Lovely senior life

For seniors: Recommended for day services. Hands-on activities that help prevent dementia.

Social worker / Care workermoko
My name is Moko, a mother of three who admired my mother and worked in the care industry as a care worker and as a medical social worker (MSW) in a hospital. I will be drawing on my previous experience to write mainly about caregiving. Thank you in advance.
Worked as a certified care worker for 17 years.Nanaka
I’ve been working as a certified care worker for 17 years. I’m Nanaka, a caregiving web writer. I decided to pursue this profession because I wanted a job that would help people. Having worked in day care for many years, I’ve experienced a wide variety of recreational activities. Exercise set to music, in particular, always created a cheerful atmosphere and was very well received. I’d be delighted to continue delivering writing that resonates with readers through caregiving-related articles. Thank you for your support.

As we age, our muscle strength declines, making fine, hands-on tasks more difficult.

Because the nerves in our hands are connected to the brain, it’s said that moving our hands can help prevent dementia.

In this article, we introduce hands-on recreational activities for day service programs that train both the fingers and the brain.

With a focus on craft-based activities and finger-use games, they also help improve concentration.

Craft activities let participants enjoy the fun of creating, too.

There are many ideas to choose from, so try starting with the hands-on activities you’re most interested in.

[For Seniors] Recommended for Day Service: Hands-on Activities (1–10) That Help Prevent Dementia

Othello

Brain workout with Othello! #nursinghome #cognitiverehab #Othello #focus #attention #shorts

Othello

Move the Othello discs with your hands and keep those fingers active.

Othello has simple rules, so many older adults are probably familiar with it.

Through the game, you’ll pick up the discs with your fingers and move them around.

Just moving your fingertips alone can help stimulate the brain.

But Othello isn’t only about finger movement, is it? You also think things like, “What will happen if I place it there?” or “How can I prevent them from taking the corner?” You take on the game while thinking.

Advancing the game while considering your opponent is said to be good brain training as well.

With seated Othello, many seniors can engage in it and have fun at the same time.

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Activities of daily living with a towel

[ADL] Daily Living Activities with a Towel [Folding Laundry / Body Washing Movements]

Activities of daily living with a towel

Let’s try training activities of daily living using a towel.

Activities of daily living (ADL) refer to the minimum actions needed to maintain everyday life and serve as an index for assessing one’s ability to function.

When ADL declines, it can lead to deteriorating physical health and loss of independence.

We’ll do easy exercises using a towel.

Use your fingers to fold the towel into a small square, and perform movements that mimic washing your upper body, feet, and back to build muscle strength.

These exercises may also help stimulate brain activity.

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Paper Core Bowling

Toilet paper bowling #day service #recreation

Paper Core Bowling

Back in the Showa era, there was a time when bowling was hugely popular.

Some older adults may have been into bowling back then.

Let’s rekindle those memories and get our fingers moving with a bowling game.

Use toilet paper rolls as pins, and a lightweight rubber ball that doesn’t feel heavy to knock them down.

Since it can be played on a table, people who have difficulty standing can participate as well.

Keeping score like in real bowling will make it even more exciting.

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[For Seniors] Recommended for Day Service: Hands-on Activities (11–20) That Help Prevent Dementia

Balance game

Balance game #caregiving #care facility #care home #elderly #rec #recreation #day #day service #tried it #game

Balance game

Using your fingertips while also using your head for balance—here’s a balance game to try.

All you need is a helmet, a tray, and beanbags.

You can substitute the helmet with something else.

Place the tray on top of the helmet, then put the beanbags on the tray.

The key is to keep an eye on the overall balance so it doesn’t tip to one side.

Decide whether to place each beanbag slowly or quickly and where exactly to put it.

This engages the upper limbs from fingertips to shoulders, and the brain’s decision-making processes, making it a promising brain-training activity to help prevent cognitive decline.

It’s simple, yet the setup changes every time, so you can enjoy it without getting bored.

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Take as many clothespins as you like

At-home Indoor Recreation for Seniors (Day Service/Nursing Home): Unlimited Clothespin Grab Using Clothespins and a Spoon

Take as many clothespins as you like

Let me introduce a recreation activity you can do using only items you already have at home: the Clothespin Scoop.

All you need are clothespins, spoons, and a container to put the clothespins in.

You can use a bowl as a substitute for the container.

Place the clothespins on a table and hold a spoon in each hand.

Using only the spoons, transfer the clothespins into the container.

It’s fine to use both hands.

It may look simple, but using both hands simultaneously increases stimulation to the brain, turning it into enjoyable brain training.

You can also do it on the floor instead of the table to change the working height; doing it in a squat adds balance training and lower-body exercise at the same time.

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Ojami Wobble Game

Ojami Wobble Game #dayservice #recreation #Nichinan #Miyazaki #teamwork #dayservicerecreation #rec

Ojami Wobble Game

Many older adults have probably played otedama (beanbag juggling) before, right? Some may have even skillfully used their hands and fingers to juggle two or three beanbags in the air.

Let’s play a fun game that uses familiar otedama to work the fingertips.

Place a paper plate on top of a short piece of a cut plastic wrap or foil core.

Then, place the beanbags on the paper plate one by one.

Since the paper plate is unstable, it wobbles each time you add a beanbag, creating a thrilling, heart-pounding effect.

It seems like older adults can enjoy a bit of tension while engaging in the game.

By the way, “ojami” is what otedama is called in the Kansai region.

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Pita-to Ball

Pitatto Ball #HiroseHospitalDayService #DayService #Recreation

Pita-to Ball

Here’s a game using a ball that you can play on a table.

Apply strips of tape from one end of the table, placing the point values on top and keeping the sticky side facing up.

From the opposite end of the table, have older adults roll a rubber ball.

If the ball reaches near a point value, it will stop thanks to the adhesive tape.

Making the higher scores farther from the rolling side makes the game more exciting.

Grasping and rolling the rubber ball also helps train the fingers and hands.

It’s a fun way to strengthen the hands and fingers.

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