Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Exercise: Cardio

Here are some ideas for doing Cardio exercises.  We try to make it as interactive as possible, calling on patients to choose exercise to do, having patients lead, etc.

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Exercises:
·        Jump Rope (one minute)
·        Cross Jabs (x20 each side)
·        Front Lunges (alternating, x20)
·        Arms High/Low
·        Side to Side legs wide (touch toe)
·        Side Lunges (alternating, x20)
·        Jumping Jacks (x20)
·        Punch down
·        Knees in air
·        Running laps (x5)
·        Knees out running
·        Knees down heels out
·        Skiing Run
·        Shake out
·        Jump side to side- forward to backward
·        Squat and hold while bringing arms back to front
·        Punches, kicks
·        Jog in place
·        Squats up and down
·        Cherry pickers (legs apart, bend forward and reach back three times, x20)

·        Grapevine (back and forth length of gym, x2) 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Spa Day

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submitted here by Celeste K. T. Brooks of Washington Center for Aging Services on November 21, 2000

Size: Varies

Equipment: Tables(round is best), Aroma therapy products (bath gels, lotions,all should be allergy-free) , Manicure items, Hair products, finger bowls, sprays, Large container of hot water, small containers of ice water, Video tapes,TV:VCR set up, Stereo system,CD's, Audio tapes, LOTS OF STAFF: manicurists, cosmetologists, hairstylists, massage therapist, reflexologist or a lot of volunteers who can serve in these functions.

Objective:
To relax the residents
To increase socialization
To increase level of self esteem
To provide a variety of sensory stimulation
To increase levels of participation
To increase residents' quality of life
To have fun

Description: Have the room filled with relaxing sights, music and scents before the residents arrive. Have at least four stations with different activities (manicures, facials, hair styles, hand massages, etc.). Invite your residents in. Make sure that you have presented each resident with each station (or with as many as they will tolerate). Introduce the residents sitting at the same table to each other. (You should hear some of the conversations that come up, it's like sitting in the beauty parlor) Provide the services! This activity usually takes 2-3 hours. Make sure that you keep the music playing and the scents flowing. Our male residents enjoy it as much as the females. We purchase products especially for the men and they like to sit and watch their girl friends get dolled up!. We implement this event in a large group setting maybe three times a year. We have smaller versions of SPA DAY on the units in the solariums or as individual sessions in the resident's rooms. One of our residents always comes to this event in her wheelchair (she is blind and very hard of hearing). However, after she has received "the works" she struts not walks to her unit guided by her ANA. Many of our volunteers are staff members from other departments, who give maybe 20 minutes of their time to help. However, make sure that all of your stations are manned by people who can remain there throughout the entire activity.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Exercise: Abs

Here's what we do for Abs!

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Stretches:
·        Lean down – touch your toes
·        Arms behind your back – stretch out your shoulders
·        Arms in front – stretch up to the sky
·        Left and right lunge, arm reached over your head
·        Lean down towards to left, right, center
·        Butterfly
·        One leg out, stretch to your toe, alternate
·        Legs out, stretch to the center
·        Legs together, stretch forward
·        Leg forward, bring knee to chest over leg, twist direction leg is up, alternate
·        Cobra pose (lay on stomach, point toes, arms in front like a push up, bring chest and stomach up, keep hips on the mat)

Exercises:
·        Twist (sitting, arms shoulder height, turn side to side, x20 [side to side = 1])
·        Crunches (x20)
·        Crunches, legs up (x20)
·        Bicycle crunches (x20)
·        Long bicycles (like stepping out and walking, one minute)
·        Rows (like rowing a boat, pull arms back from feet as far as you can, x20)
·        Plank (30 seconds, x3)
·        Push-ups (x10)
·        Leg lifts (lay on back, bring legs up and down as far as possible, x10)
·        Leg side to side (lay on back, legs up, rock legs side to side, x15)
·        Leg lifts (lay on side, x20, alternate)
·        Sunbird crunches (on hands and knees, bring opposite arm and leg out, crunch in)
·        Elbow to knee (standing: opposite then same side, x20 each side)

·        Mason sits (lean on tail bone, move arms side to side, x15)

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Gemstone Art Activity

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Talk about the different birthstones for each month and the healing properties of the various gemstones. 

Have each patient draw/paint/sculpt/create their own gemstone.  What does it look like?  How come they decided to make it look that way?


Afterwards, discuss what healing properties their gemstone would have and why those particular healing properties are important to them.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Let's Make a Deal

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submitted here by Dawn Reid of South Cumberland Community Care Center on August 21, 2008

Size of Group: any size of group 

Equipment: Two non see-through sized gift bags, various nice prizes as well as some prank prizes, fake money. 

Objective: Our residents absolutely love this game. We always have a great laugh at some of the crazy prizes that are won. I always try to make sure that everyone has a funny prize and as well a nice prize.They get to laugh together and just enjoy each others company. 

Description: What we do is make sure that I have at least a dozen or so of each category of prizes. I then gather everyone that wants to play around a table. Everyone is given $80.00 in fake money. The first person to my left will start the game. I start the game with one prize in each bag...as the game goes on and people have already started to win prizes then I add one funny prize and a serious prize in each bag. This way we can make sure that if someone has not won a funny prize then we can make sure that they do or vice versa. They have the choice of what bag they would like to buy for a price of $20.00 in funny money. They can trade or purchase with the other residents if they wish to. We let everyone take their turn in order. The game is finished when everyone has spent all of their money. A couple of times through out the game open the bidding up and let everyone bid on the two bags....the highest bidder wins what is in the bag of their choice.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Inside Snowball Fight

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submitted here by Becky Cates of Timberlake Healthcare, Farmerville LA on December 15, 2009

Size of Group: small to large 

Equipment: large marshmallows, bags to hold them. Scarves, hats and gloves 

Objective: Lots of laughter and fun 

Description: We have a annual snowball fight every December. The staff and residents are involved and gives them time to mingle with one another. Fill bags with large marshmallows and hand out to residents and staff members. Have everyone wear scarves, hats and gloves. Anyone can start the game but be ready to fire back when the first snowball is thrown. You will find that the laughter can be heard down every hall in the facility. After the snowball fight serve hot chocolate with peppermint sticks to stir.