Popular Occupational Therapy Activities for Seniors

To help them do this, occupational therapists also point out any issues that can restrict the daily routine and then make suggestions with regards to things that should be changed. That being said, an occupational therapist does not only focus on problems. They also help seniors to look past their limitations to concentrate on the tasks that they can still complete. This is crucial as so many seniors become depressed about their limited physical abilities.

At Fairview Adult Day Care Center in Brooklyn, our compassionate staff and caring environment can help senior citizens to reach their goals and promote independence. Let Fairview ADC help you and your loved ones with their day-to-day life. Read our most popular therapy activities.

These ones are most common occupational therapy activities. They include personal care, bathing, dressing and undressing and other daily activities.

At the end of the day the aim of occupational therapy activities is to help adults and seniors to enjoy improved quality of life. In order to achieve this, it is key that you consider which specific issues they would like to address.

One of the most popular occupational therapy activities is relaxation exercises that try to reduce anxiety, tension and/or stress. In fact, as certain health conditions can cause physical obstacles, the elderly are prone to experience more stress.

One easy activity is a deep breathing exercise. To do this, you start by sitting on a chair and closing your eyes. Then, you must put your hand on your stomach, while you inhale deeply and pause briefly before you breathe out slowly.

In many instances the elderly can no longer complete specific activities as they battle with muscle and joint pain. To help them reduce pain, they can, for example, complete leg extensions.

It is a simple exercise that you can do while you are seated. While sitting in a chair, you position your hands next to your sides, keeping the feet flat on the floor. Then, you slowly straighten one leg in front of you. Keep your leg in this extended position for a couple of seconds before you complete the same exercise with the other leg. This is just one of many range-of-motion exercises that can help with pain relief.

As problems relating to memory are quite common amongst the elderly, many occupational therapy activities focus on improving memory. Examples of popular strategies and games aimed at improving seniors’ memory include crossword puzzles, reading magazines and certain craft activities.