& IDEA NUGGETS Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month Schedule a dog show with the proceeds going to a spay/neuter organization in your area. AIDS Awareness Month (National) Apple Month (National) Visit an apple orchard. Have some cider. Make caramel apples. Auto Battery Safety Month Blindness Awareness Month (World) Book Month (National) Invite your local library in to share book history. Create books as a craft project. Brain Injury Awareness Month (National, US) Visit: Brain Injury Breast Cancer Awareness Month (National, US) Visit: Breast Cancer Car Care Month Have a classic car show (or customized cars). Bring in car care products for a show & tell session (give a demonstration). Visit: Car Care Caramel Month Caramel goes good with apples. Use a caramel sauce because caramel chunks are too hard for most residents to chew. Child Health Month Christmas Seal Month Clergy Appreciation Month (Pastor Appreciation Month) Have a special appreciation day for the pastors who come to your facility. Have a breakfast. Hand out appreciation certificates. Give a small gift. Remember to include the residents in the appreciation events. Clock Month (National, US) Bring in all kinds of clocks. Invite a local clock repairer to come in and give a demonstration. Let the residents talk about clocks they remember. Computer Learning Month Set up a computer and let your residents get some hands on experience playing games. Establish a computer center in your activity room (or elsewhere in the facility) which is easily accessible for your residents. Let them play games (solitaire, free cell, spider solitaire, yachtzee, tetris... are good games for them to play). A large screen LCD Monitor (i.e. 19+ inches) would be very nice for them and could be the object of a fund raiser. Cookbook Month Look at cookbooks. Cook some favorite recipes with your cooking club. Combine with Cookie Month celebration. Cookie Month Bake some Halloween or Autumn theme cookies. Make sugar cookies and use cookie cutters. Let residents decorate the cookies. Cosmetology Month (National, US) Invite your beautician to speak and/or to give hair and make-up demonstrations. Other options include someone from a local beauty school, a Mary Kay representative, an Avon representative, someone from a local Merle Norman Cosmetics store. Let them give demonstrations. (You will find that they are all very cooperative in volunteering for this activity). Be sure to let the residents be the models. Country Music Month Invite a local country music group in to play for the residents. You might even get a group of line dancers or square dancers to visit your facility. Have the residents talk about country music and their favorite songs and artists. Dress up in country clothes for the day (jeans, western shirts, flannel shirts, boots, neckerchiefs, straw hats, etc.) Crime Prevention Month Dental Hygiene Month (National, US) Good chance to establish PR with your local dentist. Invite him in to talk about tooth care (or denture care). Visit: Dental Hygiene Dessert Month (National US) Figure this one out for yourself. This is Apple Month...how about apple pie, apple turnovers, caramel apples. Dinosaur Month If you are lucky enough to have a paleontologist in your town...invite him/her over to show some dinosaur bones, fossils, dinosaur models etc. A good movie to show is "The Dinosaur Hunter" (it is rated G). You need to judge your audiences preferences for movies...you may be able to show "Jurassic Park" and its sequels, or "Godzilla" (the newest version). Disability Awareness Month (National) Invite a local Disability Awareness Support Group to talk about accessibility issues, coping problems and solutions, caregiver support, etc. Be sure to invite family members to attend (maybe a dessert carry- in would be nice). Disability Employment Awareness Month (National, US) Domestic Violence Awareness Month Drum Month (International) O.K., bring in a local drummer. High school band members would be great... with an assortment of drums. This activity is guaranteed to make hearing aides squeal all over the facility. Energy Awareness Month Family Health Month Family History Month A great opportunity to discuss genealogy with your residents. Encourage family members to be there to record history (at least let them take notes). Family Sexuality Education Month (National) Fire Prevention Month (National) Review your facility policy regarding fire safety. Test the alarm system and practice your evacuation routine. Have the local fire department come and teach people how to use a fire extinguisher. Make sure your residents get to see the fire truck. Flu & Pneumonia Month German American Heritage Month Think Oktoberfest. Incorporate things like beer, sausage, sauerkraut, polka dancing, accordions, etc. Glaucoma Awareness Month (National, US) Healthier Babies Month (National) Healthy Lung Month Visit: American Lung Association Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15, 2005) Celebrate with Hispanic foods, music, dance and traditions. Adult Immunization Awareness Week (National) Kitchen & Bath Month Learning Disability Awareness Month Liver Awareness Month Visit: Liver Foundation Lupus Awareness Month (National) Visit: Lupus Magazine Month (American) Make a Will Month (National) Ask your residents about making a will. Invite social services to take part in this activity. (Be sure to ask family first...invite them to participate). Check with your administrator and/or legal advisor first. Medical Librarians Months (National, US) Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month Organic Harvest Month Visit: Organic Pasta Month Think spaghetti, lasagna, macaroni, etc. Create foods. Create crafts. Demonstrate making pasta using a pasta machine. Visit: I Love Pasta Pastor Appreciation Month (Clergy Appreciation Month) Have a special appreciation day for the pastors who come to your facility. Have a breakfast. Hand out appreciation certificates. Give a small gift. Remember to include the residents in the appreciation events. American Pharmacy Month (National, US) This is a good chance for your facility pharmacy to field pharmacy questions from the residents (if the consultant is brave enough). Physical Therapy Month (National, US) Let the Physical Therapist come up with some ideas and make a presentation to the residents. Visit: APTA Pickled Pepper Month Pizza Month (National) Party time!!! Either order out or bake in several different types and toppings of pizza. If you bake in, let the residents pick out their own toppings. You may be able to get a local pizza franchise to visit your facility and donate much of the supplies for the PR. Perhaps you can get a pizza parlor to do some dough tossing demonstrations. Or maybe you can try a facility home made pizza carry-in party. Also check with your facility's food distributor for some advice. Visit: Pizza Hut Polish-American Heritage Month Popcorn Poppin' Month (National) Run that fancy popcorn popper all month. Visit: Popcorn Pork Month (National) Visit: Pork Pregnancy & Infant Awareness Pretzel Month Roller-skating Month Sarcastic Awareness Month Seafood Month Visit: Seafood SIDS Awareness Month (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Spina Bifida Awareness Month (National, US) Spinal Health Month (National, US) Stamp Collecting Month (US National) Story Telling Month Talk About Prescriptions Month Visit: Prescriptions UNICEF Month Vegetarian Month World Series Month / Baseball Playoffs Youth Against Tobacco Month Famous Weeks in October… Week 1 National Eat Dinner Together Week National Gerontological Nursing Week National Healthcare Food Service Week National Mental Illness Awareness Week National Nurse-Midwifery Week National Spinning & Weaving Week Walk a Child to School Week Week 2 Handicapped Week International Letter Writing Week National 4-H Week National Adult Immunization Awareness Week National Bookkeeper's Week National Fashion Week National Fire Prevention Week National Get Organized Week National Mystery Week National Pet Peeve Week National Respect Life Week National School Lunch Week Week 3 |