Activity, Movement, and Connection in Senior Care
Customer: Pernille Sabrina Jensen
Title: Activity Coordinator at Solstrålen
Organization: Rosengården Care Center
Location: Vejle Municipality, Denmark
A Floor That Welcomes Different Ways to Participate
At Solstrålen, part of Rosengården Care Center, ActiveFloor has become one of the activities Pernille and her colleagues can bring out during the week. Images and games are projected onto the floor. Residents can step on an answer, match pairs in a memory game, or work together to complete a challenge. They can also sit around the floor, follow along, and tell someone else where to step.
That flexibility is exactly what Pernille relies on. One activity can bring together people who want to move and those who prefer to participate from a chair. At Rosengården, they use the floor-based solution because it can provide a natural reason to stand up, reach out, or take a few extra steps. Participation is always tailored to the individual resident.
Young Angels Make It Easy to Get Started
Rosengården’s “angels” are young staff members who spend time with the residents. When they turn on ActiveFloor, they immediately have something tangible to share. They can choose a game, ask a question, and let the resident take the lead. Some residents play on their own; others help find the answer and guide the young person around the floor.
For the young people, the games make it easier to get an activity underway. For the residents, they create a role in the shared experience. Pernille has found that the angels quickly embraced the technology and developed their own ways of using it. Conversations arise naturally as they laugh, guess, and help one another.
She Wanted to Play Again
One resident does not usually walk very much and can feel uneasy about standing up. Pernille says that she began walking over to ActiveFloor with one of the angels. Later, she started asking to play on her own. It made an impression on Pernille: the game gave the resident the desire to participate and a reason to take the initiative herself.
For others, participation begins by watching or helping from a chair. Pernille says that some residents may initially feel unsure about the projected floor. It helps when a staff member can play alongside them, and when no one has to step into the game to be part of the activity.
Personal Photos Make the Games Meaningful
Memory games are among the favorites at Solstrålen. Pernille and her colleagues have also created games using their own photos, so residents encounter images they recognize. A photo can spark memories and conversations that continue long after the cards have been turned over. Other games encourage the group to guess, choose, or find an answer together. This gives Pernille more ways to adapt the content to the people taking part that day.
The floor is also used in other ways. Pernille says that colleagues from the rehabilitation team have used games as part of activities in which a resident practices reaching or moving. A target in the game can make that movement concrete and meaningful.
When Schoolchildren Visited, the Residents Were the Experts
When a school visited, the children lined up to try ActiveFloor. The residents sat around the floor, followed along, and told the children what to do. They knew the games and were suddenly able to show the younger generation the way. It was one of the intergenerational moments Pernille remembers most clearly.
When family members visit, a game can also give children, parents, and grandparents something to gather around. There is no need to think of a conversation topic first; you can begin with the game and see where the conversation leads.
Part of Everyday Life at Rosengården
ActiveFloor is typically used two to three times a week at Solstrålen, depending on the day’s activities and the residents taking part. Pernille has also featured the solution in Rosengården’s monthly newsletter. When residents, family members, and staff know what it can be used for, it is easier to suggest a game the next time they get together.
For Pernille, the value is visible in the specific moments: an angel sharing a good moment with a resident; a familiar photo that starts a story; children listening to the residents’ advice; and a woman asking whether they can play again. ActiveFloor gives them a place to begin. They create the rest together.