Story by: Christine Lees LSW/ADC
(Referencing above image) Baking a Microwave cake is serious business for Alex Carter, Activity Assistant, as he tries his hand for the first time with residents looking on and giving pointers on how it is done.
Waldron Nursing Center residents have been having lots of fun with Alex Carter, my activity assistant, doing all of the many different activities as well as our regular favorite events of bingo on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon with our great Volunteer Doyle Wayne Dickens and Pat Morales coming to help us out at the games along with the morning crafts on Friday morning.
Residents have enjoyed the church and singing services with James Self, Keener Baptist singers, Packsaddle singers, Temple Baptist group, Grady Parker, Ray Jett and David Hines, nail painting, this is one of the activities that our ladies really enjoy, our Special activities of Balloon pop, knock ’em down were really lots of fun and well attended. Everyone likes using the pop guns with these events. The balloons contained prize slips on the inside and if that is the balloon that the resident popped they got to choose a prize from the large basket of items. Thanks to those that had donated us some jewelry items to use as prizes for our special games, the ladies really enjoyed the bracelets and rings while our guys got to choose from ball caps and other guy items. Everyone received a treat of M&M’s after the knock “em down game. The cups were stacked high with numbers on them so the score could be totaled to see who received the most points. Alex did a great job of painting the colorful cups. Another fun event was the baking of a microwave cake, this was Alex’s first experience of baking a cake in the microwave but the residents who attended had great pointers on how to bake a cake, after the cake was done some of the residents took turns putting the frosting on, adding sprinkles and M&M’s on top. The dietary brought out a bucket of ice cream to go with the cake. Everyone left stuffed to the brim and some decided they would let Alex bake something else for them. I am also in the process of training another activity assistant and will be introducing her to everyone soon. Residents are still enjoying the Monday morning Reminiscence sessions with Diane Miller. Something new is the Trivia games and Who Done it Mysteries as well as “How would you handle this” situation. The residents really get into these types of games. We also had a Crime solving activity with using stories that the residents were very familiar with, Jack & the Bean Stalk and Hansel & Gretel” Two residents had to be the attorney to argue the case, while others were the jury. To determine if Jack was justified in killing the giant or if the witch should be held responsible for what she did to Hansel and Gretel. These events really cause a lot of discussion and argument. With the group wanting to do more of these activities in the near future as they really keep the brain thinking.
Thanks goes out to those who have been bringing the jig saw puzzles, magazines and paper back books. To those that have answered our call for the stuffed animals for our bingo games. To Marie Payton for the bag of wonderful jewelry and other items.
In closing we are so fortunate to have caring folks that help us out with the much needed prizes for our activities. So if you have it and don’t want it just drop it by the Activity Office and our residents will be delighted to benefit from it.
