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Trainer’s tip: Promote an active lifestyle

LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer, July 15, 2010

You are responsible for helping the people you take care of be as active, independent, and healthy as possible. Become a "cheerleader" for activity and exercise. Know how important it is to stay active, and try to motivate people to engage in some kind of activity or exercise every day. You can encourage residents to participate in activities and exercise in the following ways:

• Tell them about some of the many emotional and mental benefits of socialization and activity.
• Emphasize that they can choose the activities they like and that they may stop performing an activity or quit participating in a social event whenever they wish.
• Find out what a resident likes to do. What hobbies does he or she enjoy? What kind of music? What kind of art? Encourage continued involvement in these things as much as possible.
• If a resident has given up a hobby he or she enjoyed due to poor vision or motor skills, see if there are adaptive devices that can help.
• Sometimes a formerly loved hobby can be modified so an elderly or disabled person can still do it. If someone used to like to sew but can’t handle the tiny needle and thread now, perhaps they could manage the large tapestry needles and thick yarns used in plastic canvas needlework.
• Bring residents with similar interests together.

This is an excerpt from the HCPro book, The CNA Training Solution, Second Edition.

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