01 May How Activity Directors Are Engaging Residents During Social Distancing with In-Room TV Channels
How Activity Directors Are Engaging Residents During Social Distancing with In-Room TV Channels
May 4, 2020
In the age of social distancing, activity directors are finding new ways to keep residents engaged, informed and entertained from the safety of their rooms. With a healthy mix of creative concepts and easy to use solutions, feeling “connected” is definitely possible from a safe distance.
Activity Calendars and Menus
Imagine staying in a fancy hotel and seeing what services are available to you as the guest. Broadcasting activity schedules and dining menus will keep residents in the loop and well aware of what opportunities for entertainment and deliciousness await them.
Tip: Activity calendars should be easy to manage and tweak on the fly. Add some food item pictures to your menus to really encourage your residents’ appetites.
Religious Services/Guided Meditation
Residents may often thrive on consistency and broadcasting religious or meditative services will help them feel like things are normal in an otherwise unusual time. They will thank you for it.
Tip: Broadcast your own service or stream from larger online congregations right on the channel.
Concerts & Performances
Whether a classically composed symphony played by the New York Philharmonic or a 3 piece band you sourced yourself, music is and will always be a way to lift spirits and share a collective emotion. Broadcast it live in-room to your community and to any other sister communities across the country (more bang for your buck!)
Tip: After a performance, use the community channel to promote a rebroadcast and share the tunes with any residents that missed it the first time.
Live Community State of the Union addresses
When trying to maintain distancing, the lack of physical closeness to staff members can take a toll on a resident’s comfort level and feeling of connectedness with the community. Whether executive director, head of culinary, or activity director, using a live in-suite broadcast, any staff member can use the community channel to say “Hello!” to all residents, share important information including updates, and share new opportunities for engagement. It’s a great way to be close but not “too close”.
Exercise
Exercise is a great way to maintain physical abilities but is also important for mental health. Staying fit is important at every age! Many communities are offering virtual fitness classes as a way for their residents to stay active while learning a new discipline and all from the comfort and safety of their rooms. With a boost of serotonin after their class, residents will have a refreshed outlook and be ready for the next in-room activity.
Tip: Host your own exercise class, partner with a professional (on or off-site) or find some for free on YouTube and preschedule them to play on your in-suite channel.
Celebrate Birthdays and Anniversaries
For residents that opted in, pre-populate pictures and celebrations of their birthdays & anniversaries to show up on the channel. Let your residents know you remembered and want to celebrate them!
Guess Who? Resident + Staff Edition
Getting to know each other has often felt like a face-to-face affair. With your community’s in-room TV channel, you can play your own version of a family favorite game. A family that knows each other, feels together!
Tip: Get as many residents and staff members to provide interesting facts about themselves and provide them to you. Use your channel to show the details, then depict a photo of the person 15 – 45 seconds later. Another fun variant is a version of In-Suite Jeopardy™ or just plain Bar Trivia.
Funny & Uplifting Videos
A silly cat video, silly babies or an inspirational Ted Talk is easy to find, and pre-program to show up at just the right time to put a smile on your residents’ faces.
Tip: Use the community channel to set a schedule of various videos in advance. Hours of resident entertainment with less work and resources. Nice!
Bingo
A community staple is now playable in-room! Have the numbers come up, have residents use phones to yell it out! Easy, easy, easy!
Tip: Pre-program number calls or live stream based on your bandwidth.
Instructor-Led Crafts
Crafts have historically been a one-on-one affair but it can still be just as easy and fun in-suite. Pass out the materials to each resident and walk them through how to make something new to accompany them in their rooms.
Tip: Activity coordinators can live stream the crafting session, save it for later, and rebroadcast it at a later date.
Virtual Vacation
Travel may not be an option at the moment but that doesn’t mean you can’t take your community on a virtual wine tour in the south of France or explore the Great Pyramids. Take them anywhere and everywhere from the comfort of their armchair.
Tip: Ask residents where they’d like to travel to and take them there through the magic of the community channel.
If you’re interested in getting your community going with in-room engagement, learn more here
Improve communication between residents and senior living operators by using a technology system that is easy-to-use and efficient. At InTouchLink, we strive to make residents a priority and turn communication into a positive experience for everyone.
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