Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] DIY Rehabilitation Aids: A Collection of Easy-to-Make Ideas

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.
Care Worker Initial Training Certification ObtainedNakajima Junko
Leveraging my experience working as a care worker at a day service, I am currently active as a writer in the caregiving and welfare fields. Beyond writing, I hope to expand my work into web design and illustration. I am a mother of three who has begun studying to become a certified social worker.

The main goal of rehabilitation for older adults is to restore motor functions that have declined due to illness or injury, so they can live independently in their daily lives.

Some people train using store-bought items that have rehabilitative effects.

However, commercial products can be expensive and not easy to purchase.

That’s why this time we’re introducing ideas for handmade rehabilitation tools that you can make with relatively easy-to-find materials, such as those from 100-yen shops.

We’ve collected ideas that are effective for brain training and allow for easy rehabilitation.

It can also be great to start from the process of making them together with older adults.

Please use these ideas as a reference and give them a try.

[For Seniors] DIY Rehabilitation Aids: A Collection of Easy-to-Make Ideas (21–30)

Preventing dementia with rock-paper-scissors uchiwa (fan)

[Supervised by a Certified Health Exercise Instructor] Brain-training activity with a handmade item! Rock-Paper-Scissors Fan

Preventing dementia with rock-paper-scissors uchiwa (fan)

This is a large uchiwa fan illustrated with the hand shapes used in rock-paper-scissors—rock, scissors, and paper.

The person standing at the front uses the fan to show a hand, and everyone else thinks of the corresponding hand to play.

After seeing the hand that’s shown, participants decide and then show their own hands.

Have them consider not only winning responses but also losing ones.

On the back of the fan, numbers are written; by inserting a step where they determine which hand each number represents, the activity further trains their reasoning skills.

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plastic bottle

Indoor Exercise Program: Homemade Equipment and How to Use It

plastic bottle

Let’s try making dumbbells that use the weight of water, sand, or similar materials placed in plastic bottles to train your arms.

Carefully pouring sand and other fillers through the bottle’s opening and measuring the weight precisely will also help develop concentration and fine motor skills.

It’s important to choose bottles that fit the user’s hand; keeping grip comfort in mind can also help train grip strength.

Plain water or single-color sand can look simple, so adding decorative elements into the sand or water to make the training more fun could be a great idea.

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[For Seniors] DIY Rehabilitation Aids: A Collection of Easy-to-Make Ideas (31–40)

Straw threading with string

@flapuuu
Recreation Translation Kadoma Caregiving Straw Fingertips #IWantToBeOnTheRecommendations Waiting for likes A workplace with laughter Dexterous hands Translation Caregiver The real power of beautifying effects #JUICY
♬ JUICY (Chorus ver.) – Snow Man

Here’s an idea for a handmade rehabilitation tool recommended for seniors: the “straw threading” activity.

It’s simple—cut colorful straws into short pieces and thread them onto a string.

Pinching the straw pieces and threading them uses precise finger movements, which helps restore fine motor function in the fingertips.

Varying the colors and lengths also makes it a brain-training exercise.

All you need are straws and a string, both easily found at 100-yen shops, so preparation is simple.

It’s easy to start and enjoyable to do, which is another big plus.

Try incorporating it as rehab to support independence in daily life.

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Bottle color coding

@goya_namakemonoikuji
Bottle color-sorting play ☺️ Great for fine motor activities, color sorting, and sorting tasks 🌟Handmade teaching materials #HandmadeToys # developmental support (ryōiku)Developmental Support #EducationalToys Finger play work
Animal Baby – Akari Ueno

Here’s an idea for a handmade rehabilitation activity for seniors using small bottles and sponge stickers, called “Bottle Color Sorting.” Use three colors of sponge stickers—red, blue, and yellow—to mark the bottles and caps.

From a large set of mixed pieces, screw the caps onto the bottles so that matching colors are paired together.

The action of grasping and twisting the caps with the fingertips exercises hand strength and dexterity, providing rehabilitative benefits.

Sorting and correctly matching the colors also helps train attention and concentration.

All materials can be found at 100-yen shops, and preparation is simple.

It’s a practical rehab item that’s easy to enjoy while being effective.

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Finger Dexterity Practice Board

https://www.tiktok.com/@n.annlee321/video/7050056488110279938

We’d like to share an idea for a simple rehabilitation tool for seniors: a “Finger Dexterity Practice Board” that can be made just by attaching everyday parts to a board.

Prepare items like buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, snap buttons, buckles, and ribbons, nail them onto the board, and you’re ready to go.

No special skills are required, and it comes together in no time.

By fastening and unfastening each part, users naturally strengthen finger power and dexterity.

Since these movements are all useful in daily life, it serves as practical rehab and helps build confidence in everyday activities.

It’s an easy, recommended DIY training board for both home and care facilities.

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Chopstick training goods

[100-yen Brain Training] ADL training for eating: “Using chopsticks” movements

Chopstick training goods

Chopsticks are perfect for hand and finger rehabilitation because they involve a sequence of actions like grasping and releasing objects.

Prepare a container with dividers, such as an ice cube tray.

You can also make dividers in an empty tissue box using thick paper or cardboard.

Next, get felt balls or small crumpled pieces of paper that fit into each compartment.

That’s all the prep! The person training should use chopsticks to pick up the felt balls or crumpled paper and place them into the container.

By setting a detailed rule—like putting one item in each compartment—you can ensure their hands move thoroughly and effectively.

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yo-yo

Toy Crafts Kids Will Love: Easy DIY Yo-Yo Using Bottle Caps | Handmade Toy Tutorial [Voice Guide] – “Yo-Yo” Bottle Cap Toy for Kids, Easy Craft

yo-yo

Making a yo-yo with plastic bottle caps is a craft that older adults can easily enjoy.

Use an awl to make holes in the centers of two caps, then insert a screw and fasten them together.

Thread a string through the center and tie it securely, and pack clay into the empty space inside the caps to add weight.

Finish by wrapping the whole thing with colored tape for reinforcement, and it’s done.

Activities that use the fingertips help improve concentration and stimulate brain function.

Another appeal is that you can customize the look to create your own unique piece.

Since you can actually play with it after it’s finished, it’s an idea that remains fun even after the making is complete.

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