Pauline Schantzer, known as comedian Polly Wolly, has performed at over 50 nursing homes, often mixing traditional comedy with song and dance.
“I have a song called matchmaker,” Schantzer says. “I did this in a facility, and I found out from the activities director that one guy had a crush on one lady. In the song, I say, ‘Hold her hand, Pops. It’s okay if you shake.’ He wraps onto her hand, and it’s such a cute little moment” she says.
Some residents will dance, while others will sit and listen to her music, which has been shown to be especially beneficial for memory care residents.
Nursing home activities can get as creative as the activity director booking them or creating them is. When choosing a nursing home, look for one that offers for a variety of activities and has an engaged activities director.
Here are some of the unique activities you may find in nursing homes, as well as questions for activities directors when choosing a nursing home. Activity programs in nursing homes should have a variety of events that foster connection, engagement and cognition for older adults.
[READ: Nursing Homes vs. Assisted Living.]
Nursing Home Activities Matter for Social Engagement and Longevity
No one wants to be stuck in a nursing home without activities they’ll enjoy, and thoughtfully designed activities can even help residents improve or retain memory.
Loneliness has been called an “epidemic” by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, which highlights the importance of having activities in nursing homes that promote socialization. Studies consistently show that people who have high social engagement are healthier and live longer.
Thus, it’s very important to find an activities director that connects with a resident and explores what they enjoy. For instance, socialization for introverts could be about sharing space as much as conversation. For instance, an introvert may love a book club, painting or watching movies with other people in the room.
Here’s a brief summary of some of the types of activities that may be available, as well as their health benefits.
| Activity Category | Innovative Examples | Key Health Benefits |
| Entertainment | Music concerts, comedy and dancing | Social engagement, memory care and cognition, physical activity |
| Memory care | Baking and decorating cookies, recipe sharing, bassinets, texture books | Improved memory and cognition, emotional support |
| Mental fitness | Puzzles, trivia nights, riddles, at-home thrift swapping | Cognition, social engagement |
| Nursing home fitness | Chair yoga, balloon volleyball wheelchair, indoor or outdoor gardening | Social engagement, physical health including circulation, mobility and strength |
Creative Arts and Cognitive Stimulation: Engaging the Mind
The key word in “nursing home”
is “home.” A good activities director finds ways to make it feel like home, while also adding more experiences.
“I like to bake bread so when they wake up, it smells like fresh bread,” says Vanessa DeGuzman, activities director at Villa Marin in San Rafael, California. “I bake cookies, so it smells like fresh cookies in the afternoon.”
The community also has bassinets with weighted baby dolls throughout to remind seniors of when they were taking care of children. DeGuzman says they have clothes folding stations and books with soft materials like fur and leather to use for sensory therapy for residents who are tactile-focused.
Playing dress up and shopping experiences
DeGuzman talks about dressing up to bond with a resident who loves fashion. She says the resident likes to try out new outfit combinations, pointing to DeGuzman as her inspiration.
Kathleen Biggs, a certified recreation therapist and certified dementia practitioner in the memory care unit at Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on Long Island, New York, recently trialed a “thrift shop” experience in which her team created a mini store with donated items, complete with rolling racks, displays and shopping bags. Residents were able to shop and “purchase” items at the free sale.
DeGuzman puts on monthly shopping experiences with bingo winnings for purchases of locally-made soaps and scarves, since having autonomy to make choices helps residents with confidence.
Arts and crafts and art therapy
“Engaging in art encourages growth of neural networks, which improves flexibility and deeper connections,” says Stephanie Leanes, director of caregiver support at Lutheran Home & Harwood Place in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. “Many finished projects are displayed on the unit, passed along to family members or saved for an annual art show.”
Examples include drawing with charcoal pencils, painting, pastels, computer based art, paint-by-numbers or pottery. Activities may also be adapted, like knitting with larger needles or mini indoor herb gardens instead of outdoor ones.
[READ: 16 Best Dementia Care Activities: Engaging Ideas for Every Stage]
High-Tech Senior Care: VR, Robotics and Digital Connection
Technology in nursing homes is more than teaching someone how to use a computer, smartphone or tablet. Technology can be full virtual reality experiences, curated Spotify lists, modified workout classes or even technology to prevent falls.
