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Activities For Shut-Ins

A person restricted to a confined space such as a home or room because of illness or some other type of impairment is sometimes referred to as a shut-in. Some people are shut-in for only as long as it takes to recover from a serious case of the flu. Others are shut-in indefinitely, such as individuals suffering from brittle bone disease (Osteogenesis imperfecta), wherein bones fracture at the slightest provocation. Activities for shut-ins add value to the lives of people that are highly isolated.

  1. Visiting Entertainment

    • Since shut-ins cannot leave their place of residence, entertainment can be brought in from the outside to create an enriching activity that fills the day. Small orchestras, opera singers, mini theater performances or orators on various subjects can be scheduled to give a private performance in a long-term care facility or a private residence. Even cognitively challenged individuals show signs of engagement when presented with skilled musical performances.

    Greeting Cards

    • Shut-ins tend to be isolated from the outside world, resulting in feelings of disconnectedness and loneliness. In order to help these individuals build bridges to the outside world, make a day of writing and mailing greeting cards to family members, friends and pen pals. Bring in a wide variety of cards and a number of postage stamps. Help individuals write their cards if they are physically or mentally challenged. Mail the cards for the shut-ins and wait eagerly with them for return letters in the mail.

    Board Games

    • Board games foster healthy human interaction and a sense of accomplishment. A game like Bingo is ideal for long-term care settings, where many shut-ins reside together. For individuals with strong cognitive capacities, play games like Monopoly, Trivia Pursuit and Scattergories. For individuals with weak cognitive abilities, try simple board games like Apples to Apples or Candy Land.

    Hobbies

    • Shut-ins have plenty of time to devote to investing in a hobby. Provide these individuals with models to be assembled, canvases and paints to be transformed into works of art, ingredients to be assembled into feasts or fabrics to be sewn together into quilts or articles of clothing. Help shut-ins display their finished hobby projects, or offer to help the shut-ins sell their work via the Internet or at a local bazaar.

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