The Adult Day Program recreation team at Circle of Care has put together a helpful list of activities that you and your family member can do at home to keep your loved one stimulated and busy. At the Adult Day Program, activities cover 5 domains: Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Cognitive, and Social.
Here are some options under each category for you to try with your loved one at home.
Physical
These are some examples of safe seated/chair exercises that your loved one could try at home. Some of links below were created by our very own staff member Laura, who runs a yoga program for seniors.
Emotional
Music is a great way to fulfill emotional needs. Below we have shared some links to a few concerts and music that our clients have enjoyed watching, listening, and/or dancing to. Another great activity is to print out colouring pages that your loved one can do at home, if you have access to a printer. All you would require would be pencil crayons.
- Andrea Bocelli – Waiting for… Love in Portofino
- Andre Rieu Concert
- Best of Salsa Hits
- Paul Anka – Diana
- Mary Hopkin – Those Were the Days
- Dean Martin – That’s Amore
- Doris Day – Que Sera Sera
- Sophia Loren – Mambo Italiano
- Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling in Love
- You are My Sunshine
- Helmut Lotti – Hallelujah
- Hevenu Shalom Alehem
Spiritual
Here are some links to non-denominational and Jewish spiritual activities, to provide options on how to connect your family member to their spiritual side.
Cognitive
Here are some links that you can try with your loved one that will stimulate them on a cognitive level:
Social
Crafts are great activities to do with your family member at home. Crafts encourage them to work with someone to accomplish something artsy and be creative! Circle of Care’s Online Exercise Class for Seniors is also a great way for them to stay connected to our community and get some exercise as well!
Other Ideas
- Purchase Letter Beads and pipe cleaners from Walmart and make name bracelets for someone, or write a list of simple words on a pad of paper and have them find the letter beads to spell the word.
- Make words with Scrabble letters, write down what word they created and weave it into a story or poem afterwards.
- Borrow Audiobooks from the library (you can borrow a tablet from the library as well).
- Organize photos or reminisce, make a collage (this could be done even with magazine pictures of their favourite things).
- Montessori activities including organizing cupboards, organizing canned goods, sorting laundry (folding washcloths, or matching socks), wash basins (filling a basin with soapy water and having them clean and dry dishes), polishing cutlery.
- Sorting shapes (even for low vision clients) and sorting other items such as coins, mixed pasta shapes, or silverware.
- Fidget or sensory items you can find at the dollar store could also be good.
