Meaningful engagement

The Government has advised that all people adopt the guidance on social distancing.

The people we support in the community, inpatients and residential settings will experience disruption and changes to their usual routines , meaningful activities and interactions due to social distancing. Please see latest government guidance.

These individuals (and anyone self-isolating) are at risk of occupational deprivation. Occupational deprivation is 'the prolonged restriction due to circumstances outside of the persons control' which affects mental and physical well-being (Whiteford 2000)

Therefore we need to start being creative in how we support the individuals we work with to participate in meaningful activities, and routines as much as is possible (within the guidance), directly and through their supporters to promote physical and mental well being . Please see RCOT guidance on staying well when social distancing

The individuals that we work with may have difficulties with:

• Changes in routine
• Not being able to see people who are familiar and important to them
• Not understanding why changes are happening around them
• Managing worries about what they see and hear on the news etc
• Difficulties intitiating, sequencing or continuing activities independently and may need support to do this.

Strategies and suggestions

• Predictability and routine
• Having visual information of what is happeing and ensuring it is up to date with any changes
• Using an up to date activity timetable / now and next board etc
• Communicating what are staff on shift and updating for changes and new staff could there be photos sent with any agency / bank staff used?
• Using social stories to explain changes and manging concerns
• Building handwashing into the start and end of activities where ever possible
• Continuing as many elements of usual routine that are possible whilst still following latest government advice.
• Promoting choice and control where ever possible, but this may need to be adjusted to what can be chosen at that time. ie only offer choices of what they can actually do at that time
• Remove (from choice boards , timetables etc) activities that are not accessible / possible in current climate to avoid disappointment and frustration. (ie.place is closed)
• Think about about actively supporting the person
• Individual risk assessment will be needed - Ensure that activity items are cleaned after use You may wish to have individual (labelled) activity boxes at this time to reduce risk of cross contamination.
• Anything that cannot be used safely without supervision put away after use.
• Keep information about what is happening simple, this means that it is easier to change if necessary.

It may be helpful to have individual (labelled) activity boxes with items that meet their interests, items should be cleaned and returned to the box after use as the virus can stay on objects for many hours unless cleaned). Items in the box should be reviewed and rotated to ensure that activities are varied.

Suggestions for other activities

Activities of daily living

Food preparation by the individual client may need to be for individual consumption during social distancing.

• making drinks / smoothies
• sandwich making
• making dips / salads
• puddings
• pizza
• bread making
• baking
• taking part in meal preparation
• laying table for themselves,
• doing laundry
• washing up
• filling dishwasher
• sweeping / mopping
• Gardening, digging , planting , watering plants
• Making bed,
• Doing laundry
• Cleaning room

Exercise / movement

• Dancing - make up your own, take it in turn to copy each others or learn a new dance
• Stretching , yoga type moves
• Following exercise videos
• Obstacle course
• Trampoline or Swing
• Bean bag target
• Running races
• Running, jumping, stomping,
• Stretches, wall pushes
• Treasure hunt
• Skittles
• Football and other ball games throwing and catching
• Balloon volley ball

Outdoors

• Where there are facilities in garden use them
• Circuits in garden (eg, target games with bean bags, going trhough hula hoops, running back to point etc, sports day like activities
• Nature / bird spotting / cloud watching
• Outdoor gyms
• Muddly / hill walks eg box hill national trust sites are currently free, there are also many parks in Surrey
• Dog walking

Creative

• Making pictures for room / door name plate
• Painting, hand, finger, brush or object
• Colouring free or guided
• Card making
• Junk modelling
• Collage
• Paper mache
• Play dough modelling (can mix and make own not to be shared or kept)
• Music
• Singing
• Karaoke
• Making up songs,
• Singing and playing instruments along to music ,
• Making a playlist of favourite songs

Games and puzzles

• Word games (crosswords, hangman)
• Board games (ludo, connect 4, snakes and ladders, pairs etc)
• Card games (snap, play your cards right to more complex games)
• Dominoes
• Quizzes
• Picture matching
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Word search
• Learn a new skill

Interaction

• Phone calls
• Making a album of who / what is important to me
• Making cards including thinking of you cards, notes and postcards
• Debates /discussions
• Writing about your day
• Discussions about topics
• Story making
• Reading together
• Emails, Skype, social networks
• Explore places on virtual tour, find out about a place you are interested in
• Watch tv programmes, films, previous sporting events talk about what you do and don't like
• There is an increasing wide range of resources online including exercise / dance videos, singing, art / creative, activities and virtual tours.