Activities for Visiting a Loved One in a Nursing Home

If a relative lives in an assisted living center or nursing home, it is important that he still feels like a valued and loved member of the family. Visit as often as you can, and carefully plan these times to include activities that will keep your loved one interested.

Plan Ahead

Plan your visit well in advance and let your relative know when you will arrive. Some elderly people are upset by surprises, and knowing visitors are coming gives them something to anticipate. Always show up as promised to avoid disappointments.

Take Her Out

If your relative is able, take her on an outing. Always ask the nursing home staff for permission. You can take your relative outside to tour the grounds or make a day of it, with a ride in your car, a picnic, a special event, a shopping trip, lunch at a restaurant, a visit to a beauty salon or barber shop, a sports event or, perhaps best of all, a day with your family at home. Be prepared to return to the skilled care center if your loved one becomes tired or disoriented.

Indoor Activities

Games and crafts help keep minds alert and help ward off the depression that often accompanies loss of abilities and independence. Help your relative make a collage scrapbook using souvenirs of past events, such as photos, theater programs, matchbook covers, postcards or other mementos. Bring a loose-leaf binder or scrapbook, scissors and glue, help her sort the items and then put them in the scrapbook. Encourage her to talk about the past events.

Your relative may enjoy popular music from his era, show tunes, classical music or opera. Download songs and put them on a CD, creating a personalized album for him to listen to at any time. Show him how to use a CD player if he doesn't already have one. Then bring a new CD or two each time you visit.

Help him create a bulletin board of photos of him with friends, pictures of children and grandchildren, reminders of upcoming activities and clippings from newspapers and magazines. You can update bulletin boards each season with Christmas cards, religious or patriotic holiday mementos, summer photos and decorations.

Ask if the nursing home allows children and/or pets. If you bring a child, a dog or cat, make sure they are well behaved during the visit.

Games

If your relative has favorite board or card games, take the time to play them with her. If need be, bring along a checkers set, a Scrabble game or a deck of cards.

Other Options

References

• The Ohio Department of Aging

Resources

• Saint Barnabas Health Care Center