Babies Make Us Smile

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by Amy R.

There are so many things in life that make us smile, but one thing that will almost always make us smile is the sight of a baby. Most residents light up when a baby is around! It makes their day to see little ones, and is a reminder of when they were parents or just when they were younger.

It is often a rare occurance that a child or baby would come into the facility. This is where you come in. :) There are two things you can do to help residents who love babies.

For higher to mid-fuctioning residents:
See if there is a local Mom's Group in your area. There are so many groups around that most areas have at least one group in their area. You can check out Mothers and More or MOMS Club to start. Then see if they would like to have one of their playdates at your facility. All you need is a group area where they can all be on the floor and play. When you are scheduling this event, see what the group requires. Most of the time a few goldfish, and juice boxes, and you are set to have a great playdate. See if they have toys they bring, or if this would be something you would need to provide. Most of the time, they have toys they can bring, so this won't be a big issue. Once you have the time worked out, just get the room ready for kids to play on the floor. While the children are playing, the residents can come by and visit. Moms Groups are always looking for a new place for a playdate, and most groups have a philanthropic idea around them, so this is a perfect fit. Some playgroups might be reluctant to come, but if you assure them of a clean and welcoming environment, it will assure them that you are also watching out for their children.

For Dementia Patients:
There have been a few studies done with play dolls and advanced dementia patients. In one study they found that having an area where there is a baby nursery can be comforting to patients with this advanced stage of the disease. This area should have an area where they can take their "babies." This area can have a changing table, diapers, wipes, and a crib. Any additional things you can provide to make it look like a baby's room works well. Toys, Clothing. etc. Each person participating in this activity will get their own baby, so they can carry it around with them wherever they go.

You will find that these babies will make not only the residents smile, but will also put a smile on your face too!

Amy R. Writer for 'The A List' http://thealist.squarespace.com/

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