Low Contact Activities

Today's Activity Corner is a bit different. The COVID-19 outbreak has fundamentally changed the way we are operating in our facilities and these changes need to be immediately addressed in order to keep resident's morale up. Isolation is never helpful, especially in the case of our elderly. We serve the most vulnerable population and the very real potential for an outbreak in our facilities is concerning. However, this is the time for us to pull together and take care of one another. One way Activity Directors can do this is by creating interactions that are low contact. It is vitally important that we find safe ways to promote interaction and inclusivity while still remaining somewhat isolated. Below are some suggestions to get your ideas going. Be sure and ask residents for their suggestions as well. They were born at a time when self-entertainment was the norm.

Intercom Trivia- Create a substantial list of trivia questions. Provide residents with paper numbered to match the number of questions you will ask. You can either spread the trivia out over the day or do it in one fell swoop. Have residents write their names and answers to each question on the paper provided. Once all questions have been asked and answered, go by and collect the answer sheets. Tally up your winners and make an announcement over the intercom. Provide the winning resident/s with a door prize.

Intercom Hourly Jokes- Print out a list of appropriate jokes and tell one joke per hour over the intercom all day long. Our Member’s Director, Pennie, did this when she was previously working as an Activity Director and had great success with it. Sometimes after telling a joke she would hear a big ‘Boo’ in unison and other times applause. Either way, the residents were interested and entertained.

Intercom Theatre- Remember the days when entertainment came from audio shows hosted over the radio? Ok, probably not, but you have more than likely seen reference to them. Many of your residents probably had their favorites that they anxiously anticipated each week. Recreate this excitement with your very own radio show. Print out a script and enlist staff members and/or residents to put on a show over the intercom. You could do a funny show for laughter or a mystery to keep residents hooked. There are Clue type games available where evidence and clues are presented along with each character’s information and whereabouts. Get creative and see what grabs interest.

Intercom Meditation- People are a bit uneasy right now and it is easy to let the imagination run wild. Try and introduce some moments of peace into your facility by hosting a meditation. You can use guided meditations or read your own script out. Keep meditations short to hold attention. Just 5 minutes could make a huge difference.

Doorway BINGO- Everybody loves BINGO and it is the ultimate time filler. Hand out BINGO cards and stampers to each resident. Announce the numbers over the intercom and have helpers listen for “BINGO!” Provide the winner with a door prize. Download our FREE BINGO cards and simply throw them away when you are done for sanitation purposes. There are 7 different packs of 15 cards.

Coloring/Puzzle Books/Puzzles/Cards- Visit your local dollar store and stock up on these classic solo activities.

Doorway Pretty Nails- If you are able, do Pretty Nails with the residents. This can be done in their doorways to help them feel more involved and allow for more ventilation of fumes.

Drive-By Snack Cart- This is a fun way to deliver snacks door to door. To make it more interesting, pass out fake money to the winners of your intercom games and then go around with the snack cart and allow the winners to trade their fake money for goodies.

Sundae Cart- Pack your cart with ice cream and all the toppings.

Library Cart- Pack a cart with books and go door to door with your selections. Be sure and include shorter reads, such as magazines. Have residents place books they are done with outside their doors to indicate they are ready for another one.

Music- Play D.J.! Take requests from your resident’s and play music over the intercom. If you really want to get into it, make radio announcements in between songs advertising goofy products and giving real world updates on Covid-19.

Artwork- Hand out sketch books and announce different themes to draw. Allow short periods of time to make things interesting. For example, give 15 minutes to draw a favorite bird, meal, outside scene, etc. Continue until they have multiple pictures created. Turn the artwork into a scrapbook for fun.

Video Diary- Go around with your cell phone and have residents that wish to participate record a short clip about their experiences during this historical time. Share the video montage on your facilities website or on YouTube. You could even have them discuss past experiences with different pandemics that have effected them throughout their lives and how those experiences compare with this one.

Clay Creations- Polymer clay, or over bake clay, is an incredibly versatile activity. Animal figurines, hanging ornaments, beads, etc. can be created out of clay and baked into a hard usable piece. Hand out clay and print out different idea starters to get your residents going.

Video Chats- Make sure your residents have access to online chat programs so that they can stay in touch with family and friends.

Spirituality- Now is a great time to bring everybody together through the power of faith. This could be done by reading from the Bible or other spiritual texts, hosting a sermon or initiating song.

The National Certification Council for Activity Professionals (NCCAP) has pulled together some essential resources to help us all through. Check out the link to their website below and peruse through their suggestions and resources.