interview lol). We had one lady like that at the SNF. What we did was have her sort mail, make out a "make-believe" list of supplies we needed in the activity room. Have her make sure the coffee,sugar etc. was in good supply, have her straighten out the coffee area etc. Hope this help a little. Pat8231 8-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diana 0 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 HAVE YOU TRIED A SERVICE PROJECT? GETTING HER TO WRITE THANK YOU NOTES TO OTHER VOLUNTEERS; SETTING UP ARTS AND CRAFTS (SORTING AND SUCH) FOR GROUP ACTIVITES; PERHAPS SHE COULD HELP YOU ORGANIZE FOR THE FUTURE MONTHS UPCOMING ACTIVITY CALENDAR. GOOD LUCK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajk 0 Report Share Posted July 3, 2007 Ideas that help out in situations like yours: Letting the resident call the BINGO numbers really makes them feel as though they are contributing. Also, at the assistant living facility, alot of books have been accumlated over the years, one resident who was a librarian was very excited when asked to catalog the books. Allowing residents to pass out and collect songbooks also can help them increase socialization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayven 0 Report Share Posted July 4, 2007 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable.I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP Ask her to help you lead or set up program supplies & lead activities for lower functioning residents. Have her collect songbooks, sweep or vacuum floor, set tables, wipe off tables, arrange silk flowers for tables, sort supplies by colors, sizes, fold laundry, plant flowers, peel vegetables for kitchen help, etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1two1 0 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Ask her to help you lead or set up program supplies & lead activities for lower functioning residents. Have her collect songbooks, sweep or vacuum floor, set tables, wipe off tables, arrange silk flowers for tables, sort supplies by colors, sizes, fold laundry, plant flowers, peel vegetables for kitchen help, etc.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARY ELLEN 0 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Is she able to run a bingo game and be the caller perhaps? How about watering plants, reading to someone, leading a roasry group. Hope these help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtle 0 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 What did she do in life before becoming a person with dementia? Maybe that information can help you come up with something for her to do that makes her feel like she is at work. We have a lady who owned a local floral shop for years. Whenever, she is looking for "work" we give her flowers and a vase and she makes an arrangment for another resident who is bedridden. It is amazing the change that comes over her when she is "working" on her arrangement. Who knows, you might get a great idea by just knowing what her work once was. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chartley 0 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 something that we do at our facility for those higher functioning residents, is take them to our library and let them get some books to read. or you could have them help you cut stuff out for a project you are doing that month. they could cut out quilting squares for a local quilting club. or if they is a big group of them you could do a game of jeopardy or famous faces. they seem to work well. good luck, hope my ideas helped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljsutt 0 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Hi, Make her an honorary member of the Activity Department. Give her a name tag and ask her to help with activities. Tell her you need someone to keep an eye on things and have her "assist" with activities. Maybe she could decide what to play for a special movie night, or pick out some games to try. Ask her opinion when making the newsletter or calendar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1368 0 Report Share Posted February 12, 2009 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable.I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP maybe you could use her to help you transfer residents to and from the dining room,activites or therapy.?seems to work for me...let me know if this was helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awalls1 0 Report Share Posted February 14, 2009 I have a few ladies that are still pretty high functioning and get bored easily, I have them to help me go through the movies and cds that are used and put them in thier cases as well as in thier class of music or movies. The ladies help me wash,set the tables,fill the glasses with ice,help clear the tables after meals. They also enjoy folding the laundry that we keep close by. (the ladies love mateing socks)If you have extra at home bring them in It will keep her busy for a little while. Maybe she likes making beds.dusting the furniture,sweeping the floors. Maybe if you have pictures and some empty albums she could fix those for you,there are so many ideas I hope some of these things will help you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrsarandreajr 0 Report Share Posted January 10, 2010 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable.I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP So many great ideas already posted. I definitely like the one about making her an honorary Activity Department member. Make her feel as useful as can be. To add something very simple, but that actually works extremely well with the dementia residents at my facility... simply get a bunch of different yarn. Use different colors and sizes and unravel it being sure to mix it all together. Place the pile of yarn on a table so that the resident you speak of as well as others with dementia can sit and untangle the different strands of yarn. Most of them will probably roll each strand into balls of yarn. It makes them feel like that are working and helping you as well as helping them to utilize their fine motor skills and excercise their fingers. It works like a charm. They really love to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fablous 0 Report Share Posted January 11, 2010 Have you tried having her go into training for voluntering. Depending on her level of functing and understanding this will give her purpose. Making her situation more bearable giving her the chance to become more accepting of her new circumstance and still feeling useful. I always try to bring peace and acceptiance that heals the heart, some times we get the chance to work with many hearts. Sometimes it is an unseen ripple effect encompassing the lives she touches. They are the angles and we are their wings. There to lend support whenever the wind is rough. Good Luck and God Bless! Jenny Livingston Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinandez 0 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable.I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP Inter-generational activities work very well for high-functioning dementia clients. Even if they don't want to work directly with children, they can perhaps put together a care package for some students. Also, it's great to coordinate visits with teachers. Many teachers are open to bringing their students for a visit as the experience can benefit students too. Perhaps they can also lead a group like a men's groups or a women's group. We also use our high-functioning dementia participants to help greet other clients- especially prospects. It makes them feel like they are helping as well as encouraging them to socialize. