SUSAN

Sounds lovely - such an enriching experience and something which our older residents took great delight in doing when they were younger.

Donna, we have also been able to use aspects of the Armchair Travel on a much smaller scale. For example, when a resident comes into a lodge from another culture, it can be a useful way of introducing them into their new environment, by sharing something of their cultural heritage through Armchair Travel sessions. This also serves to transition the resident into their new home.

Hello Patricia; the lead up to the actual travel week was about 4 weeks; most of the activities were developed during work hours, and indeed many of the residents helped during craft sessions to decorate their lodges, make leis etc. Things like word-search etc were available on google image under word hawaii. New music sessions are developed regularly anyway, and the Volcano was the first experiment in our Science for Seniors program. It does help having the equivalent of 10 full-time Leisure & Lifestyle Coordinators in addition to myself; so the ideas really flow.

We have completed Armchair Travel to Hawaii, and what a wonderful trip we had. We are a large aged care facility so were able to divide activities between Leisure & Lifestyle Coordinators, each responsible for a different aspect: music expression; cooking; Hawaiin pamper session (coconut & pineapple taste); even a working volcano, built, tested and demonstrated before doing the rounds (mentos and coke version) and hula hands to My Little Grass Shack. Craft activities centred around making hula skirts and leis. I still have the music of My Little Grass Shack running through my head every day. What a trip it was. Susan Rolfe, Lifestyle Manager