Virtual reality for adventures and memory care
Virtual reality video games in nursing homes and memory care facilities can help residents remember memories from their life with a sensory experience that reminds them of traveling, driving a car, attending a drive-in movie or sitting on the beach, Biggs says. It also helps residents who have later-stage dementia and are experiencing disruptive behaviors.
“I’ve had some of our thrill-seeking memory care residents experience their first roller coaster ride in the Immersion Room, rocking to and fro in their chairs, hands in the air, smiling, squealing and laughing,” Biggs says.
Small groups of friends and family members can join in on the fun in immersion rooms.
Apps for communication, games and music
Smartphone or tablet-based apps give nursing home residents a chance to interact with family and friends, Zoom in for book clubs with an adjustable volume level and listen to music of their choosing.
— Interactive apps: My Reef 3D, for instance, allows users to create their own aquarium and then interact with their fish. Another app, Flower Garden, lets users tend to pretty flowers while listening to gentle sounds.
— Music apps: Spotify and other music-based apps can help seniors keep their favorite songs easily accessible.
— Communication apps: WhatsApp and Zoom help seniors to stay connected with friends and family members.
Intergenerational Programs: Connecting Seniors with the Community
Intergenerational programming can be with family and friends, diversity groups, local schools, community groups or churches.
“We’re blessed to have an elementary school right next to us, and the high school down the street,” DeGuzman says. “We have a lot of middle school and high schoolers who come and volunteer and help out with activities.”
The kids come in for themed activities like Halloween candy giveaways, letter writing or sharing artwork with each other.
Inclusive activities
Diversity and inclusiveness matter in nursing home social activities for seniors.
Many nursing homes and memory care communities offer activities that reflect residents’ cultural backgrounds, languages and identities. Affinity groups, such as an LGBTQ+ group, religious group or other identity-based group, are another way to make residents feel more at home. These programs allow residents to find their allies and encourage connection and belonging.
Family recipe sharing
Cooking classes are wonderful on their own, but they’re even better when nursing home residents share their own recipes and family and local community members help with the cooking. Deguzman often does the cooking while seniors mix in bowls and sometimes share their recipes.
Spiritual practices
Many nursing homes offer religious services for residents of many denominations. Whether it’s sitting in quiet prayer with others in an on-site chapel or connecting to a larger congregation via Zoom, there are many options for older adults to connect with the spiritual community of their choice.
Having a spiritual practice may alleviate depression for some people, adding a sense of comfort and strength and helping to foster hopefulness and meaning. The practice may be rooted in an established religion or simply involve believing in a higher power.
Family get-togethers
Nursing homes often facilitate family get-togethers, such as providing a separate space for residents and their visitors to gather on birthdays, holidays and other special occasions.
A visit from a friend or family member is an opportunity for one-on-one activities like sharing photos of loved ones, venturing out to the facility’s courtyard or taking a drive to a favorite store nearby.
Staying connected to loved ones in person can help seniors feel less lonely and, importantly, more loved and wanted.
[READ: 11 Benefits of Intergenerational Programs: Reducing Senior Loneliness and Boosting Child Development]
Physical Wellness and Movement Beyond Traditional Exercise
Most nursing homes offer a variety of exercise options. Low mobility exercises can be a twist on traditional nursing home fitness exercises.
“We do balloon volleyball, where we play other communities on field trips,” DeGuzman says.
Residents can play in wheelchairs and less mobile residents come and watch. Bedbound residents are lifted into wheelchairs to attend.
Other nursing home fitness options include:
— Low-impact exercise options, such as gentle calisthenics, stretching and walking
— Gardening is an excellent activity for seniors, since it can provide opportunities for social interaction, enhance the immune system, help prevent osteoporosis, help stave off dementia and contribute to overall well-being. It can be adjusted based on mobility level, such as doing indoor gardening of herbs bedside.
— Wheelchair yoga (WHOGA) or chair chi, a type of seated tai chi practice.
Some forms of exercise can even help seniors build strength to guard against falls.
Specialized Activities for Memory Care and Dementia
Memory care can be some of the most fun yet tender exercises for residents because they can bring back memories and routines they’ve deeply enjoyed. Plus, most of these activities can be done with low mobility.
