Coloring pages, math problems, crossword puzzles – for Tatiana Chavarria, those are more than mere pages she needs to print for her job as Activities Assistant at Vernon Health Care Center — Rockport in Los Angeles. For the residents at the facility, the pages are a lifeline.
“They love it. They love to color early in the morning. I have a lot of residents who love math. They like crosswords, puzzles. They’re very active. It’s like school for them,” she says.
Tatiana can’t say enough praises for an activities resource subscription that she has access to through her Education Fund. The subscription gives activities assistants unlimited access to thousands of ideas and resources for focused activities, music therapy, humour, games, trivia, art and crafts, multicultural programs, and more.
Tatiana says the subscription may have given her more ideas and more resources for her day-to-day planning, but the real benefactors are the residents.
“It gives my residents more options to choose what they want to do,” she says. “Every morning, they’re always asking, ‘What are we doing today?’ Now, they are more involved in the activities.”
Studies have shown that recreational activities at nursing homes have a positive effect on residents’ quality of life. Having a choice of activities gives residents a sense of independence, and participating in activities that interest them helps reduce feelings of isolation and depression.
