Deborah Mitchell writes in “Make Nursing Home Visits Fun” a number of activities which can improve not only residents’ morale, but also that of loved ones.

Many people feel uncomfortable or anxious whenever they visit someone in a nursing home, even when the individual is a close relative—grandparent, parent, sibling–or friend. They find that they run out of things to talk about or can’t find ways to entertain the person, so they find more and more reasons to stay away.

Research shows that it’s critical for older people to regularly engage in mentally stimulating activities to help keep their minds sharp, and this is also true for many of the 1.3 million people who reside in the 16,000 nursing homes in the United States. Yet the day-to-day routine of a nursing home, even those that offer many social activities, can be very depressing and mind-numbing for its residents.

Click here to read all of Deborah’s excellent article, “Make Nursing Home Visits Fun.”

A little bit about author, Deborah Mitchell, from her bio:

“I have always had a special interest in geriatric medicine, but for many years that interest manifested itself solely in the writing arena. Then at one point I became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), which allowed me to work “in the field” and experience first-hand many of the health challenges seniors face every day. Although I no longer work as a CNA, I believe the work strengthened my understanding of what it means to grow older in today’s society.

I was fortunate to be the Senior Editor for Environmental Protection for Charity Guide, which allowed me to write many articles on the environment and how we can collectively do small things to better our world. Although I’m a bit shy in the biography arena, it is one of my goals to write a biography one day, and in the meantime I have written several profiles for publication.”