The Importance of Activities in Care Home Settings

Meaningful activity means participating in activities of a physical, social, or leisurely nature tailored to each individual’s needs and preferences. At Renaissance Care, our creative team curates a range of activities - which vary week-to-week - and are specifically designed for our residents, taking their interests, hobbies, and personal choices into consideration - A process that often involves residents, their family, friends, staff, and the wider community.

Social

Sharing experiences and participating in group activities is not only stimulating but also promotes a sense of self and purpose. At Renaissance Care, we regularly host group-wide activities to promote and inspire elements of social, physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.

Strength

By regularly moving our bodies we build strength and mobility. By introducing new, even small, movements, we can see some huge improvements. This is where activities such as dancing or gardening can support strength and movement, as it may combine an individual’s existing hobby or interest with exercise and can be easily incorporated into daily life.  This ultimately has a knock-on effect resulting in a reduction in falls and/or need for medication.

Memory

There are several notable benefits to regularly participating in activities big or small – for example, simply listening to the radio can bring back memories and feelings of nostalgia for our residents which can help promote conversations, evoke emotions and create strong personal connections. Other residents may prefer multi-sensory engagement such as arts and crafts or cooking which can help activate multiple sections of the brain, enhancing memory retention.

What does Renaissance Care aim to achieve through meaningful activity?

Renaissance Care aspires to attain a high level of mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing for each individual within our homes. We do this by combining activities of various types, promoting various group themes throughout the year, and continually incorporating movement and choice - creating safe environments by adapting to our resident’s needs and wishes while encouraging them to achieve their incredible.

By creating a diverse activities calendar we ensure that we have something on offer for everyone, no matter their interests. Our skilled and friendly activities team demonstrate excellent attention to detail to emulate each experience for our residents. For example, when having a football-themed event they think about the associated characteristics of going to a football match – This ensures residents who may not have an interest in a specific topic can still get involved in some way, creating banners or flags from an arts and crafts point of view, or our kitchen team organising a pie and a pint for example. 

What we do, and what we enjoy, heavily influences who we are as people. Meaningful activity helps us to maintain our identity, which is why we believe activities of all kinds are equally important. By regularly participating in meaningful activities, and more importantly, activities with personal significance and mental stimulation, we can aim to support not only cognitive wellbeing but wellbeing as a whole.