There’s a saying: everyone’s an artist. And on International Artists Day, that means all of your residents can participate. From paint, to coloured pencils, to stickers, to photos, there’s really no limit to the art they can produce. Maybe you can make all of your programs on October 25th art focused. Maybe you cover a whole wall with brown butcher paper and put out supplies for residents to decorate. The bottom line is to celebrate the inner artist that exists in all of us.
What an excellent chance to encourage a little friendly competition at your community where your residents can be the judge! Schedule a pseudo “Iron Chef” competition where all the chefs and cooking staff in your community compete for the title. Choose a theme or a specific ingredient and give your culinary teams time to whip them up (make sure you watch that clock). Once they’re done, a panel of resident judges (maybe find former chefs in your community) will do the ultimate taste test and crown the winning Iron Chef. Ideally, the competitors will do some preparation for your residents to see so they can cheer them on and get really into it.
Thanksgiving gives us an amazing opportunity to spend time with our loved ones and share in a delicious meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and our personal favourite, stuffing. Did we mention that dinner is topped off with pumpkin pie and whipped cream for dessert?
Get your dining team involved in hosting a feast for your residents. While they take care of the food, you and your team can take care of adding a few Thanksgiving themed decorations for a nice touch: pumpkins, gourd centrepieces, and leaf wreaths. To add a special touch, create a tree trunk and branches on a large piece of butcher paper and hang it on your wall. Provide your residents with pre-cut paper leaves and ask them to write what they’re thankful for on their leaves. Attach the leaves to the tree branches with tape or glue. And just so you know, this year, we at Welbi are thankful for all of you!
What a great opportunity to use that Education Profile question in Welbi! Look at all the residents in your community who used to be teachers and get them together to celebrate all that they’ve done for educating youth over their years. Start the day by honouring this amazing profession, and then invite a local school to come in so your teachers can read to the students. It will help your residents connect back with their career and reminisce about that time.
Who doesn’t love getting a handmade, handwritten card? Why not celebrate World Card Making Day with a program for your residents that gets them creative and sentimental? Invite your residents to an arts program with various supplies they can use to create cards to share with family, friends or other residents. Not only is it a way to explore their creativity, but they’ll also be able to share with others how much they mean to them and bring a smile to their faces.
For all those coffee lovers in your community, this program will be just for them. To celebrate International Coffee Day, invite a seasoned barista from your local coffee shop to come in and run a coffee tasting with your residents. They’ll take you through the origins of coffee, what flavours, body and acidity each type has and they may even pair them with some delicious chocolate or fruit. This is also a great alternative for residents in your community who don’t drink alcohol, but still want to participate in a tasting program.
Encourage your residents to channel their inner Ringo Starr by celebrating International Drum Month with weekly DrumFit programs. DrumFit is a cardio based program that combines physical activity with brain fitness. It’s a full body workout and it’s really fun! Get those drumsticks out and rock out while socializing and laughing.
Podcasts may be newer to some of your residents, but they are an excellent, accessible way to learn, be entertained, laugh and connect. To start your podcast event, begin with a technology lesson and teach your residents how to access and search for podcasts on their devices. From there, choose a podcast that everyone can listen to together and discuss. Maybe it’s a classic true crime podcast like Serial, or one that spurs discussion like Hidden Brain. Whatever it is, treat it like a book club and encourage your residents to listen, discuss and connect.
Many of us have fond memories of going out for a game of mini golf. Whether it was with family, friends or as a date, it’s always a time of fun, friendly competition. It’s a great time to organize an outing to your local mini golf spot with some of your residents. There are lots of modification tools available for folks with various barriers and if an outing isn’t possible, there’s always opportunities to create some mini golf on site. Have a great tee off!
When times get tough, it’s important to try to find the things we can be grateful for. Whether it’s that hot cup of coffee in the morning, our loving family, or the flowers in bloom, remembering the small things we’re grateful for can help us put things in perspective and get through those rougher times. Buy some notebooks at the dollar store and host a gratitude journaling activity in the morning with your residents. You can encourage them to list out what they’re grateful for, provide some prompts to get them thinking or maybe begin the activity with a gratitude meditation. In the darkest times, there’s always something to be grateful for.
