Our Activities Department

The Activities Department is made up of a variety of enlivening, innovative and enjoyable activities! Whether a resident is here in our "Adult Care Center" for the day, or our Short or Long-term nursing care, you can count on our incredibly inventive activities team to constantly come up with, and look for, original, creative and productive ways to stimulate our residents spiritually, physically and mentally while allowing them to have a great time filled with laughter and smiles.

The Activities Director is constantly adding new events to the calendar for our residents usually consisting of three "organized" daily activities such as board games like Bingo, etc., an exercise program to keep our residents healthy and fit, weekly musical performances, arts and crafts, cooking, cookie, and cupcake decorating, card playing, scheduling the Thursday hairdresser/barber services, and manicure gatherings, keeping our residents looking their best.

In addition to "in-house" scheduled events, our residents enjoy the scheduled group outings to different restaurants, farms, shopping, and community events.

Birthdays, Holidays, Anniversaries and celebrations of all kinds are always happening here at High View Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Our residents take part in decorating our facility, making ornaments, and most definitely taking part in all of the fun.

From hot dog roast and BBQ's on our patio to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year Celebrations, the array of children that parade our halls with their costumes to the caroling of holiday songs, our residents are always delighted to have their family's, friends and the community come by and help them celebrate whatever the occasion may be.

Our Activities Department also schedules religious events for all denominations and well as non-denominations. Whether it be Rosary Tuesday's and Thursdays, Mass services, or meditation and yoga, no one is left out of celebrating their spiritual needs. We acknowledge and respect the individual beliefs of each of our residents.

The activities department is always holding fundraisers to help our residents continue to enjoy many of these events. We have "Popcorn Friday", which is always popular (especially among our employees), and many of the decorations that are made are for sale to help support the activities department to continue on. We also are very happy when the community donates art supplies or funds to our activities department. Should you be interested in donating your time, supplies or funds, please contact or Activities Director for further information.

Health Benefits for Seniors that Play Board Games

Our Activities Department at High View Rehabilitation and Nursing Center recognizes the benefits to our residents and encourages them to participate in group board games, card games or other group activities. Board games are a universal way to reconnect the enjoyment of spending time with our loved ones, and especially for seniors. What we may think of as a "simple board game" to be an "easy pastime event", the benefits a board or card game for an elderly senior is beyond just a laugh and quality time spent. This way of social interaction actually provides a senior with cognitive, physical, mental, social, and memory help that becomes more challenging for many as they get older. Not only will this help a senior feel young again, but games do help seniors work on memory skills we take for granted daily.

Additional ways games can help a senior:

Games Help Reduce Stress: When you recall memories of playing board games, one of the first things that likely come to mind is the laughing that took place. The serious benefits the "act of laughing" has at any age are immense! Just playing an amusing board game can cause the release of endorphins, which relax the muscles and increase circulation in the body resulting in lowered blood pressure, happiness and let us not forget something we all need more of in our lives, "LAUGHTER"!.

Games Help Build Immunity: As we age our body’s immune system needs extra support. Stress and anxiety all contribute and play a part in compromising our immunity. Research has shown that those who enjoy and engage in playing board or card games release neuropeptides that fight back against stress and build up the immunity of your body.

Games Help Your Memory: Board and Card Games can help ease the worry many senior have of losing key memory skills and succumbing to dementia. Games that stimulate the mind can actually slow down or prevent this type of cognitive decline. By focusing on memory and cognitive associations, board games support the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the brain, these are two of the first areas that are affected in the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Games Help Increase Dexterity: Tying your shoes, holding a fork, picking up a small object, these are all simple task many of us take for granted. As we get older these task become even more difficult. Our fine motor skills can be a challenge to retain as the effects of aging take their toll on us. Like most things, practice makes perfect, and the more that you work on dexterity and coordination the better it becomes. Moving small game pieces and shuffling cards are both a great way for seniors to work on dexterity in a fun, relaxed way without even realizing they are exercising those muscles.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, nobody ever outgrows the fun of playing a board game! Whether you have a family member, friend or just want to have fun and or volunteer your time while supporting your body and experience the health benefits and laughter while giving that same gift to a senior, please feel free to come and join us at any High View Rehabilitation and Nursing Center scheduled event.

Exercise and physical activity are good for just about everyone, including older adults. There are four main types and each type is different. At High View Rehabilitation and Nursing Center we provide our residents with an exercise program we call "Restoracise". We know keeping our residents active and moving will lead to happier and healthier lives, the benefits are endless.

So that all of our residents can participate, many of the exercises are considered to be "Chair Exercise". There are many different types of programs that support this type of exercise, at High View, we making sure our residents stay strong, we provide these classes several times a week.

High View Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has a certified restorative exercise care giver who focuses on strength building and mobility.

Strength exercises make your muscles stronger.

Lifting weights or using a resistance band can build strength.

Balance exercises help prevent falls

Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and can help your body stay limber

It is never too late to start even if a resident has not been active before. Our program will start you out slowly and work up to a specified goal to help achieve success and feeling better. How much exercise a resident needs depends on their age, health and limitations. Working with your primary health provider and planning out the right exercise for each resident is our intention. Keeping our residents active and healthy is our goal.

PERSONAL SERVICES:

Hairdresser:

Wash/Setting $10.00

Setting/Cut $12.00

Cut/Wash/Setting $15.00

Rinse $ 2.00

Shampoo/Rinse/Cut $12.00

Hair Color $35.00

Perms $37.00

Men’s Cut $ 8.00

Men’s Wash/Cut $10.00

Items of personal preference will be the responsibility of the resident and/or responsible party. Our hairdresser is Lynn Beaulieu and you may leave messages for her with our activity director at 207-728-3338 extension: 24

These prices are subject to change.

ACTIVITIES PROGRAM

Health Benefits for Seniors that Play Board Games