Bulletin boards have long played a quiet, yet impactful communication role in many of our lives. From elementary school where the ABCs were displayed around the room alongside watercolor masterpieces to the bulletin boards of higher education featuring science projects and reports on the nation’s presidents. Even outside of schools, bulletin boards are an instrumental as a way to learn about a new club, sign up for a group or organization, or to find a new job.

From the schoolhouse to the coffee house, bulletin boards remain a favored form of communication for a reason – they are fun and informative. They are also increasingly prevalent in a virtual form, too. Social media platforms such as Pinterest are taking the beloved bulletin board concept and adding a virtual twist. The really interesting part though is these bulletin boards have an incredible range of inputs, posts and suggestions from users throughout around the world.

Education and Entertainment through Pinning

Take Pinterest for example. This simple, yet addictive, concept allows users to build boards where they pin the things that they love or desire to know more about. The site’s search feature allows users to find photos, lists, websites and examples of pretty much anything you could imagine. These can be used to build boards with ideas for home renovations, fashion, art, and resume building, as well as an idea center and support network for caregivers.

A simple search for Alzheimer’s or dementia brings up hundreds of boards created by caregivers and caregiving organizations. The boards have everything from ideas for memory games, sorting activities, tips for avoiding isolation, and therapies to rebuild motor skills. There are also a number of boards offering crafting projects for loved ones to make.

One of our favorite recent discoveries was a design for a fidget lap blanket or fidget apron. These multi-sensory objects include ribbons, ties, zippers, snaps, laces, strings of beads and tiny pockets, all designed to provide sensory stimulation. For the men, there are great ideas for lock and latches boards and boxes to refine manual dexterity skills. These lock and latch boards and boxes have locks to twist, slide and hook, and some even open up with the option for adding small surprises inside the tiny niches.

Other Fun Pinterest Ideas for Residents

• Matching and folding games with socks
• Sorting buttons into size and color categories
• Stringing colorful cereals on strings to feed the birds
• Making memory reminders with wooden puzzles
• Creating connections through baby doll therapy
• Using the Montessori Method to engage the senses

At SeniorCare we’ve found social media sites such as Pinterest to be a wonderful resource for our in-house caregivers as a great way to stay connected with the newest ideas for activities and resources and also remain fresh with some innovative ways for our residents to enhance stimulation, remain connected and avoid isolation.

SeniorCare Homes in Overland Park and Leawood, Kansas, offer the most comfortable and stable assisted living environment to seniors with dementia, memory loss, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Phone (913) 236-0036 to learn more about neighborhood living for the memory impaired.