Lovely senior life

[For Seniors] Let's try customizing the usual Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises!

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.

It seems that many senior care facilities incorporate the “Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises” before meals and at other times.

These are important oral exercises for older adults, using the mouth and tongue while vocalizing “pa, ta, ka, ra.”

The “Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises” help prevent aspiration and support enjoyable conversation through training the muscles around the mouth.

However, doing the same routine over and over can start to feel monotonous.

So let’s try a modified version of the “Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises”!

This time, we’ve gathered ideas with creative twists, such as adding hand claps or turning it into a parody song.

We hope older adults can enjoy their oral exercise time as well.

[For Seniors] Let's Try an Arranged Version of the Usual Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra Exercises! (41–50)

Patakara exercises to train the tongue

“Patakara Exercise Song” — Sing to Enhance Oral Function: For Enjoying Your Meals More — Apex Medical & Dental Clinic [Senior Exercise]

Patakara exercises to train the tongue

When eating, not only the movements of the mouth but also the tongue’s motions that carry food to the throat are important.

This exercise focuses on tongue movements that can’t be fully trained with the “pa-ta-ka-ra” routine alone.

It also incorporates whole-body movements, and if standing is difficult, doing it seated in a chair is recommended.

You begin with movements that loosen the area around the mouth, such as “pa-ta-ka-ra,” and then progress to exercises that move the tongue extended out of the mouth.

Because we rarely stick out our tongues in daily life, deliberately pushing the tongue forward with some force helps you consciously engage tongue muscles you don’t usually use.

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Patakara Parody Song

‘Aspiration Prevention’ Doing the Patakara oral exercises to the tune of “Hato Poppo” turned out to be really fun!

Patakara Parody Song

This is a recreation activity where you perform the “Patakara exercises,” which train articulation and the mouth muscles, in time with a song.

By doing the Patakara exercises to music, even people who get bored with simple drills can enjoy moving their mouths.

The steps are very simple: choose a song with an easy-to-follow pitch, and have participants sing the word “pa-ta-ka-ra” to that melody.

Producing the same sound repeatedly helps build speed in articulation, and changing pitch while keeping the same mouth shape also trains the throat.

It’s also recommended to vary the song choices and the placement of “pa-ta-ka-ra,” adding a fun element of figuring out what the “lyrics” will become.

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Patakara Card Game

Big laughs! A Patakara card game that boosts oral functions!

Patakara Card Game

This is a variation where you pronounce randomly arranged words while paying attention not only to pronunciation but also to the order of the words.

You proceed using cards that have words containing the syllables from “pa-ta-ka-ra,” such as “papa” or “taka.” Players take turns repeatedly placing a card on the table and pronouncing it; as the cards line up, the words you pronounce gradually get longer.

Keep a close eye on the sequence of the cards and aim for smooth pronunciation.

Some sequences might be tricky to pronounce, so the give-and-take around those parts could make things even more exciting.

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In conclusion

It was a richly varied arrangement of the Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises! Communicating with words that move the mouth also leads to interaction with people and society.

Improving oral functions is an important factor for living an independent life in both mind and body.

In addition to your usual oral exercises, please enjoy the arranged Pa-Ta-Ka-Ra exercises as well.