Aranui Rest Home and Hospital

I love your idea! We've got bean bags and I will use this idea to do Bunny Hunting for the coming Easter. Thanks!

We made this last year, it was a wonderful activity. We made it over a month, and residents would paint or crayon in the feathers when
they had nothing to do. When it all came together the colours look wonderful. Marina, Aranui

Thankyou for the posters of the year of the "Golden Pig" and "Valentines's Day" they were great.
Last year we did the craft the "Heart of Kindness." It was a wonderful craft, and looked great when it was finished. It is a real team effort. Thoroughly enjoyed. This year we are going to follow your guide for a "Valentines Day" party, so we are looking forward to it.

Thanks for all your ideas, certainly helps when my old brain needs new ideas.

Marina - Hospital Unit.

My ressies really enjoyed this game and completed A - Z. Will do again and change the animal etc. Many thanks.

Hi Gabriela, I am in a secure dementia wing.
We have singalong daily before lunch to wake them up. In the afternoon I put on easy listening music. We do Art and craft twice a week, pampering and chat session twice a week, baking which they love twice a week.
We have daily animal visitors. We play coloured dominoes and picture Bingo which we have about 6 - 8 residents watching and playing. Also we go for group walks around facility and garden, and have a sit and chat. It is such a hard time of day late afternoon, best of luck hope this helps. Marina

Ukelele is a wonderful instrument. I also lear It is snt on the internet and my dementia clients just come alive when I play. Dr Uke is also an excellent website, you can download songs and you can listen to how the song is played. It is such an easy instrument to learn.

A new activity has been posted by a Golden Carers member: Play dough crafts

I have middle to late stage dementia, and I find our residents love country western music(old style) 60's music and Cook Island music. Some tap their feet, some get up and dance or jiggle, and you can feel the happiness in the room. We dont have a T.V. in our activities room.
Marina - Secure Dementia wing

Hi I work in a secure dementia unit and I discovered how much my ladies love wearing necklaces and earrings. I started buying necklaces on trade me it is amazing how cheap you can get them, and how pretty they are. I then got the residents to make them, they did really well. I put
all the necklaces in a box saying the Crown Jewels, and each morning either the caregivers or me, get the residents to choose what they want to wear. Often I will put the box out in the middle of the table and they love to untangle them all. The latest is, I make earrings out of buttons
(also bought on trade me) all my residents had heaps of one earring. I clip off the plastic post at the back and glue on a gold clip on the back.
Very easy. I make several pairs the same, so it doesnt matter if you lose one. Bye for now Marina Diversional Therapist.

To Christine in Canberra, Hi I work in a secure Dementia wing, and I understand how hard it is to keep the residents stimulated. All my residents (25) usually sit together in the dining room lounge area. We dont have a T.V. going there, but lots of different types of music. Cook Island music is very popular with us. What I do is lots of activities and work around the lounge, so I concentrate on a group or an individual then move to another group, this way the others usually are watching everything going on. I play a lot of ball games, and individual sit dancing, which is basically just moving the residents arms or legs to the music (to their ability). Also on the dining tables, I put fiddle objects, magazines, baby dolls and clothes,soft toys etc. The baby dolls are really popular I have about 6 now, and even the men love a cuddle ocassionally. It is amazing how the residents can start communicating to each other when holding a baby doll. There conversation may not make sense to us, but they are all smiles.

We do a lot of art, and put it all on a large board so everyone can see,. and the residents are very proud of what they achieve. I have done art with my resident twice a week now for a couple of years, and they are getting much better. Lollies certainly make it a lot more fun. The art has to be colourful and easy to do. I use childrens poster paint, I found they can use brush and paint much better than felt tips. The residents usually try to eat the paint at first, but doesnt take long for them to know its yuk. Lollies are much better. I wish you all the best, it certainly feels wonderful when your residents look happy in what they do. Marina D.T.