Including Small Group Activities in Large Special Care Units

An activity program for groups of 6 to 8 residents was implemented for 51 residents of 3 dementia units. Nursing assistants, not the activity director, led the small group activities. Observations across a 16-week period indicate that, after the program began, residents walked with others more, sang more, frowned less, and were physically restrained less. In addition, psychotropic medications were reduced for 7 of 20 who were on this type of medication. These results suggest that an inexpensive small group activity program, ifused in conjunction with a supportive, caring staff, is valuable in avoiding some excess disabilities of residents of special care units.