Activity


Why activity programmes are essential in care homes


Karen Case, managing partner at LifeDock Training, explains why creating inclusive and joyful physical activity programmes for care home residents is so important


I have often wondered what our care homes would look like if activities such as chair- based exercise, boccia, and singing were considered to be essential staples in the daily life of residents. What if staff could provide a daily dose of music and movement, considered to be as vital as providing medications and personal care for residents? How would the atmosphere in our care homes change if there was a way we could provide more moments of laughter, music, and magic for residents and staff alike? Maybe in the current climate, with many care homes struggling with basic staffing levels, it is unrealistic to expect fun to be a priority. The CQC’s 2020/21 State of Care report highlighted the negative effects on the health of social care workers caused by working under sustained pressure, exacerbated by the pandemic, including anxiety, stress, exhaustion, and burnout. But I suggest that, now more than ever,


we should find ways to raise morale not only for our residents but for our staff. Let’s look at how activities can create a deeper sense of community and provide moments of magic.


Benefits of activities in care home life Activities in care homes have many benefits for residents. They can help to improve their physical and mental health, as well as create a sense of community and purpose within the care home. For residents, activities can provide a sense of structure and routine to their day. They can also help to improve physical health through exercise, which will in turn help maintain mobility, improve balance, and help prevent falls. Mental health can be improved through stimulation and social opportunities that can help combat feelings of isolation and loneliness. For residents with cognitive impairments, activities can help with memory and cognitive function, and engaging in activities


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can provide mental stimulation, which can help prevent cognitive decline. For staff, seeing the positive impact that activities have on residents can provide a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. I am reminded of an unexpected magic moment when my colleague was leading a chair- based Charleston routine in a care home. A lady suddenly got out of the chair and began to dance, flapper style! Up until that point, she had not engaged at all, and looked like she was sleeping. It was amazing, and the staff were buzzing at how she ‘came alive’. Activities can also provide opportunities for staff to develop new skills and learn new things, which can enhance job satisfaction and career development. The more that staff can interact with residents through activities the more likely it is that a sense of community will develop, which can have a huge impact on the quality of life for both residents and staff.


I got the music in me… (cue Kiki Dee) We have all ‘got the music in us’, whether we think we are musical or not. Music is primal – after all, the very first thing we hear is our mother’s heartbeat. There is also a powerful relationship


between music and memory. Our teenage years and our twenties are times in which we experience things for the first time, and our musical preferences are formed in these years and attached to those experiences. The research and anecdotal evidence on the positive impact that music can have on older people is overwhelming and has


For residents with cognitive impairments, activities can help with memory and cognitive function


A care home resident unleashing her inner rockstar during a drum-based exercise session


led to a rise in organisations such as Our Dementia Choir and Dance for Parkinson’s (English National Ballet). I defy anyone to remain dry-eyed after watching the video feature on The Guardian’s YouTube channel of the former ballerina Marta C. González, who has Alzheimer’s disease. She was approached by the Spanish organisation Music to Awaken to take part in a study to explore the emotional and behavioural benefits of music. The video shows her dancing (in her chair) and experiencing emotions as she hears Swan Lake and is transported, in her mind, back to a time to her life when she was prima ballerina.


Thank you for the music… (cue Abba) Music stimulates the production of dopamine (the feel-good hormone), and joyful, uplifting music can change our mood. When I hear the first bar of ‘Your Song’ by Elton John, I feel all fuzzy and warm inside. I really cannot explain it – maybe it is the dopamine? Music is the one tool to which we all


have access and quite possibly it is one of the simplest, cheapest, and easiest ways to create joy, laughter, and engagement in


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com May 2023


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