Often as people age, they feel lost in their lives. Without a sense of purpose, they may feel unmotivated, hopeless or self-critical – which in turn can have an adverse effect on their mental well-being. To help seniors reconnect to things that bring them emotional fulfilment, care homes regularly conduct various senior-friendly activities. However, in many cases, seniors don’t actively participate in these activities. Here’s a quick read for caregivers on motivating the residents to participate in various care home activities and help them regain their sense of purpose.
- Start with inviting them
The best way to motivate residents is to invite them to watch the activities instead of asking them to participate right away. This way, they may develop interest in the activities and consider giving them a try. Remember to avoid rushing, it’s best to let them develop the urge to try at their own pace; you can later encourage them to take the final steps. Some residents may have the fear of making a fool of themselves. You can mitigate this fear by demonstrating the activity yourself or inviting another resident to join him/her.
- Cater to personal preferences
When forming groups, try choosing like-minded residents. Make sure to gradually introduce them to each other; this especially works for those residents who don’t want to participate in large groups.
- Lack of awareness of the benefits of activities
Some residents may not be aware of the benefits of the activities they are asked to participate in. You can take help from doctors to better explain the benefits such as faster recovery/healing and improved breathing.
- Fear of incompetence
Some residents, when asked to participate in activities such as scrapbooking and board games, may fear they’ll not be able to keep up with others. To motivate them, you can assist them until they are confident. Another good option is to emphasise that there’s no hurry and that they can complete the tasks at their own pace, even if it means shelving it for the day and completing it the next day.
- Engage a family member
If you regularly organise small and simple contests among residents, you can invite family members to attend the events. This can help them gain more confidence and motivate them further.
Paying attention to every resident’s preferences takes time which may not be a feasible option for care professionals who are often busy with repetitive, manual tasks such as manually reviewing MAR sheets at the end of every medication round. As a care home manager, you can help your caregiving staff focus on person-centred care by streamlining medication administration at your care home.
Electronic MAR charts for care homes – know the benefits
eMAR charts can streamline medication administration at your care home and can help carers devote more time to personal care. eMAR also lowers the risks of medication errors and offers easy accessibility. Learn more about the benefits of electronic MAR. If you are still using MAR sheets and want to learn the differences between MAR chart medication and eMAR, check this useful read.
