[For Seniors] Introducing Recreational Activities Anyone Can Enjoy at Geriatric Health Facilities!
In nursing care facilities, there are residents with a wide variety of backgrounds.
Many use wheelchairs as well.
As people grow older, they tend to have fewer interactions with others, which can lead them to stay in their rooms more often.
In such circumstances, some may wonder whether there are recreational activities that anyone can enjoy.
This time, we’re introducing recreational activities at nursing care facilities that everyone can enjoy.
Please engage in these activities while interacting with those around you.
- [For Seniors] Fun and Engaging Recreational Activities in Nursing Homes
- [For Seniors] Easy and fun seated activities you can do in your room
- For Seniors: Effective Recreation for Preventing Care Needs—Have Fun While Staying Healthy
- [For Seniors] Recreational Activities at Special Nursing Homes That Everyone Can Join
- Recommended recreational activities to help seniors enjoy their time in care facilities
- Recommended Indoor Exercises for Seniors
- [For Seniors] Today’s Recommended Activity: Fun and Engaging
- [November Health Topic] Indoor Recreation Ideas for Older Adults
- [For Seniors] Recommended Handmade Activities! Simple Ideas
- [For Seniors] Fun Even Without Sight! Recreation Ideas
- Hand games that liven things up for seniors—also great brain training
- For Seniors: Fun and Lively Exercise Recreation
- Liven up the Respect-for-the-Aged gathering: A roundup of recreational activities everyone can enjoy.
[For Seniors] Introducing Recreational Activities Anyone Can Enjoy at Geriatric Health Facilities! (71–80)
Don’t Drop the Green Ball Game
This is a game where you skillfully move a piece of cardboard with a hole in the center to drop all the balls on top except the green one.
The key point is not to let the green ball fall, which really tests your delicate control as you maneuver multiple balls.
Once you get used to it, it’s fun to add variations like deciding the order in which you drop the balls, which encourages even finer control.
The ease of control also changes depending on the size of the cardboard, so trying out various setups could be interesting too.
I love you after 43 years
43 Years Later, I Love You is a film that portrays an elderly man who lies his way into the same care facility in order to reunite with his former lover.
Because the facility is a place for people with Alzheimer’s, the story emphasizes how he faces a past love who no longer remembers him.
Through the lens of Alzheimer’s disease, the film depicts the preciousness of memory, love, and life, and powerfully conveys the importance of bonds.
It’s a work that also prompts us to look back on the path we’ve walked so far and reflect on the kinds of love and connections we’ve had.
I’ll go on alone, brash and headstrong.
The film Ora, Ora Be Goin’ Alone is based on Chisako Wakatake’s novel and was released in 2020.
It portrays, with touches of humor, a protagonist who has lost her husband and faces loneliness while continuing to live true to herself.
Though it deals with themes like loneliness and aging, it never becomes pessimistic; instead, it conveys the richness and fascination of life.
The distinctive visual style, in which flashbacks and reality intersect, is also striking and seems likely to prompt viewers to reflect on their own lives.
Hello, Mom.
Centered on a fresh start for a mother and her son, this work portrays their familial bond and interactions with people in Tokyo’s shitamachi (old downtown) neighborhood.
The lively presence of the mother played by Sayuri Yoshinaga, contrasted with the son’s difficult days portrayed by Yo Oizumi, adds momentum to the story.
The mother’s enjoyment of new encounters becomes the catalyst for the son to rediscover the self he had lost, delivering courage and warmth to viewers’ hearts.
Including the bustling atmosphere of the shitamachi, it’s a work that makes you feel like embracing life with joy.
Go for it! Gateball Sakura Team
This work portrays the struggles of elderly individuals trying to reclaim the sparkle of their youth through gateball.
It follows former rugby club teammates as they strive to achieve results in a gateball tournament, and their willingness to take on something new is sure to inspire viewers.
The performances by Tatsuya Fuji and the rest of the cast are striking—blending comedic touches with a strong sense of determination.
It conveys messages that the bonds of friendship are eternal and that it’s never too late to take on a challenge.
Orchestra Oldies!
The film “Golden Orchestra!” was released in 2016.
Set around an amateur orchestra made up entirely of senior citizens, it portrays people finding purpose in life through music.
The story begins when the protagonist, played by Anne (An), mistakenly joins the orchestra, and her initial confusion sets things in motion.
As she is tossed around by the quirky members yet gradually deepens their bonds, the fulfillment of people dedicating themselves to what they love is uplifting for viewers as well.
It’s a work that conveys a powerful message: no matter how old you are, you can always take on something new.
Karaoke Contest
Karaoke is a classic activity that livens up any event—whether you’re singing or listening, everyone can share in the fun.
You’re free to choose any song, but try to pick ones that everyone can enjoy together.
Some people can sing without looking at anything, but singing while reading the lyrics lets you coordinate seeing and singing at the same time, which helps stimulate the brain.
If the listeners join in by clapping along to the beat, it enhances the overall enjoyment, so that’s highly recommended too.