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Care homes

As we all know, but maybe tend to forget: Care home residents are people like everyone else, they just have some physical or mental limitations so that need help and care in their daily life.

They still appreciate to be active and social with others, as long as they are offered activities they can manage.

Most care home residents have earlier in their lives been active in some kind of sport or club activity: golf, bowling, tennis, volleyball, football… activities they can no longer perform due to their reduced bodily function.

Fortunately, there are many alternative sports and activities that the residents will be able to manage: Boccia, Petanque, skittle games, sitting volleyball, indoor croquet, sitting basketball, bean bag games etc.

Positive side effects, apart from the fun and laughter these activities create, are improved balance, coordination and muscle strength – and improved sleep at night.
Inactivity is bad for the health, whereas all kinds of movement will be beneficial for the health and the thriving of the care home residents.

It is our experience, that people with dementia benefits tremendously from simple sport activities in small groups: it helps them focus and relax.

We have made it a priority to manufacture a range of sports and activities well suited for care homes and activity centers.

To describe the properties of this equipment in short:

  • The equipment should be rather light, nice to hold and manageable from a seated position.
  • The equipment must be useable indoors, or for indoor & outdoors play.
  • The equipment should hold as many sensory qualities as possible: visual, tactile and audible.


Below the 3 products you find our recommended activities and games.

Playing boccia in a Care Home

For inspiration watch this video about Trimmy Ball Introduction:

BOCCIA/PETANQUE

An ideal sport that everyone can participate in.

Boccia and/or petanque are great care homes activities: the balls are easy to hold, both can be played either sitting down or standing, and time just flashes by! It strengthens coordination, balance and muscles while you are having fun.

Boccia and petanque games only require a level surface and a small open space. You can play inside in the day room or in the corridors, or outdoors on the terrace, the lawn or on gravel. The balls are pleasant to hold and easy to see. Even people with severe visual impairment can join in.

You can play either one on one or form teams of two to three players.

Boccia and petanque are also particularly good activities for people suffering from dementia.

Below you find a short video about boccia:

boccia
boccia1boccia2

PRECISION GAMES

Bowling Ligt, Bowling Partout, Floor Target Mat with beanbags

All these activities can be played on very few square meters.

They are great games – easy to play and perform.

Make an exciting competition with one or more of these precision games. Use your boccia/petanque balls or the beanbags for a tossing game or slide the beanbags like a curling-game…

You can also place the Skittles on the Floor Target Mat to add an extra dimension in the game.

Anyone can join!

Below a short video of Bowling Light:

boccia
Bowling Partout

MULTIPURPOSE SOUND BALLS

The pleasant rattling sound of the audible balls provides extra stimuli, which is especially important for the many visually impaired elderly people. Handi Life Sport’s wonderful audible balls are suitable for exercising in groups.

The audible balls can be used for a number of different activities and games. Seated in a circle, participants can use the balls to play sitting basketball, a fun and bonding activity. Use Standing Circle Goal and throw the balls into the net.  Alternatively, they can hand or throw the ball to the next person in the circle while everyone says the name of that person. Or participants can stand with support from a barre and kick the ball to each other. Or…

The rattling sound sharpens focus and concentration.

The sound balls are available in different sizes and materials. For more info look here: Multipurpose sound balls

 

Game with Standing Circle Goal

boccia boccia1

HANDI WEIGHT

A comfortable dumbbell for weight training (available in 300, 700 and 1000 grams).

Soft and pleasant-to-the-touch leather quality.

The dumbbell is easily fastened with velcro and cannot be dropped. Ideal for seated physical exercises.

boccia
boccia1boccia2