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cat356 0 Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 What about having her delievering mail or leading a group activity such as; cards, matching games, flower arranging, word games ect. Cathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcySchroeder 0 Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable.I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcySchroeder 0 Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 You could ask the resident to "work" by going room to room with the "Hospitality Cart" offering things for residents to borrow such as: magazines, daily newspaper, crossword puzzle or word search books, books to read, CD's, CD player or DVD's, playing cards, cribbage boards, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abidlack 0 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 With some of the residents at my facility, we have them help fold shirts and pants that will later be given to their owners. The residents seem to enjoy this because it is usually an activity that they remember how to do and it gives them a purpose. Also, I have got a couple wire hangers and I ask some residents to wrap yarn around the wire. Past generations used to do this to keep the wire from rusting. It is a simple activity that can take a long time. Stop and think about the little things that you do in a day. Can this resident provide 1:1 visits? Can she pass out newspapers or other things that you pass out to residents? What about writing thank you letters to those that donate to the facility or help take pictures for the newsletter? Let her do the things that we do out of habit but that are time consuming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omalley286 0 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable.I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP I also have one of these residents, she did not want to be in the facility, constantly talking about getting out, so on so forth. I asked her one day if she could help me clean out one of my book cases. She aggreed and soon became the "Librarian" she takes care of book orders, "renting" the books from the shelves as well as movies and books on tape. She soon started asking what else she could do (She was also not very social when she arrived) I said we have to go to some of the residents rooms and do one on ones with them. I asked if she wanted to join me and she said ok but did not want to participate of course. The next day I said I was running late and I had to do one of the those one on ones on a resident that was in the lounge, I asked if she could help me and play cards with the woman for awhile for me. I really did not have to do a one on one with the woman, she just loves to play cards. I gave her the "form" to fill out and she was off to play cards. After that she does "Game Play" with a resident every day. I believe that many of the men and women that are entering the facility now are use to working and if they do not believe they should be in the facility, giving them "work" makes them feel like they are making a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicSwatloski 0 Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable.I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP I used to have one of her. It is not easy in any way. However, I would have her help me deliver monthly activity calendars, if you have a bread machine, you could make her in charge of making fresh bread for lunch daily (one loaf a day for all residents to share) put her in charge of taking the book cart around to resident rooms for library selection. Also, find out if she used to knit or crochet. If so, then take a skein of yarn and tangle it. You could then tell her that someone got into your yarn box and messed it up... ask her if she would take some time to help you out by untangling and rolling the ball. The more responsibility you give her, the happier she should be. Hope some of those ideas help! Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klockwood82 0 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable.I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klockwood82 0 Report Share Posted February 11, 2010 I have someone similar, she initially did not want to come to my memory enhancement program, however I utilized a few of the residents in particular one who she got along with and asked him to show her around the building and pick her up on his way to the program. This helped him, it gives him something to remember to do, and it helped her feel included. They dont' miss a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ataylor 0 Report Share Posted February 28, 2011 QUOTE (Guest_flgirl @ Oct 25 2004, 04:26 PM) I need help coming up with activities that a high functioning dementia lady can do at the center I work in. She does not want to be there. My opinion is she is not ready,but her husband wants her there and tells her she is going to "work". My boss wants me to bend over backwards to keep her busy with things to do because our census is low and we need her to stay. I have already have her preparing the utensils in the morning and stuffing envelopes, stapling stuff and plying cards with others. She is not very sociable. I would welcome suggestions on how to keep her busy so she Thinks she is working. Thiss is really stresssing me because I feel like I have to give her special attention so she doesn't leave. PLEASE HELP Inter-generational activities work very well for high-functioning dementia clients. Even if they don't want to work directly with children, they can perhaps put together a care package for some students. Also, it's great to coordinate visits with teachers. Many teachers are open to bringing their students for a visit as the experience can benefit students too. Perhaps they can also lead a group like a men's groups or a women's group. We also use our high-functioning dementia participants to help greet other clients- especially prospects. It makes them feel like they are helping as well as encouraging them to socialize. Hope this helps! HI, Is she able to deliver the mail or newspapers? Maybe to a certain floor? She could also assist in the activity room by shredding paper or gathering materials together. In all the facilities that I have worked in many residents became volunteers. It's a great boost to self-esteem. Hope this helps. Amylyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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