An essential ingredient for active and fulfilled lives

Tactile, dexterity, humour, sensory, entertaining, demonstrative … these are just a few words to describe the activities undertaken by residents in our Enliven care homes.

PSO Activities teams put endless hours of work into providing a wide range of activities that are suitable for older people, their abilities, their interests and their capabilities.

Every day residents will be encouraged to get involved, whether that’s playing Housie, creating crafts or doing some light exercise such as Tai Chi.

Enliven acting director, Robbie Moginie, says taking part in activities is a key component to residents feeling engaged and having a sense of connection to their community.

“As part of our Enliven philosophy, we pride ourselves on providing ways for residents to pursue their hobbies and interests, and gain new ones and our Activities teams help enable them to do just that,” says Robbie.

By taking part in activities, residents form friendships, have a sense of belonging, and are stimulated doing things that entertain and educate.

For example, several dementia residents at Iona in Oamaru are reliving their earlier years when they were providing for their own families by growing vegetables in a special and secure garden. For them, gardening is a source of joy as well as physical activity. It provides stimulation and a sense of pride in growing food that is then prepared and cooked by Iona kitchen staff. According to the residents, there’s nothing quite like eating food that they have grown!

A lot of care is taken to plan suitable activities that may be tactile, such as making crafts. Not only is it fun and entertaining, it also helps residents maintain dexterity and mental cognition.

Gentle exercise, such as Tai Chi, and dance lessons also helps with physical strength and balance, something that becomes increasingly important as people age.

Themes and events will often be incorporated into activities, for example Anzac Day or St Patrick’s Day. Many residents in our care homes held special celebrations when King Charles was crowned.

“Providing a safe place for older people to live combines teams of health professionals, nutritious food and an abundance of activities. Our Enliven care homes are their homes and we do everything we can to make sure residents feel cherished, valued and happy.”

Find out more about our Enliven care homes or call us on 03 477 7115.

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