We have a new resident who is blind and also very very hard oh hearing .. She does not wish to join in activities due to the fact she cant see or hear. Does anyone have suggestions?
Hi, Skye, your client could benefit from a daily one-to-one visit from you or a volunteer (20 minutes to half an hour). Gently and slowly the visitor will get to know her better and have more scope to think on how to offer her meaningful activities. If you have the means find her a Companion to take her out for ice cream or coffee 2 or 3 times a week. Also, the Royal Blind Society in your country could also be helpful. They have the means to provide your client with powerful hearing aids and also reading matter in Braille (it is usually free of charge). Further, depending on your client’s background (how long she’s been blind) and education she might enjoy simple activities like unraveling wool pullovers, peeling vegetables, folding dish towels, threading plastic beads with a plastic needle to make necklaces and many other activities of daily living. These activities will give her a sense of being useful and helpful. Finally, establish that she is not depressed by her condition by asking clinical staff for help. Good luck!
Hand massage is always a great activity for her and the smell of all these different hand creams or add her favourite aroma therapy drops, if offered every day it is something for her to look forward to.
Eversound is a headphone system used to engage everyone in a group setting. It is a lease and around $378 but it is worth it for programming! Our residents love it even if they can hear well. Look into it, they have a website. eversoundhq.com
Does she know Braille. Hadley Institute for the Blind offers free books on tape and the teaching instructions to teach Braille. You don't have to know Braille to teach it, and they are very supportive. You can look them up online. They are in IL.
Thank you for your fantastic resources which I have utilised for some time now for the Golden Age Club which our church has run for almost 40 years. Thanks again, you provide a very valuable service which in the years to come will no doubt be more relevant as our population ages.
We have a new resident who is blind and also very very hard oh hearing .. She does not wish to join in activities due to the fact she cant see or hear. Does anyone have suggestions?
Thanks