Troubleshooting
- Problem: Having different residents in the group each week.
Solution: Keep the same residents in the group; it promotes familiarity and the ability to have common conversation topics. - Problem: One person dominating the conversation
Solution: Re-direct the conversation to other members of the group. Use common theme that one resident may be communicating about and ask input from the rest of the group. For example: Mary was telling us she used to make dinner for her family every night, how about you Sylvia, did you make dinner every night? - Problem: Staff observing and not participating can be distracting to the residents. They ask "Why are they watching us?"
Solution: Ask staff if they would like to participate and engage them in the conversations. - Problem: Giving residents ingredients and utensils they are not familiar with or they do not have the skill to utilize.
Solution: Engage residents in activities they are able to participate in. - Problem: Recipes too complex to complete in the timeframe allotted.
Solution: Keep the menu simple and ensure enough time for preparation, enjoying of meal and clean up.
