RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE Eeva-Riitta Asujamaa and Tarja Ingman Spring 2008

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE Eeva-Riitta Asujamaa and Tarja Ingman Spring 2008 Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 1 E-R A, TI

INTRODUCTION This project of four classes is a part of the studies of Rehabilitating work for elderly and the stimulus activity. The aim of these classes is to prepare the student to supervise the psychologically and socially active groups of elderly. NEEDED DURING THE CLASSES Instructional handouts The materials regarding different student groups Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 2 E-R A, TI

THE INDEPENDENT WORK RELATED WITH THE TOPIC OF THE CLASS The students collect the materials for the planning of an own activity moment. THE FOUR CLASSES CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING: 1. and 2. CONTENTS OF THE CLASS: Orientation 3. CONTENTS OF THE CLASS: Planning 4. CONTENTS OF THE CLASS: Execution & evaluation Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 3 E-R A, TI

THE RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE CONTENTS: Class 1. The instructions for the group assignment: The planning and implementation of recreational activities for elderly while taking their age and body’s shape into account Central concepts: Instructions for the assignment: Create a plan of recreational activities for elderly with your partner. You may choose the target group of your liking. Gather materials independently for the 3rd class’ work. A written plan about recreational activities must be handed over to the teacher before 4th class. The written plan must consist of: Target analysis: participants’ age, gender, number, problems, etc. Objective analysis: 1 to 3 objects (physical, psychical, social) Resources: spaces, equipment, materials, time resources, own resources Evaluating plan: self evaluation, peer evaluation, teacher’s evaluation The assignment shall be rated 1 – 5. Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 4 E-R A, TI

The targets of evaluation: The control of the assignment: Recreational activities (ex. reading, listening music, different forms of exercise) Interaction The control of the assignment process: The planning and implementation of recreational activities The command of the knowledge based on the assignment Interaction Recreational activities The control of the assignment’s safety: Following the safety instructions Ergonomics Core competency in all fields: Co-operation skills in the assignment group/working with pairs Attitude towards the assignment Ethnical and aesthetical skills: Abiding the fiduciary duty The equality of customers and taking note on customers’ aesthetic values Common emphasis: Classy and friendly actions Meeting with the customer and individual assistance Working with an interaction situation Responsible working Sustainable development, waste treatment and sorting Center concepts: Ability to function Rehabilitating recreational activities Training of physical and social domain Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 5 E-R A, TI

Class 2. Creating a plan for recreational activities Choosing the subject and making an analysis with a partner. Theory about the contents of recreational activities: Discussion Remembering Music Games and playing Brain gymnastics Celebrations and events Trips Participative activity Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 6 E-R A, TI

Class 3. Creating a plan for group activity based on the materials. Students plan a stimulus activation moment. Issues that should be taken into notice while planning: Does the group have a safe atmosphere? How well are the thoughts and ideas brought up? How does the interaction work? Is everyone taking part with it? How is the group turned on by new things? What do the group members think of the atmosphere? What can the group do to improve the issues mentioned above? Class 4. Presentation of the plans Evaluation Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 7 E-R A, TI

THEORY PART: Center concepts: 1. Ability to function is a central measurement of well-being. It means the ability for an elderly person to deal with his/her daily activities in his/her settings and an opportunity to lead a full life and carry out his/her objects and hopes. The different forms of the ability: Physical ability: Mental functions (ex. memory, learning, concentration) Self-insight, self respect, aptitude, mood Emotional factors (ex. happiness, anxiety, depression) Social ability: Social skills, contacts, roles, taking care of things, social success. Physical ability: Mobility, capability to deal with daily activities As researchers indicate, the more a human uses his/her social, psychical and physical potentials, that longer they remain active. Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 8 E-R A, TI

2. Rehabilitating work means working that supports the customer’s own potentials in physical, psychical and social abilities in every stage. 3. Rehabilitating stimulus activity means the actions and the forms of work as well as the means to interact with the environment that supports psychical and social abilities to function. The goal is to maintain the mental freshness and own potential of an elderly person and prevent the working potential’s untimely weakening. Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 9 E-R A, TI

The aims of rehabilitating stimulus activity Psychical aims: Cognitive area: to activate memory, concentration, deduction, learning Emotional area: to support the experience of successfulness and capability, to help self-actualize and to vent and handle emotions Social aims: To increase social skills To make interacting easier To get to know other people To give a chance to be heard To give a chance to enjoy being together To give a chance to be a part of a group Physical aims: To maintain skills that are needed in everyday life To support the retaining mobility The stimulus activity that draws out the elderly person’s own potential is a way to satisfy the mental needs and maintain the working capacity. The basis of stimulus activity is always the elderly person himself/herself, his/her background, hopes and life situation. Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 10 E-R A, TI

