Page 63 - Play to Learn -- In the New Nursing Home Environment

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Whatsome?
PURPOSE
To get people thinking about just how important “home” is. This is a good one to do to introduce the topic of culture change to a group.
DESCRIPTION
Participants are asked to list things that mean home to them and then are faced with having those things taken away.
PARTICIPANTS any number
TIME 10 minutes
SUPPLIES Paper and pens
Steps:
• Ask participants: “In general, what is home or what does it mean?” Take a few answers.
• Ask, “Was there ever a time that you were homesick or thought ‘I can’t wait to get
home’? Why were you feeling that way?” Take a few answers.
• Then ask participants to make a list of ten specific and most important things that
they think of when they think of home – the things they can’t wait to get back to – they
can be a feeling, a room, an item, an idea, a scene, etc.
• Now, ask them to cross off rooms and items in them. “With what’s left, does it still feel
like home?”
• Then ask them to cross off anything that has to do with the people they live with. “Does
it still feel like home?”
• They should be left with feelings. “Can you feel these things without the things that
we’ve already crossed off? Are you left feeling a little homesick like you did at times
when you thought ‘I can’t wait to get back home’?”
• “Do you think elders living in traditional nursing homes feel this? Probably, right? Why
is it important for us to take on the challenge of creating home with and for elders?”
Introducing Culture Change
CULTURE CHANGE GAMES