As waitlists for care facilities grow longer and more people with dementia are choosing to live within their own communities, urban planning and design will play an increasingly important role in helping them live safe, comfortable and independent lives. Exercise and social interaction are “incredibly important” for people living with dementia, says Samantha Biglieri, an…
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In Japan, which hosted the Rugby World Cup last month, 150 clubs stage competitive matches for players above the age of 40 – and Tokyo’s Fuwaku Rugby Club has three over-90s. Of Japan’s 120,000 rugby players, about 10,000 are over the age of 40. Although these elderly players are putting themselves at risk for broken…
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In the spirit of “National Family Fun Month” we wanted to share some ideas of activities that can be done with older, and sometimes less mobile, members of your family. We get so caught up in our day-to-day busyness that sometimes we forget to carve out quality time with those we love the most. The…
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This article looks at how we can sometimes use age to define people and our tendency to associate stereotypes of incompetence, debilitation, and dependency. This can lead to one of the most damaging of the discriminating behaviors of ageism — we start treating older adults like children. One of the examples they use is calling…
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The following article discusses an ad for France’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul charity, which questions whether technology can substitute real human contact and caregiving? The ad follows a long term care resident, Claudine, throughout her day while the robot (B.E.N.) prepares her meals, provides her medications, and entertains her. The article looks at…
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Inspired by a Dutch housing project known as Hogewyk, which is the world’s first “dementia village”, Canada’s first dementia village project is opening in Langley this July. These dementia villages create a safe, secure environment for wandering seniors that reduce their chance of becoming confused and overwhelmed. Seniors can move around freely, visit stores, neighbors,…
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In our previous post, we commented on how we, as recreationists, can become totally absorbed in programming for our immediate community of residents or clients. Just as we must challenge ourselves to bring the community into our homes, we must look for ways to immerse our residents in their broader community beyond our walls. The…
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As recreationists working it various care and service settings, we can become totally absorbed in programming for our immediate community of residents or clients. As advocates for engagement and normalization, we must challenge ourselves to look beyond our organizations, and recognize that we, and our residents, are part of a larger community beyond the walls…
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I am the Activity Director in a small Skilled Nursing Facility in Texas. We have many Alzheimer’s and Dementia residents, in varying stages. We recently had the privilege of having a beautiful 3-year-old beagle in our facility named Rudy. This was the first time we have had a large therapy animal come to us. We…
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Celebrate with your residents this January 29th by bringing out the jigsaw puzzle collection and engaging in a Puzzle Party! We know that putting together puzzles, whether on your own or with a friend or two is fun, but did you also know that it is great for your brain! Puzzles are especially beneficial to…
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