Activity Calendars for Nursing Homes, Memory Care, Senior Living, Assisted Living & Independent Living
But first, let’s explore:
Why are activity calendars for seniors important?
What activities do seniors find engaging and stimulating?
How do you ensure your activities are engaging and stimulating for your residents?
What must you do to create activity calendars for your facility?
What should you consider when choosing an activity calendar service?
How can you get impactful activity calendars without the burden of design and publishing?
There are three keys to publishing an impactful activity calendar for Seniors in your nursing home, memory care, senior living, assisted living or independent living facility:
Organizing many fun activities to keep your residents active, entertained and engaged. Explore the many activities you could offer your residents.
Designing an engaging calendar that is colorful and easy for residents to read. Here’s some design inspiration on just some of the many possibilities.
Publishing on time, every time, to build excitement and anticipation for upcoming activities and events. Learn about our on-time, every-time promise.
It’s not easy to publish activity calendars for seniors while you are busy both caring for and providing a great experience for your residents.
Only you can decide the right activities for your residents, but when it comes to designing and publishing your senior living activity calendar, we can free you to focus on the experience while we handle all of the design and publishing details.
Why are Activity Calendars for Seniors Important?
There are many reasons why activity calendars for seniors are important in nursing homes, memory care, senior living, assisted living & independent living facilities:
Scheduling
Calendars help senior living facilities schedule various activities, appointments and events, including scheduling doctor visits, therapy sessions, recreational activities and family visits. With a calendar, your facility can ensure you have enough staff available to provide care and support during these activities.
Organization
Calendars help senior living facilities stay organized and plan the days ahead.
By having a schedule, staff members can prepare in advance for upcoming activities and events, ensuring everything runs smoothly and residents receive the care they need.
Communication
Calendars are a high-impact communication tool for senior living facilities, as they can be used to share important information with staff members, residents and families. A calendar may include notes about upcoming events, reminders about medication schedules and many other important announcements.
Engagement
Calendars help senior living facilities engage residents and improve their quality of life. By scheduling a variety of activities and events, you can provide residents with opportunities for socialization, mental stimulation and physical activity, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness to improve overall well-being.
Overall, activity calendars for seniors are an essential tool for senior living facilities. They ensure residents receive the care and support they need while also promoting engagement and socialization.
What Activities Do Seniors Find Engaging and Stimulating?
There are a variety of activities to engage and stimulate nursing home, memory care, senior living, assisted living & independent living residents and keep them active, both physically and mentally, to promote their physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Encourage Regular Exercise
Exercise is essential for maintaining physical health, improving mobility and balance and preventing falls. Activities like walking, dancing, swimming, yoga and strength training are all great options. Check out these ideas for dancing and outdoor activities, such as gardening as a great way to get outside, exercise and enjoy nature.
Engage Their Brains Daily
Games like chess, crossword puzzles, Sudoku and more can help keep the mind active and improve cognitive function. Participating in board games and card games with other residents is a great way to inspire residents to have fun and fuel their brain. They can also enjoy brain builders by reading books, taking classes and engaging in intellectual discussions as mental activity is important for their overall health
Provide Opportunities to Socialize
Socializing helps combat feelings of loneliness and depression, which are common among the elderly and lead to other health problems. Participating in group activities or clubs and staying in touch with family and friends are all great ways to stay social. Encourage your residents to make new friends by participating in group events and holiday celebrations.
Stimulate Their Senses
Creative activities like painting, knitting or writing are great ways to exercise the mind, express oneself and enjoy a sense of accomplishment. Singing, playing instruments and listening to music can reduce anxiety and depression, boost mood and promote social engagement. Inspire your residents by getting them involved in crafts and keeping the music inside alive.
Get Their Family & Friends Involved
Encourage family members and friends to visit and participate in activities with residents to strengthen social connections and provide additional support for your residents. Plan activities and events to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, cultural holidays and national holidays. Your activity calendar is a great way to keep family members and friends informed and inspire them to stay involved in their loved one’s life.
It’s important to create a variety of activities that cater to different interests and abilities. By offering a range of options, you can help ensure that residents stay active, engaged and happy, and your activity calendar is a powerful tool in making that happen for your nursing homes, memory care, senior living, assisted living & independent living facility.
How do you ensure your activities are engaging and stimulating your residents?
Creating an activities calendar for a nursing home involves several steps to ensure that it caters to the residents’ interests and abilities. Here’s a general guide:
Determine your residents' preferences
Start by talking to the residents and their families to learn about their hobbies, interests and preferences. This will help you plan activities that your residents will participate in and enjoy.
Map your schedule of activities
Once you have planned your activities, schedule them on your activities calendar. Use a pencil and have an eraser handy for your first few attempts at mapping your calendar!
Consider your residents' abilities
It’s essential to consider your residents’ physical and cognitive abilities when planning activities. Plan a mix of activities that cater to different levels of mobility and cognitive function.
Allow for flexibility
Be prepared to adjust the schedule if necessary to accommodate unforeseen events or changes in residents’ needs. Your Plan A will be great, but have Plan B ready to go when needed too!
Plan a variety of activities
Plan a range of activities that cater to different interests, such as arts and crafts, music, exercise, games and social events. Ensure that the activities are diverse, engaging and age appropriate.
Encourage participation
Encourage residents to participate in activities by promoting them through posters, flyers, announcements and your activities calendar. Ensure staff members are enthusiastic about activities and encourage residents to join in.
Ensure safety and accessibility
Make sure that the activities are safe and accessible for all residents. Consider factors such as wheelchair accessibility, lighting, seating and other equipment.
