Alzheimer's & Dementia Activities

The mission of the Activities Department is to enhance each resident's ability to be "all that they can be", whether it is helping with the newsletter, attending cooking club, reminiscing, dancing at the "Mocktail Parties" or quietly visiting with family or reading in their rooms.

 

We offer our residents a unique combination of therapeutic, "purposeful" group and 1:1 interactions which consist of cognition exercises, reminiscence, maintaining time and place, physical movement, relaxation, activities of daily living and social contact. Residents actively participate in choosing their leisure activities and the specifics of group activities because the program model is based on the residents' interests, needs and Care Plan goals. Community volunteers and professionals enhance the program with art, music, horticulture, visitation and entertainment.

 

Sensory stimulation, Exercise and Fitness, Music Therapy, Pet Therapy and Horticulture Therapy are  a few of our activities geared to maintaining both physical and cognitive acuity. While Bingo, Trivia, and special event parties enhance the socialization of our residents. Arts and Crafts, Pottery class and Cooking Club help maintain the essential creative skills so necessary for successful rehabilitation. Church and spiritual activities are also available on a regular basis.

 

 

• Sensory Stimulation experiences facilitate an increased capacity for reorganizing or utilizing existing brain processes. It involves the frequent use of concrete, sensory cues or objects that enable cognitively impaired older adults to appropriately respond to their environment.
• Exercise and Fitness activities provide opportunities to increase and /or maintain flexibility and mobility through options including "sittercise", "positive moves" and just plain moving to the music!
• Music Therapy is provided by a board certified music therapist who specializes in "motivating" positive interactions. In addition we have:
• Sing-along Cafes - Positive, uplifting and fun songs from the 20's, to 50's era – when our residents were in their "prime" courting years. Lyrics are typed in large font for a sing-along "reading" social. There are intergenerational sing-alongs with the campus daycare students. Residents also enjoy karaoke as a social sing-along.
• Voc-Aerobics - a musical and vocal exercise program for older adults and people with disabilities that provides an opportunity for self expression, vocalization and communication. Each lesson consists of deep-breathing exercises, physical exercises, vocal exercises, vocal warm-ups and a sing-along.
• Art Without Boundaries – Mneme Therapy pronounced "Nemma" uses a multi-modality process to stimulate changes in the brain. The therapy uses singing, movement, story-telling, the power of praise, and painting to achieve its goals. The rewarding experience is a beautiful painting and a sense of accomplishment for the resident.
• Expressive Arts – a creative program to help bring out the artist within all of us. This program uses different forms of art influence and modalities such as visual arts, music, movement, writing, poem-making and expressive puppetry.
• Pet Visits - Pet therapy from many certified volunteers and professional groups provides stimulating and soothing interactions between residents and pets.
• Religious -  Church and spiritual activities catering to various denominations are regularly available and Pines has an in house Chaplain who visits and counsels with residents upon request.
• Horticulture Therapy - We are fortunate to have a Horticulture Therapist providing weekly hands on gardening often including our Child Care "gardeners in training". Gardening projects provide great satisfaction to participants and the therapeutic values are tremendous.
• Special Events & Parties - Special events and parties are well attended and enjoyed by residents of Pines. Many local professional entertainers routinely visit our campus providing musical performances ranging from jazz to country to classical. The residents especially enjoy their "Full Moon Parties", and "Red Hat, Plaid Shirt Parties".

 

The Garden is truly a unique place and where creativity is boundless!

 

Support Group

Pines offers an Alzheimer's/Dementia support group on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. It is open to anyone in the community regardless of whether a loved one is living at Pines or not. Call (941) 365-0250 for more details.