How to Cure Those Friday Afternoon Blues
for Your Residents

If your facility is like most, then Friday afternoons may be a bit quieter than the other days of the week. While staff members may be looking forward to the weekend, residents may be dreading it.

So how can you help your residents avoid the Friday afternoon blues as workers go home for the weekend? Try adding in these 5 things to do each and every Friday…

1. Make and Pass Out Invitations. Pass out fun invitations during Friday’s lunch informing residents of the upcoming special activities for the afternoon and evening.

2. Put Up Decorations. Decorate your Activity Room and Dining Room each Friday afternoon to make it look special for your residents. For example, use tablecloths for the tables in the Dining Room, and decorate your Activity Room with bright and colorful hanging decorations.

3. Encourage a Dressy Casual Attire. Invite residents to dress up for your Friday afternoon and evening activities. Encourage the men to dust off their ties and the ladies to dust off their dresses or slacks. In fact, get the residents excited early in the day by asking them if they have already picked out what they are going to wear.

4. Host a Mix & Mingle. Host a fun happy hour for your residents each Friday afternoon. Serve warm appetizers to residents, as well as fun non-alcoholic drinks. If your facility has a budget for entertainment, use this time each week to host a musical entertainer. Try to make the happy hour right before dinnertime.

5. Plan a Special Dinner. Coordinate with Dining Services to serve a special dinner for residents each Friday evening. For instance, if Dining Services likes to serve a special meal each week, ask them to do so for Friday dinners.