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Programming For Younger Adults


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Hey Martinique's mom, fyi, since you do have such a wide age range at your nursing home, be sure that your residents that are 55 or under have a very specific individualized careplan. When the survey team comes in, you can almost guarantee that they are going to review those MDS, charts and careplans thoroughly.

 

With that said, you might want to have different activity times for each age group. For example, if you notice that the younger residents are not morning people and prefer to sleep late or do activities later in the afternoon, then have your act. for the older residents in the a.m hours and work with the younger res. in the afternoon when the older residents go for their nap.

 

This is not to say completely ignore the younger ones during the day, but if they are not interested in group act. in the morning or do not want to be in groups with the older resident's, you could possibly have an activity station with books, magazines, word finds, crosswords, hand held video games, board games, cards etc. for them to use. I also utilize a DVD/VCR player that is checked out by our younger residents to watch movies. Most of my younger residents are males and they love to watch movies.

 

Hope this is a start.

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I have a lot of younger residents too! WE do a monthly group called "Hangtime," which consists of a lunch (usually fast food, pizza, or KFC) and music listening (younger tunes... 1960-90's). The group votes on what they want to eat for next month. We have also had staff bring in pot luck dishes for theme meals ie:Chinese, Mexican.

 

I also do a movie group once a month. The young folks vote on the movie they want to watch and I get it from netflix. The younger folks like adventure/action/comedy that sometimes might be inappropriate for the older residents. The residents get together and enjoy fresh popcorn like at the real theatre.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Blockbusters program is great, especially for younger residents...you can rent 2-3 movies at a time or even have them mailed to the facility. As was said in the previous reply our younger residents love to watch movies but my resident council president and vice president especially love it and often make an extra movie night out of it and order pizza to go with it too when they have the money. It's really not that expensive and has expanded our sad little movie collection...which isn't that small but once they've seen a movie 10 times they want something new. Good luck, Heather D.

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Guest Guest_Tina

Hi, I am actually a Social Worker that found your site by accident. Great resource! I am currently trying to help my activity staff find some new ideas. We have recently admitted quite a few younger residents (30-50 years old). Well they have no interest in many of our current activities as they are "too old fashioned". We are trying to come up with some new ideas and wondering if anyone out there can help. Thanks. Tina

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That's a good idea, I'll be looking into that.

 

We will be admitting an 18 year-old female tomorrow. She will be on dialysis 3x week & has some other issues that we'll be dealing w/. (Recent still-born baby, attempted suicide, other issues). This is very new territory for us at our facility as we are not a mental health facility, but a SNF! Any help would be appreciated.

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This is a really interesting topic - obviously not the hardship that your patients/residents are facing (i.e. this 18 yr old girl) but rather the idea that the future of retirement clientele will be taking a dramatic turn in the next 10-15 years.

 

Residents of the baby boom generation will not want to play shuffleboard or listen to Frank Sinatra, or watch Charlie Chaplin movies! So the question is posed to all of us I think, how can we be ready, how can we be visionaries and anticipate the activity needs of a whole new retired generation?

 

It would be interesting to tap into our thoughts on this.

 

In regards to your problem about gearing activities to a younger age group one suggestion might be picking up a trivia game (ex. trivial pursuit) that has more recent questions) or stocking your bookshelves with contemporary fiction. And updating your music files by including things like the Beatles, Van Morrison etc. The list could go on and on...

 

Hope that helps too.

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Guest ErinE

StacieO--

 

Why is your facility admitting an 18 year old on dialysis? I would think there would be other facilities more age appropriate than a SNF! Just curious.

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Guest KathyAA

We have residents of all ages from 16 to 99. Because of the majority of residents being around 60, 50 and 40 it has been a fun journey. First, we have residents who enjoy being part of the activities department with "jobs" We have residents that deliver the mail, get materials ready for craft programs, clean up after activities, help transport, set up areas for activities and they actually do Current Events.

We have a DVD player and a few come to the Community Room in the evenings (every evening) and watch a movie. (All types on the DVD) We do educational programs with community speakers. We have activities including Yahtzee, Sorry and Card Parties, We plan events including todays Pool Party with super soakers.

We try all the latest craft ideas (we actaully tape the Carol Duvall show and watch it with the residents to decide what crafts to do as a group) We have Tupperware Parties and watch NASCAR and Sports on Sundays. We serve hot dogs and popcorn at the "games".

We make smoothies and take frersh fruit around room to room. We have a rubber stamping cart (from and old Med Cart) that they can make cards on a monthly basis for their families.

We did some research on the internet and used the timeline that is posted on the NCCAP Bulletin Board to formulate our activities. You also need to consider your residents and their needs and interests.

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Thanks for the input... We are in a rural area in Minnesota & from what I understand, the reason the 18 year old was admitted, was she needs skilled nursing care & dialysis 3x/week. The nearest unit for that is 14 miles away, & their snf was full, (which is also her home town). We are the closest snf to her home town & dialysis unit. I was out of the office yesterday, so I wasn't able to meet her yet, but planning to do so first thing this a.m.!

 

I was able to hear Cat Selman speak yesterday.... not sure if you've heard of her, but she's been part of this panel w/ CMS & helped re-write the interpretive guidelines for surveying activity departments. LOTS of info!

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Guest MsJaywalker

:hammer: I have younger (early

twenties MR patients that are difficult to find activities for. Can't leave them alone

to watch movies, etc. They have no attention span are in constant motion, one is blind, and they can be destructive. The TV has to be really too high for functional use so that it is out of reach. One has destroyed more than one small keyboard as he bangs on it as he says "Jack and Jill" over and over. Does someone else have clients such as this with which you are successful? The State zeros in on this group and I have never had a deficiency but I worry that I don't do these boys justice! MsJaywalker

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Some of the things I've had success with are... having younger residents do internet based research for some of my group activity programs i.e. searching out facts on Elvis for his birthday celebration, Under 60 Club Outings to ballgames, movies, swimming at the YMCA, and to the library. Taking care of our facility dog, hand held video games- Yahtzee/Poker, volunteering in the community- three of our residents visit a local Boys/Girls Club weekly.

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Guest ErinE

I heard Cat's seminar as well. She is such a wealth of information. Wish I could have met you StacieO since you are a regular poster. Will you be going to MNSWAP?? Have a great day.

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Update - they didn't end up sending us the 18-year old, she ended up w/ a chest tube, poor thing.

 

Erin - yes - I'll be at MNSWAP, just not sure which days yet. I like to send a couple of my staff for one day, & then try to be there one day myself (budget doesn't allow for much more than that). My email is: solson@gfmhm.com if you wish to contact me directly.

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