If you have residents with dementia who are restless and fidgety, consider adding in a few gel pads to keep their hands busy while also improving their hand and eye coordination. Take a look at these fun gel pads that can be easily used for your residents for games, object recognition, or simply for sensory stimulation.
Weighted Gel Pads
Place gel pads on the laps of your residents for a a comforting, calming, and grounding effect. You can select different weights based on each resident’s needs: Choose a lighter 3 lb lap pad for those who benefit from a subtle touch, or other options like a 5lb lap pad or a heavier 7lb lap pad can offer deeper pressure.
These weighted pads can help improve concentration and promote a sense of security. The gentle pressure of these pads offers a soothing sensation, helping to reduce restlessness, anxiety, and agitation, especially for residents with sensory processing issues or dementia. They are also a great tool for relaxation, focus, and emotional regulation, allowing residents to feel more secure and at ease during various daily activities, such as socializing, reading, or watching TV.
Gel Pad Games
Provide hand held gel pads so that your senior residents can play fun games, like pushing a marble through a large or small maze, playing a game of Tic-Tac-Toe, Sequencing, or pushing a marble into targets on the gel pad.
This can be both fun and therapeutic! Pushing a marble through a large or small maze helps improve hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and problem-solving abilities. Playing a game of Tic-Tac-Toe on the gel pad adds an element of friendly competition, while also encouraging cognitive engagement and social interaction among residents. Gel pads with embedded targets where residents can push a marble into specific zones encourages focus and precision. These simple yet enjoyable activities not only provide entertainment but also promote dexterity, sensory stimulation, and mental engagement.
Gel Pad Object Recognition
Use gel pads that allow residents to identify different objects in the pad, like letters, numbers, and even fish.
This can enhance both sensory and cognitive engagement for seniors. These interactive gel pads provide a fun and stimulating way to engage residents’ sense of touch and sight. As they manipulate the pads and feel the embedded objects, residents can work on identifying familiar shapes, which can help strengthen memory, recognition, and problem-solving skills. Incorporating letters and numbers introduces opportunities for light educational activities, while shapes like fish can spark conversations about nature or past experiences. This multi-sensory experience can be especially beneficial for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s, as it combines tactile stimulation with cognitive challenges, promoting brain activity and offering a therapeutic, calming activity in a group or individual setting.
Gel Pad Sensory Stimulation
Help your residents reduce their anxiety or boredom with colorful gel pads that can stimulate your residents’ senses. For example, use a colorful spiral, gel waves, stars, and mini gel fidget pads.
These visually appealing and tactile tools are designed to capture attention and provide calming sensory input. For instance, a colorful spiral can mesmerize residents, encouraging focus and a sense of relaxation as they trace the patterns with their fingers. Gel waves can mimic the soothing motion of water, providing a sense of tranquility. Small objects embedded in the gel pads can offer a playful yet peaceful activity. Mini gel fidget pads can serve as perfect tools for restless hands, providing a safe and satisfying outlet for fidgeting, which can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Light Box and Sensory Gel Pads
A light box can offer significant sensory and therapeutic benefits for senior residents in an assisted living facility. The illumination from the light box can help stimulate visual engagement, which is especially beneficial for individuals with cognitive impairments or diminished eyesight. Add soft, textured gel pads like this Flower Gel Pad or Sensory Star to provide a soothing tactile experience that promotes fine motor skills and relaxation. Together, these tools create a calming environment, reduce agitation, and can enhance mood, making them an excellent resource for improving overall well-being and sensory stimulation in seniors.
You can also bundle these together with even more of a variety of items, with these Light Box Bundles that incorporate many of the items mentioned above in one convenient pack!
Find more ideas from Notjustbingo on the S&S blog here.
About Not Just Bingo:
Not Just Bingo is an online resource of fun, senior activity ideas for activity professionals of assisted living facilities. They have been providing fun activity ideas online since 2009, and continue to assist activity professionals across the country by creating meaningful and engaging activity ideas for their residents that go “beyond bingo.” Not Just Bingo feels privileged to help activity directors better the living experiences of their residents while demonstrating that a senior’s quality of life can actually improve when they move to a senior facility!
Want even more ideas each month? Visit www.notjustbingo.com for how-to activity ideas, monthly newsletters, and daily holiday ideas. You can also sign up for the Notjustbingo Membership to receive specialized activity ideas to keep your residents and staff engaged, active, and having fun!
