If you just moved your elderly parent into an assisted living facility, like Grace Assisted Living, and they have not yet made the move to join any of the structured activities offered, you will most likely be a bit concerned about their feelings and reasons for not participating in these programs. Most assisted living facilities have an array of programs available for their residents to enjoy both individually and as a group. Here are a few tips you can use to get your parent to come out of their shell and try some of these activities in an attempt to help them enrich their lives and make new friends.
Request Information For Each Activity
Call the assisted living facility and ask them for pamphlets, calendars, sign-up sheets, and any additional information about each of the activities they offer. Your parent may not be participating because they are unsure of how to enroll in a course or they might not know what times they are being offered. Bring this information to your parent's room to talk with them about the selections the facility has available.
It is a good idea to have a large-print calendar on hand while you have this discussion. You can then show your parent what days different activities are being offered and write possibilities directly on the calendar so they are reminded of them when the dates arrive. Help your parent fill out any sign-up forms at this time as well.
Ask Staff To Give Reminders
While your calendar will be available for your parent to look at each day to see if there is an activity, it is still helpful to have staff give reminders as well. Alert someone on the recreational committee that your parent is interested in a certain activity and see if they could call or stop by their room to remind them on the day it is to be held. This will also help keep your parent accountable, making them more likely to show up for the activity if they are prompted to do so.
Join Your Parent For Initial Sessions
It is a good idea to take a visit to the facility yourself to join in on first sessions of any activities your parent may have interest in trying. This will help them feel a bit more at ease as they will have someone to talk to about the activity as it is happening.
Make it a priority to talk to a few of the other participants in the session and introduce them to your parent. This will help break the ice for your parent, allowing them to get to know a few new people as a result. This may also make a difference in whether they want to return to the activity the next time it is offered as they will feel a bit more comfortable knowing a few others who will be attending.
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