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How to
create esteem in nursing homes:
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Computer response
therapy – Computers adapted
through the use of assistive technology can improve the lives of the
disabled to an enormous extent. And moreover can heal the minds of those with severe
disabilities.
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Activity programs
-- Activities within nursing homes are
an important part of maintaining the health and well being of
residents. Stimulating activities help avoid a slow decline into
depression caused by boredom and provide an extra sparkle to life.
Many residents enjoy taking part in different hobbies and functions,
and visitors as well as staff can participate.
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Visiting pets -- More “therapy pets”
are visiting patients than ever because they’re better at
cheering people up than humans! In fact, a study at UCLA found that
when heart patients were visited by a furry friend, they were 25% less
anxious, and their stress hormones fell by 20%.
However, when patients were visited
by people, their anxiety levels only dropped 10%,
and their stress hormone levels hardly decreased at all!
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Drop-off child care -- It seems
like an idea that many nursing homes have overlooked -- having a
drop-off child care center within the walls of the nursing facility.
Most senior citizens love kids, and kids love senior citizens.
Senior citizens are reminiscent of "grandma" and
"grandpa", and kids tend to "lookup" to them.
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Game room -- A game room is a
wonderful place for residents of a nursing home to relax and forget
the rigors of nursing home life. Residents will enjoy having a place
to spend time with friends; talk; sit at a bar; and play games with
others or by themselves. A place they can call their own and enjoy
meeting people with similar interests.
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Exercise programs -- Few
people realize the important health benefits that
exercise can bring to us when we reach our senior years. Maintaining
proper fitness during the senior years is vital to maintaining
strength, flexibility, and overall health – and it can be lots of
fun too!
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Creative therapy
--
"Creative therapy" (as I call it) would be a combination
of occupational therapy and "creative" use of a resident's
time and talents - the
program would be self-supporting; it would include the service of a
gift shop, whereby loved ones of residents and visitors could
purchase items that were made and signed by the residents.
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Surrogate visiting family
-- People who have entered a nursing home as residents many
times expect to be visited on a regular basis by family, friends,
and others only to discover that over a period of time these
expected visits get shorter and fewer. This situation could be
remedied trough a volunteer group or individual who makes themselves
available to act as a family member or friend to a particular
resident, visiting the resident on a regular basis and helping them
with small tasks or friendly conversation.
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Help insure
that people with disabilities get adapted computers: contact your
congressperson online in a few simple steps. 
