Does anyone know of activities that could be done in a nursing home that men would be interested in?

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Does anyone know of activities that could be done in a nursing home that men would be interested in?

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My father likes making cookies in memory care because he likes to eat them! He also enjoys when the minister comes in and leads them in singing. If I am there, we will do things together (read or watch sports) for a short time (he isn't really paying attention to the game at this point) and I sometimes take him to other events going on in the building that I think he might enjoy. The activity director is particularly interested in things for memory care. A couple of us are trying to get an armchair exercise program going on. Dad doesn't have the ability to initiate activity at this point. None of the residents has a long attention span. It's a community that you need to get used to.

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Would your husband like video games or Wii? Perhaps you can find a used one for him or get some of the other residents' families to buy one for the care unit?

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A facility I used to work at held weekly poker games. They were open to everyone, but the players did end up being all male. It was the only activity that a lot of the guys participated in and was very popular. They even had poker chips to use, but didn't redeem them for cash. Some of the player's had dementia, but remembered how to play poker as this was something they had done their whole lives, and thus it was a "long term" memory.

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That was my thought, poker, any kind of cards.

Bowling with one of those indoor sets, what about a table top pool set?

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At my mom's assisted living place there is a man who comes in once a week to read stories. Most of the residents like to listen because it's difficult for them to see or follow words in books. Also, it is social. When everyone else laughs around my mom she is encouraged to join in and pay attention. Listening to music works for most people. I have a friend who plays the music of the residents' youth at assisted living homes and they love it. They can't help tapping their feet to the music.

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I truly feel that music is therapeutic. Sure, it’s enjoyable but it’s much more than that too.

I can personally think of so many times in my life where music was so helpful.

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Just my two cents for what it's worth, but I think music is the key with dementia patients. My mother rarely listened to music at home, but at the assisted living facility she loved to sing. The staff told me she has an amazing voice, I couldn't believe it, but it was true. I think with Alzheimer's they have a very short attention span for projects and the music can keep them engaged for longer. Your husband playing a bit for others and being encouraged may help too. Keep encouraging him and he will find something to engage with.

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Does he like to watch movies? Also, perhaps audio books; you have to be careful here in terms of the amount of memory needed to sustain interest. In other words a collection of short stories in hunting, fishing, adventure, detective genres. (Think The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway; my father loved listening to that one.) Is there anything small that he would like to collect? Collections can be revisited and added to. Also, scrapbooks of his work projects, old newspaper articles and photos can allow him to remember and retell his experience on those projects.

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Ahhhh, The Old Man and the Sea is a great book! I should read it again. We actually have a public radio station that reads all the classics, fiction and nonfiction, plus the local newspaper, etc. I love listening to that station. It’s a station that caters to the blind but just as many sighted people listen to it. Does he have access to a radio or internet to stream public channels/stations? Can be a lot more interesting than regular television programs.

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If he used to be in a band, I would try something to do with music. Maybe singalongs or bring some of his old sheet music and have him sing with you, either in his room or in the living room. My Mom used to play the piano and still likes to sing old tunes. I’ve been told she sings at breakfast and other residents join in. When we sing together in the living no room other people sometimes join us. I have an app on my iPad called Piano With Songs that makes your iPad into a keyboard and is preloaded with lots of different genres and you just follow the red key to play them. Now that shes blind we still play it but I move her finger to play. It’s $4 a month, but the enjoyment she and I have gotten from it is priceless.

Another thought is is to bring stuff to the NH for him to sort out with you there. He’s probably got boxes of old paperwork and junk from when he was working. I know my DH has boxes of that old crap from when he was working, and I would toss it in a heartbeat, but yours might enjoy going through it with you and telling old stories about it.

And if he built roads, maybe he’d be interested in local maps or an atlas. Some guys love researching stuff on a map.

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Thank you for your response and all the good ideas

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I'm not sure if organized activities are set up in a nursing home the way they are in Assisted Living or Memory Care. If your husband is in a regular nursing home, he may not be able to participate with some of the regular activities if his cognitive ability impedes him.

Your profile says he has dementia. Often that prevents a person from really being capable of some activities. If they are able to participate they may need constant supervision to keep them on track. I noticed with my LO that even though she had a radio, she didn't have the ability to think of turning it on. If you put crayons and book in front of her, she might color for a short time, but, stop. She needed constant direction to stay on task. If not, she just sat or wheeled around in her wheelchair with no real focus.

I wanted things for her to do too, but, it wasn't that simple. I noticed that in MC, the activities are led by a staff member. They have reading time, stretching time, music time, etc. It's usually set up for short time periods, so the person doesn't get tired or distracted. If you can, you might observe your husband and see what he might be capable of doing. I'd look on the online sites for dementia patients. They offer various products that are designed for those with limited abilities like fidget boards. I would consider that even though a person with dementia may be able to read words, the words may no longer hold meaning to the reader. Therefore, the subjects they used to enjoy, no longer offer any appeal to them.

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I hate to be a downer here, but if they didn't do it before, they aren't going to learn once the short term is in the picture. That and the ability to reason are the first things to go. My Mom was an avid reader but couldn't keep her mind on what she was reading. I would watch her bookmark go almost to the end and the next day be near the beginning. No comprehension. And I agree with ur husband, some of the things are childish. He isn't there yet.

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A lot of activities are tailored for women since there are typically more women. Maybe you could get him to paint something that he is interested in. I would try legos or get him a model airplane that he could put together. If he use to build they make 3D puzzles or maybe just a puzzle that has buildings or duck or deer. Craft stores have bird houses that he could paint. Does he have access to a tv or radio? I am not sure how long he has been in the NH but it may get better if he is just transitioning.

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I’m going to Hobby Lobby and see if I can find something simple he could build. I wish I had thought of that myself. Thank You SO much!!

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If your dad was interested in yard work, plants or a garden.. my Dads MC did mini greenhouse plants ( where you plant the seeds and watch them grow). They all seemed to enjoy watching them sprout, and they found a spot in the garden to plant them. I also got Dad books from the library that were mainly pictures.. about trains, planes.. the ocean. He really enjoyed them, and would share them with other guys and talk about what they used to do ( the military, fishing, travel) Not much, but an idea?

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He didn’t take any interest in gardening before dementia but he did say he’d help with one at the care home but he didn’t. They tried to take him fishing but he wouldn’t do that. They take trips to Walmart but he says he’ll go but he hasn’t yet. We have stuff to go thru at home that is his and he has no use for it but he goes to bed as soon as he gets here. When he wakes up he goes to smoke and wants to get back to the home. I don’t know if there’s anything he’d been interested in. He used to cook a lot and the home’s administrator said he could go in the kitchen and cook a meal for his family but he said no!

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Does anyone know of activities that could be done in a nursing home that men would be interested in?

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