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Travel Agent Takes a Virtual Train Ride

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Hummingbird activity specialist writes about an armchair travel session with Sarah, a former travel agent, and adventurer.

Sarah, who no longer speaks because of advanced dementia, is alert and enjoys visual stimulation and listening to music. “I began with singing You Are My Sunshine, a song we used to sing together. In our mini-travelogue we looked at photos in the AAA magazine as I talked about the trees in California, whales, and Yosemite. Imagining traveling by train, I played an audio clip of a steam train to accompany a photo of a train moving up the coast. Thinking that she could read, I paused on a page with large print titles, turning the page only when she looked away. Sarah looked at me and the magazine with interest. Then, she began to close her eyes, so, I thanked her for our visit and wished her a good afternoon. Our session supported Sarah’s vocational well-being by tapping into her interest in traveling and her background as a travel agent.”

Creative Rainy Days!

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So much rainy weather! Since we can not change the weather, here’s a way to embrace and celebrate it with your activity partner. Try listening to songs with the word “rain” in the title while adding color to a wave design found in an adult coloring book. Sing along, dance, and write the song titles on raindrop shapes. When you are finished with adding color, glue the raindrops on to the page, sit back and admire the finished art piece. What a fun way to look at rain!

This is a wonderful opportunity to practice gratitude, be creative and enjoy music with these rain themed activities.

Spring into Bird Calling!

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With Spring knocking at our doors, it’s a great time to engage in the fun of bird call skills, made easy by utilizing the website www.allaboutbirds.net.
Our client Valerie’s happiness increased as her activity specialist brought out her favorite book of birds. As they turned through the pages of bird images and listened to the accompanying bird calls, Valerie requested that they expand their study to include international birds when they completed the North American collection. She continued to be stimulated cognitively and emotionally as they utilized the internet to further their research into the birds. What a delight as Virginia’s expertise of mimicking the bird calls continues to be perfected!

Astronomy Picture of the Day

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For a new kind of visual stimulation, research images from the NASA supported app APOD (Astronomy Picture of the Day), as inspired by this Hummingbird activity session:
Many wonderful comments and discussions were made that stimulated Bonny cognitively and emotionally, but one image struck her in a particularly strongly manner. When it appeared, Bonny requested, “Let me just look at this one a minute… Look at the colors.That is so beautiful!” We researched into why the sky would look the way that it did and Bonny remarked, “I think that is the most beautiful one I have ever seen…. It is just perfect!” She admired the photographer’s skills and thanked them out loud.
Bonny’s sense of humor came out as she declared an image of a nebula to be human-like and named it “Mr. Nebula”. Her laughter increased as she decided he was more like a superhero and changed his name to “Captain Nebula.”

Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day!

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To partake in the festive spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, try a little creative stimulation with your activity partner! Here is a fun St. Patrick’s Day treat using pretzels and chocolate. Lay out three heart-shaped pretzels to represent a shamrock. Then dab a bit of melted chocolate in the center and top it with a green M&M.

Repeat this pattern as you listen to music pertaining to Irish heritage. Try Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral, Danny Boy, and I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover”, just to name a few.

Enjoy your time together and Happy St. Patty’s Day from The Hummingbird Project!

Shoe Shine!

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Shining shoes is a familiar vocational activity for many people. Organizing supplies and shining shoes can be satisfying and productive. When using shoe polish, gloves may be worn to protect the hands. Or, for a less messy option, use a buffing brush and an Instant Shine Sponge. George loves to reminisce about work projects. He connected with his work self as he remembered his wingtip shoes. Shining shoes provided a break from talking, shifting from the intellectual to the physical action. He smiled in appreciation of his work.

Adventure and Freedom in the Mountains

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Enjoy a beautiful outing captured by a Hummingbird Activity Specialist:

To tap into Mrs. Carn’s sense of adventure and freedom, we took a beautiful scenic drive to the East Peak of Mt. Tamalpais. Along the way, she seemed to take in the sights, ranging from the “big trees!” to pockets of fog to sweeping, majestic views. The drive seemed to conjure positive memories, and Mrs. Carn shared at length about her earliest experiences visiting the United States. She repeatedly thanked me for my friendship and shared that the drive made her feel “so happy”.

The purpose of today’s session was to support emotional, social and environmental wellness, and all were beautifully achieved.

A Beautiful Beach Experience

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Take your activity partner on a virtual beach experience in the comfort of their own home.

Use the internet to find videos with sounds of waves. From the local craft store or your own collection, gather sand and seashells for a tactile sensory experience. Together, feel the touch of the sand, the textures of the seashells and listen to the sound of the waves crashing. Take a few moments to close your eyes. What do you see? Hear? Feel?

Conclude the experience with a hands on shell painting or writing a poem about being at the beach. The creative possibilities are endless!

Cat Lover?

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Take advantage of an intimate visit to the 13th Street Cat Rescue in San Jose. This rescue is located in a residential home that allows individual visits. Take your time while socializing with these furry felines. The staff is personable and knowledgeable about each cat looking for a home.

For cat visits in the Sacramento area, enjoy the Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary, which is an animal rescue group dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of homeless animals. Friendly staff offer help and introduce visitors to cats in cage-free rooms. Sit, play with, visit and enjoy socializing with numerous cats in a really fun and nurturing way for everyone.

This activity will allow care partners to interact one-on-one with the kitty cats while experiencing tactile stimulation. Reminiscing about their past kitty’s will provide warm memories and a chance to share stories with you. Sit in a chair and converse with the cats as this will allow them to socialize, which in return will provide a more adoptable cat. Prrrrr…….

To schedule a visit, please call or email the rescue prior to visiting:

info@13thstcats.org

www,happytails.org

Loving Pets on Valentine’s Day!

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Animals bring joy to so many people. They can also help relieve anxiety and depression. For Valentines’s Day, spend extra time with your pets or visit a friend’s. Make a list of what you love about animals and reminisce with photos. Share stories and use YouTube to find funny animal videos which are sure to bring smiles into the room!

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