The principles of rehabilitating stimulus activity Individualism: The stimulus activities start from elderly person’s needs, hopes and interests. The purpose: With almost every elderly person, the reason for stimulus activities’ purpose is to be though carefully. Systematic: Personal nurse creates a personal plan for stimulus activity Methodical: The already made plan is used as a part of nursing Versatility: The working capacity of an elderly person is supported in many ways; emphasizing his/her strengths and the things he/she respects Making notes and evaluation: The success of accomplishment is noted on the plan. At the same time the successful things are appraised and thoughts of things which might need some improving. Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 11 E-R A, TI

Discussion In discussion groups it is especially important to create a good and free atmosphere and to keep the group size small (4-6 people) Matters to stimulate the discussion: Current topics, news, events near and far Newspaper survey; reading newspapers and magazines with commenting on them and discussing them Literature circle or poetry circle; biographies, short stories, travel stories, aphorisms, poems. After reading, discussion on thoughts that have come to mind, memories and feelings based on the reading Looking at pictures and discussion. Slides, big coloured pictures which arouse discussion if the topics are inspiring Gathering topics into mind or recording them. Stories which are in memory, stories, jokes, riddles, proverbs, nursery rhymes, songs, games in groups Different kinds of games e.g. questions cards Discussion circles; topics may be very practical and narrow fielded from which it is easy to start discussing Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 12 E-R A, TI

Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 13 E-R A, TI

2. Remembering Remembering situations can be either spontaneous or planned. They can take place in groups of two or more people. In remembering, different kinds of methods can be taken advantage of: Observing of one´s biography; past, present, future Using pictures, photographs, pictures of the old times in different themes Items as stimulation on memories; old things, clothes, magazines, cards, calendars, handicrafts or even a visit to the museum Music and singing; old folk songs, hymns, pop songs from the youth times Visual art, painting and drawing; as themes childhood home, school, play ground, way to work Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 14 E-R A, TI

4. Games and playing Playing games develops the cognitive as well as the social abilities and skills. Music games; evaluating the song, competitive singing Games which require thinking and reasoning e.g. which do not belong to the group Memory games; e.g. names which begin with a certain letter, crossword puzzles, memory cards Quizzes; direct questions or hint words Group games Physical games and playing; games with throwing different items Creative games; telling about a picture, painting while listening to music Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 16 E-R A, TI

5. Brain gymnastics The meaning of brain gymnastics is to maintain and stimulate thinking functioning, memory, concentration, attention, perception. Examples of brain gymnastics stimulation: Question cards Memory card game A syllable is said and afterwards a word is being made up Numbers from 100 to 1 are being named Puzzles, crossword puzzles, picture riddles Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 18 E-R A, TI

5.1 Coordination exercises of the brain and muscles. One hand is tapping the head while rubbing the stomach with the other hand Folk dancing, senior dancing Pictures are being cut on the contours Different handicrafts Bending and shaking one finger at a time Putting the fingers spread apart one at a time Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 20 E-R A, TI

5.2 Perception ability and sense perception exercises. Arranging cans of different weight into a weight order while the eyes are kept shut Taking hand on the side and fore fingers together while eyes are kept shut Estimating the running of time e.g. a minute Searching for and crossing all the s-letters in a text Perceiving all the items in the surroundings and defining their location Circle the same pattern from drawings Stimulating sense of smell with cotton wool which has been soaked in different flavours e.g. sweet, sour, salty, bitter, cold, warm Tasting e.g. berries and fruits with out seeing them; What are they? What do they remind of? Listening to different sounds, e.g. animal sounds, sound of chores, sounds coming from a market place Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 21 E-R A, TI

6. Celebrations and events Celebrations and events are moments which the elderly are looking forward to and which are being remembered afterwards. Examples of celebrations and events: Annual celebration; a traditional Finnish festivity called Kalevala day, Shrove Tuesday, mayday, Spring end of term celebration, garden parties Theme event; tradition, culture, children, historical topics Other events, flee market, fashion show, social evening Visitors; school children, day care children, choirs, musicians Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 23 E-R A, TI

7. Trips It is recommended that trips are done in small groups in to places which the elderly have chosen. Examples of places to go to on trips. Exhibitions Fair Shopping trips Trips into the nature Theatre, concert, restaurants. Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 25 E-R A, TI

8. Participative activity Participative home-like activity is part of a psycho-social rehabilitation where physical, social and psychological activities are being combined in a natural way. Baking Traditional dishes Community effort Other chores Kokkola Institute of Social Services and Health Care 27 E-R A, TI

SOURCES Airila, Airi, 2002. Vanhusten viriketoiminnan perusteet –opas vanhustyöntekijöille. Kuntokallio Savonen, Marju, 1998. Ideapaketti vanhusten ryhmien pitäjälle. Moniste. Koivula, Kirsti, 2000. Säpinää syksyyn. Tammer-paino. Koivula, Kirsti. 2002. Myötätuulta tupaan. Tammer-paino. Vanhustyönkeskusliitto. 1990. Gerial-visailu 1 ja 2.

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE Eeva-Riitta Asujamaa and Tarja Ingman Spring 2008