Evaluate the success of your activities
Regularly evaluate the activities to determine their effectiveness and make changes where necessary.
What must you do to create activity calendars for your facility?
Now that you have a great activities plan, it is time to commit your plan to your printed activities calendar! Here are some general steps that can be followed:
Gather information
Meet with your facility staff and residents to gather information about the types of activities they enjoy, their preferences, and their schedules.
Create a schedule
Based on the information gathered, create a schedule of activities that can be offered on a regular basis. Be sure to include a variety of activities that cater to the different interests, abilities and needs of the residents.
Design the calendar
Choose a design for the calendar that is easy to read and visually appealing. Include the name of the nursing home, the month and year, and the days of the week. Use colors to highlight special events or important dates.
Add the activities
Once the schedule is finalized, add the activities to the calendar. Be sure to include the name of the activity, the time and location and any special instructions or requirements.
Print and distribute
Print copies of the calendar and distribute them to the residents, staff and family members. Post copies of your senior living calendar throughout your facility.
Update regularly
Keep your calendar up-to-date by adding new activities or making changes to existing ones. Make sure that all copies of the calendar are updated and distributed as needed.
Collect feedback
Ask residents, staff and family members for feedback on the activities calendar. Use this feedback to make improvements and adjustments to future calendars.
Producing your activities calendar is a lot of work that you need to do over and over again every month. Consider a Senior Living Activity Calendar provider to take that burden off your plate while saving time and money.
What should you consider when choosing an Activity Calendar for Seniors services provider?
Choosing the right activities calendar service is essential to reduce your stress, save you time and money and ensure you, your staff, your residents and their families receive a product of the highest quality.
Here are some factors to consider when choosing your Activity Calendars for Seniors service provider for your nursing home, memory care, senior living, assisted living or independent living facility:
Portfolio and Experience
Review the design firm’s portfolio to see if their work matches your aesthetic preferences and design needs. You can also check their experience in working with similar businesses or industries to ensure they have the necessary expertise to deliver quality work.
MyCorwin has delivered activity calendars for seniors to hundreds of nursing homes, memory care, senior living, assisted living & independent living facilities since 1993.
Expertise
Make sure the firm has expertise in the specific areas you need, such as branding, print design, web design or packaging design.
As a graphics design and printing firm specializing in calendars and newsletters for nursing homes, memory care, senior living, assisted living & independent living facilities since 1993, you can trust our deep experience and expertise to deliver a product of the highest quality that will make you proud!
Creativity
Look for a firm that can provide creative solutions and unique ideas that stand out from your competition.
We know you need a special touch to make the uniqueness of your facility stand out. Our graphic designers will work hand-in-hand with you to make sure you say “WOW” when you see our printed activity calendars for your facility.
Availability
Ensure the firm is available to work within your timelines and deadlines.
We know how important it is that your activity calendars arrive on time, every time. We will always do our part to make that happen for your activity calendars.
Technology
Check the technology the design firm uses, such as design software, file transfer and project management tools to ensure they use up-to-date and effective technology.
Our online portal has been designed to make it easy for you to add events to your activity calendar, approve the design and schedule production to meet your deadlines.
Team
Consider the size of the design team, as larger teams can often handle more significant projects, but smaller teams may offer a more personalized approach and faster turnaround times.
Our team of 10 is lean, but we are committed to delivering the highest quality activity calendars for your nursing homes, memory care, senior living, assisted living or independent living facility.
Communication
Choose a design firm that is easy to communicate with and responds promptly to your inquiries. Good communication is essential for a successful partnership.
Our chatbot is on duty 24 x 7 and we will get back to you immediately during business hours to answer any questions you may have regarding your facility’s newsletters or calendars.
Cost
Ask for detailed pricing and contract terms upfront to ensure your activity calendars fit your budget and you get value for your investment.
We know budgets are tight and affordable pricing is essential. Our in-house printing capabilities enable us to deliver the absolute best pricing for your senior living activity calendars.
Reviews & Testimonials
Check the reviews and testimonials from previous clients to understand their experience with the design firm.
We are delighted to share our many 5-star reviews and testimonials from our clients with you and are certain you will come to love us as much as they do!
How can you get impactful activity calendars without the burdens of design and publishing?
Since 1993, MyCorwin has delivered the most impactful activity calendars for seniors in nursing homes, memory care, senior living, assisted living or independent living facilities.
We start with the most user-friendly online custom calendar builder. You won’t need any special computer skills or programming knowledge to easily learn to use it in just minutes, as MyCorwin is compatible with both PC and Mac computers and tablets as well as all modern browsers.
You simply log in, submit your activities and schedule, then log out to customize your calendar at your convenience! Our state-of-the-art activities calendar system saves your work so you can pick up right where you left off each time you log in. We make creating your own custom calendar a breeze with these easy steps:
Input Your Activities & Choose Your Artwork
Maximize your exposure with your facility logo and branding on every calendar. Items that remain the same month to month, such as logo, disclaimer, location, staff listing, etc., are included. If you have updates, simply make those changes online.
Choose your calendar’s theme each month
MyCorwin’s holiday, seasonal and contemporary theme offerings allow you to have complete control over your calendar’s look. Each theme is professionally designed with your residents in mind.
Carry over recurring events month-to-month
Your calendar information is saved monthly, allowing you to easily edit content from previous months. No retyping necessary!
Choose Your Quantities Based on Your Package
Based on your Calendar Package, choose your calendar quantities plus the number of poster calendars. Just tell us how many you need this month and we'll get our presses rolling!