Getting resident attend activities

[Pennie 26]

Salita Dean is one of our students and she gave us this very insightful info. I think it might help some of the AD's who struggle with getting some residents to attend activites.
 
 

To encourage or motivate residents in activities participation it is important

that you identify any barriers.
 

Try to engage a family member to attend a couple of sessions.

Try to bargain with the resident; invite him/her to 'watch' the program and

later encourage them to give it a go for 10 minutes. Pair up the resident with

another who attends activities regularly and invite both to attend the next

session.

Don't give up. Negotiate without coersion. Deep down everybody seems to enjoy

cooperation and your gentle persistence will be rewarded.

 

[HeatherThomas 0]

I think it's really important to put ourselves in the shoes of the residents. Especially with new residents. It can be really scary to go to a new program, with all new people. I know that if I was a new resident I would want to be personally invited to a program I hadn't attended before and I would want to be introduced to everyone so I didn't feel like an "outsider". I work in an assisted living and I think sometimes staff members have the attitude of "well if they wanted to come, they'd just come" but that's not necessarily true. Yes, everything is open invitation. But, it takes time to learn that and it's intimidating for some.

 

These are great pointers. I find the "buddy system" works well. I have one resident in particular that enjoys going around to get people for programs. 

 

Thanks for sharing!