Nursing home residents need more activities to help them thrive

In a survey of staff from 172 Swedish nursing homes, most residents had been outside the nursing home during the previous week, but only one-fifth had been on an outing or excursion.

Very few residents visited a restaurant, engaged in an education program, went to the cinema, or even engaged in activities such as hobbies and parlour games.

The findings can inform staff and managers to promote increased engagement in everyday activities for nursing home residents to support their wellbeing.

"The study demonstrates that activities are an important approach to increasing thriving, and that everyday activities can be conceptualised and implemented as nursing interventions to facilitate resident thriving as opposed to resident surviving in nursing home care", said Sabine Björk, lead author of the Journal of Advanced Nursing study.