How to Offer High- and Low-Functioning Activities
to Residents of Different Levels

It can be challenging to offer activities to your residents when your population contains several different levels of functioning. But there are several ways to provide meaningful activities to all of your residents at the same time:

When planning activities, it’s necessary to make sure that all your interested residents can participate. Here are a few ideas on how to provide activities that can meet the needs of both your higher-functioning and lower-functioning residents:

Musical Activities

Higher-Functioning: Invite higher-functioning residents to play fun musical games like Name That Tune or Sing Along.

Lower-Functioning: While the music is playing, supply lower-functioning residents with instruments for them to play along to the beat of the music.

Reminiscing Activities

Higher-Functioning: Ask higher-functioning residents specific questions about their experiences as they reminisce.

Lower-Functioning: Use photos during the activity to help lower-functioning residents relate better to the subject being discussed.

Physical Activities

Higher-Functioning: Encourage higher-functioning residents to sit up front during your Exercise class so that they can follow along.

Lower-Functioning: Play music during your Exercise class to encourage lower-functioning residents to move along to the beat of the music.

Arts & Crafts Activities

Higher-Functioning: Invite your higher-functioning residents to work on the more detailed part of the arts and crafts project.

Lower-Functioning: Assist your lower-functioning residents with completing easier tasks of the arts and crafts project.

Game Activities

Higher-Functioning: Invite higher-functioning residents to play the game as instructed.

Lower-Functioning: Adjust the game on an individual level to fit the lower-functioning residents’ needs. For example, assist residents with chip placement during Bingo.

Reading Activities

Higher-Functioning: Encourage higher-functioning residents to take turns reading easy-to-read large-print stories about an interesting topic.

Lower-Functioning: Invite lower-functioning residents to sit in and listen to the stories.