How to Celebrate Birthdays
at Your Senior Facility

Help your residents enjoy their birthdays each year by supplying them with a few fun, celebratory items.

Singing “Happy Birthday” is fun, but what else do you do to celebrate the birthdays of your residents? Here are 10 birthday ideas you can add to your activity program today!

1. Birthday Cards. Give your residents personalized birthday cards that are signed by the members of your facility’s staff.

2. Personalized Cakes. Coordinate with your kitchen staff to make small, personalized birthday cakes for each of your residents celebrating a birthday.

3. Balloons. Blow up several colorful balloons for your resident. Tie the balloons to the resident’s dining room chair so everyone knows that it is her birthday.

4. Birthday Poster. Make a fun birthday poster on your computer that you can tape to your resident’s door.

5. Birthday Song. Brainstorm with your facility’s staff to come up with a fun birthday song (like the zany birthday songs that are sung at restaurants) that you can sing in the Dining Room during one of the meals.

6. Monthly Birthday Party. Host a fun monthly birthday party for all of the residents born in that month. Serve birthday cake and ice cream.

7. Birthday Gifts. If appropriate, consider going to your local dollar store and stocking up on fun items that can be wrapped and given to the residents as birthday gifts (e.g., cookies, crossword puzzle book).

8. Birth Year Cards. Create fun birthday cards on your computer that have interesting information from the year that your resident was born.

9. Monthly Birthday Luncheon. Host a special birthday luncheon each month featuring entertainment, special food, and champagne. List all of the guests of honor on the birthday invitations.

10. Birthday Dinner. If you have a resident who is turning 100 or over, consider hosting a special dinner for that resident featuring their favorite food, cake, and ice cream. Invite the resident’s family members to attend.