Today, the elderly often face various challenges, including feelings of isolation, reduced mental and physical activities, and depression. Nursing homes, while providing a safe and caring environment for these loved ones, can significantly improve the quality of life of their residents by offering a variety of engaging activities. One such activity that has received increasing attention is crafts for seniors in nursing homes.
Everywhere you look, you’ll see lots of crafts. Crafts, as the name suggests, are things that are done by hand and are made by hand. Crafts are usually made with wood, cardboard, yarn, etc. Seniors can make suitable crafts for themselves with matchsticks and straw fibers. In addition to entertaining them, this work has other benefits for them.
When coordination between the mind, hand, and eye is created to make a craft, a person’s accuracy increases, creativity, and thinking also grow. Usually, seniors may encounter problems when starting to make crafts and conclude that making crafts is not their job and that they cannot handle it. But this is a very wrong idea.
The importance of crafts for seniors in nursing homes, the various benefits of these activities, types of crafts suitable for the elderly, and strategies for successfully implementing these programs in nursing homes are among the topics that will be examined in this article from humanhealthmag.
Benefits of Crafts for Seniors in Nursing Homes
As we said in crafts for older adults with dementia, handicrafts, regardless of age and individual abilities, are a powerful tool for strengthening mental, physical and social health. But when these activities are done in a setting like a nursing home, the benefits are doubled. If we were to mention some of the most important benefits of crafts for seniors in nursing homes, these would definitely be worth mentioning:
- Reducing stress and anxiety caused by life changes and physical restrictions
- A feeling of success and satisfaction and improvement of the mood of the elderly
- Boost self-confidence
- Reduce the feeling of isolation
- Improve memory and concentration
- Strengthening motor skills (painting, sculpture and knitting)
- Increased flexibility (pottery or clay work)
- Diverting the attention of the elderly from physical pain
- Social connections by participating in art and group work classes
- Feeling of belonging to a community
- Strengthening the feeling of usefulness
- Improve problem solving skills
- improving communication skills
4 Crafts for Seniors in Nursing Homes
In the following, we will introduce different types of handicrafts and best nursing home crafts ideas that can be useful for the elderly in nursing homes. From painting and sculpting to gardening and music, each of these activities can help strengthen mental and physical skills, improve mood, and build social connections. It is necessary for nursing home staff to provide information about making crafts to their seniors so that they can make crafts. Seniors can also give new ideas for this. This method makes their mind active.
- Crafting with cotton and felt
Making different shapes with felt and cotton can be a delightful and therapeutic activity for seniors in nursing home. This simple yet engaging craft involves cutting felt into various shapes, which can then be stuffed with cotton to create a wide array of objects. To make this craft, you need five-centimeter felt, cotton, scissors, thread, needle and fabric.
Those who have sewing experience, they can stitch the felt pieces together to form more complex designs. Before anything, you need to draw the desired pattern on cardboard or paper and cut it out with scissors. After that, put the cut pattern on the fabric and cut around it with scissors and sew both sides with thread and needle to make the original shape.
This activity not only stimulates creativity but also improves fine motor skills and provides a sense of accomplishment. Seniors can create personalized gifts for loved ones, such as stuffed animals, decorative ornaments, or even small pouches. Not only is this craft enjoyable, but it also offers cognitive benefits, such as problem-solving and spatial reasoning.
- Creating crafts with matchsticks
Some people think that expensive tools and equipment are needed to make a craft. However, creativity in making a craft is more effective than anything else. Making a table with match sticks is one of the crafts suitable for the elderly in the nursing home. This simple yet intricate craft requires only matchsticks, glue, and a template. Making this craft also requires a lot of precision. The elderly should place the prepared pattern in front of them and proceed in the order of the pattern.
By carefully following the template, seniors can construct a variety of objects, from furniture to animals. The process of assembling the matchsticks promotes fine motor skills, patience, and focus. Crafting with matchsticks not only provides a sense of accomplishment but also offers cognitive benefits, such as problem-solving and spatial reasoning. Additionally, this activity can be a social experience, encouraging seniors to collaborate with others and share their creations.
- Knitting
There are many elderly people who have been interested in knitting since they were young. Making crafts with knitting needles and yarn is one of another suitable crafts for the elderly in nursing homes. It is a beloved pastime for many seniors, offering both relaxation and a sense of accomplishment. Usually, grandmothers have knitting supplies in their belongings and do not need to buy a knitting needle or hook.
For those who have been knitting for years, it’s a familiar and comforting activity. Knitting projects, such as cozy pot holders or decorative items, can be tailored to individual preferences and skill levels. The repetitive motion of knitting can be calming and meditative, helping to reduce stress and anxiety. Moreover, knitting can stimulate the mind, improve fine motor skills, and provide a sense of purpose. By creating handmade items, seniors can express their creativity and share their gifts with loved ones. Knitting can also foster a sense of community, as many seniors enjoy joining knitting groups or attending knitting classes.
- Making crafts with scrap materials
Usually, there are items in every house that are not needed and you throw them away. The elderly can use them to make beautiful crafts. In fact, repurposing recycled materials can be a fun and rewarding activity for seniors in nursing home. Empty water bottles, for instance, can be transformed into useful and decorative items. With a little creativity and a few basic supplies like scissors, glue, ribbon, and embellishments, seniors can create unique storage containers, pencil holders, or even small vases.
This activity not only helps to reduce waste but also provides an outlet for creativity and a sense of accomplishment. By repurposing everyday items, seniors can demonstrate their resourcefulness and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle. Additionally, crafting with recycled materials can be a social activity, encouraging seniors to share their ideas and creations with others.
Concluding Remarks
In this article, we discussed several crafts for seniors in nursing homes and how to make them. Making these crafts, as we mentioned, strengthens the minds of the elderly and in addition, it provides them with entertainment and frees them from the unpleasant feeling of not being useful. The fact that they feel they still have the power to make and produce a device creates hope and a good feeling in them.
Therefore, supporting artistic activities in nursing homes will not only help improve the quality of life of the elderly, but will also help create a more vibrant and dynamic society. By providing appropriate facilities and equipment and creating a creative atmosphere, we can help the elderly achieve their hidden potential and enjoy their lives more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Encourage the Elderly to do Handicrafts in the Nursing Home?
To encourage seniors to do crafts, you should first pay attention to their interests and abilities. Creating a calm and pleasant environment for performing art activities, providing appropriate materials and tools, and providing necessary guidance from instructors or other seniors can increase their motivation. Also, holding small exhibitions of seniors’ artwork and appreciating them can help create a sense of success and satisfaction in them.
What kind of Crafts are More Suitable for Seniors in Nursing Homes?
Choosing the proper crafts for seniors in nursing homes depends on a variety of factors, including their physical and mental abilities and personal interests. Activities such as painting, knitting, clay sculpting, gardening, music, and crafts with recycled materials are often very appealing to seniors. It is important to choose activities that are both challenging and enjoyable.