As promised, here is the first of the “Weekly Tidbits” we’ll be sending every Sunday to provide ideas and motivation to you and your staff as you work to address behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) with your residents. If you’d like additional members of your staff to receive the tidbits, please email Erin Vigne (vigne1@verizon.net), and she will add their email addresses to our list. Please feel free to forward these tidbits to staff, print and post on bulletin boards, or even publish in your facility’s newsletter or on your Facebook page!

This week, we’d like you to think about the environment in your facility and how it may influence behavior and/or encourage or discourage physical activity among your residents. Remember, if we can help residents stay engaged in pleasant ways, then they may be less likely to become anxious, depressed or agitated. They may also feel better if moving a bit more with less pain and generalized achiness.

Look around your common areas. Are there cues that would prompt a staff member to lead residents in physical activity, or do you just see a television? When family members are visiting, do they always sit in the resident’s room and talk, or are they encouraged by staff to take their loved ones for a walk outside where there are benches to rest? Does your activity director have custody of all the fun items that could encourage movement?

Start with common areas, where many residents spend the majority of their day. Consider placing a basket there with foam swim noodles (when cut in half, they are great for resistance exercise!), small weights or elastic bands, and movement scarves to throw and catch. Having these items out in the open can prompt nursing assistants and other staff to start some spontaneous exercise with residents when they are bored or need distraction. Is there a way to play music in common areas? Turn off those TV’s for a while each day and get staff and residents to dance! Staff can bring in their iPods or phones to plug in to speakers and take turns playing their favorite dance tunes.

Next, are your halls dull? Look at your main corridors. Residents use corridors for walking to a destination, exercise, and social interaction. Are there places to rest if it is a long hall? Is the hall cluttered with items that could cause a trip, or limit access to the handrails? Are there pleasant things to look at during a walk? Consider changing artwork periodically and adding art created by residents. Or choose a new theme each month and hang posters down the hall that correlate with the theme. The hall can then become a destination itself, and family members may be more likely to take their loved ones for a stroll. You could host a contest to see who can decorate the best resident door around a certain theme (summer, holidays, sports, etc). Involve staff and family members too, and offer prizes.

We look forward to discussing your ideas at our next meeting. Have a great week!