Therapeutic cooking
In many communities, cooking classes are less about producing a full meal and more about participation, memory and routine.
One recipe for chocolate chip cookies, for instance, can become a multisensory experience. Residents may cream the butter and sugar, smell the vanilla, watch the cookies bake and enjoy a warm treat at the end.
Cooking activities can also prompt pleasant memories of preparing similar dishes with family members. When residents cook together, the experience naturally encourages conversation and storytelling.
Guided imagery
Engaging the senses in creative ways encourages people to use their imaginations.
The purpose of a guided imagery session is to take a resident to a place and time in their minds.
“Instead of simply listening to music of fan-favorite Frank Sinatra, we’re able to pull up videos of his concerts that some residents once attended, transporting them back to that exact moment to spark conversation and reminiscence,” says Biggs.
Other popular guided imagery activities include:
— Beach or lakeside visualization: A wave sound machine, a fan blowing and picturing lounging near the water
— Bubbles: Following one bubble, seeing how the light catches the surface and feeling the way the bubble floats and pops
— Tactile grounding exercises: Holding an object, such as a stone or a piece of fabric, while observing the object and noticing how it feels
Sensory activities can help people feel calm and comforted, especially if they have trouble speaking or expressing their needs, adds Jennifer Winarski, a nurse and clinical nurse manager at Homewatch CareGivers in Lockport, Illinois.
Musical activities
Perhaps you recall the viral video a few years back: An elderly nursing home resident with Alzheimer’s disease starts out slumped over and nonresponsive, then comes to life, breaking into song as he listens to music through his headphones. In another viral video, a nonresponsive elderly woman transforms into the prima ballerina she once was upon hearing a few bars of her beloved “Swan Lake.”
For people in senior care facilities, creating personalized playlists of familiar music helps reconnect them with their past.
Research suggests personalized music is a way to bring joy to people with advanced dementia in particular. For example, a 2020 study conducted at the University of California, Davis, showed that personalized music is associated with a reduction in the amount of antipsychotic medication taken by nursing home residents and a reduction in distressed behaviors.
“In fact, music has been shown to improve mood, reduce anxiety and bring back memories, even in later stages of dementia,” Winarski says.
Mental aerobics
Mental aerobics are brain games designed for group settings to stimulate thinking, recall and problem-solving.
For example:
— Riddles
— Fill-in-the-blank phrases
— Quizzes
— Listing off items in a category in alphabetical order (Animals: A = ape; B = bee, C = cobra and so on)
Nursing homes often use mental aerobics to assess attention and social cooperation, helping staff better understand residents’ cognitive abilities to tailor support accordingly.
How to Evaluate an Activity Calendar
As you’re exploring nursing home options, ask for an activities calendar and speak with the activities director. Here are a few questions you can ask to help you evaluate the activities schedule.
— What is the ratio of staff members to residents for field trips?
— How do you engage mostly bed-bound seniors?
— What do you do to evaluate activities individually?
— What kind of field trips are available and how often?
— How often do you engage with the community and how?
— What are the spiritual options?
— What do you do to remind residents of home?
— What are your methods for sensory stimulation?
Animal Therapy for Comfort, Bedside and in Community Areas
Animal therapy with certified animals is a versatile choice for all levels of mobility. Residents enjoy petting the animals, brushing their fur or cuddling. Popular therapy animals are cats or dogs, but some also use rats, goats or mini horses.
“The horses are trained and are able to come into our facility (they are able to even ride the elevators),” Biggs says. “Socializing with the horses provides residents with visual and tactile stimuli. The smiles, ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ are wonderful for staff to see.”
A whole zoo of robot animal choices are available for those with allergies or when an animal isn’t available, which can also be a good tool for nursing home residents with dementia. It allows them to reminisce about pets they have or once had, and they enjoy the company and responsibility of the robotic animal, even if they know it is not real.
For community bonding, Villa Marin has Animal Days with residents’ families and staff.
“We bring our animals in,” DeGuzman says. “We’re also doing an outing to bring the residents to Guide Dogs for the Blind graduation.”
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Innovative Nursing Home Activities: Beyond Bingo originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/02/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
