subject: Halloween Ideas For Nursing Homes In Michigan [print this page] Halloween is just around the corner and if you are looking to have some festivities in your nursing homes in Michigan now is the time to start planning. Everyone should be able to enjoy the holiday and have fun. Elderly Adults like to have fun as much as children and sometimes may need it even more. Here are some fun nursing home friendly ideas to get your gears turning.
Trick-Or-Treating
This isnt just for kids. It can be very cost effective to coordinate a mini trick-or-treating session and it can be extremely fun. Offering things such as candy, nuts, fruits, gourds, caramel apples, and decorated cookies can create a very positive environment. Dont forget appropriate substitutions for those that cannot partake on the sugar or whatever it is you are handing out.
Pumpkin Painting
Pumpkin carving is a Halloween tradition that many love. It can, however be difficult for some elderly adults to hand a knife and in some cases unsafe. A great alternative is painting your pumpkins. You can even try to find a local farmer who may be willing to donate some pumpkins if the budget it tight. This is a great way to get into the holiday spirit and decorate.
Decorations
One of the best ways to create a holiday atmosphere is to have decorations to the facilities. Putting some mild decorations in the common area or even the lunch room could be enough to add some spice to the holiday. If that is not enough you could find some festive posters and put them up on the residents doors or even have the residents write scary stories or draw pictures to put up around the nursing home.
Costumes
You could hold a costume contest among the residents if it is within your budget. People of all ages enjoy getting dressed up for the holidays. Skilled residents could make their own costumes or you can ask the community to donate if it is too costly. Another option is the have the staff come in on Halloween day in an appropriate costume and give out awards for the funniest, scariest, or most creative costumes.
Scary Stories
This is something that may not be appropriate for all nursing homes in Michigan. Scary stories are a tradition that most of us enjoy, but not all. You could dim the lights in the room and have residents take turns sharing their stories. A good alternative would be to watch residents favorite old scary movies. This is a good way to remind the residents of their older days and even scare a few.
Halloween is a holiday with many flavors and sometimes the hardest part is fitting your nursing home with the right one. Be it a humorous tone or a scary one, they all have their place. Decorations, pumpkin painting, and scary stories are all good ways to bring the holiday spirit to nursing homes in Michigan that might not have very much holiday spirit otherwise.
