Movie Night At a Nursing Home or Retirement Home

Living in a nursing home or a retirement home and adjusting to a new lifestyle away from home and familiar things can be difficult for residents. Special activities to help residents relax and bond with other residents are common in nursing and retirement homes. Movie nights make an excellent addition to a nursing home’s activity list. Here’s how to create a movie night to remember for nursing home or retirement home residents that will bring back special memories and allow them to create new memories.

Set the Scene

Movie events are great because modern technology can be used to create wonderful, nostalgic events. Nursing home residents, depending on their individual ages, are likely to have been young during the peak of the drive-in movie in the 1950’s and 1960’s. A large movie screen, like an inflatable one, can create an authentic drive-in movie or indoor movie theatre experience.

You can choose to create an outdoor event on a warm summer night, using an inflatable movie screen set up in a courtyard or even the parking lot. Create a true drive-in movie experience by adding concessions like popcorn, other movie snacks and drinks to the event. Be sure to provide comfortable seating for residents to enjoy the experience.

Alternatively, the event could be held indoors any time of the year. Make it a night to remember by setting up a red carpet, and providing comfortable seating. Decorate in keeping with the theme of the movie, or in the style of the 1950’s or 1960’s. Movie theatre style candy, popcorn and drinks can be served to create an authentic movie theatre experience.

Choose the Film

Choose a film that will appeal to residents, or let the residents vote on a movie for the evening. Offer options or choose a film that was popular during the 50’s or 60’s, and fill the residents with special memories of the drive-in movie theatre.

Movie nights are a great choice for a nursing home or retirement home activity because a movie night can both transport residents back to fond memories in their lives, and give residents a chance to relax and meet and spend time with others living in the residence. Activities that combine fond past memories and give residents a chance to create new memories will help residents who might be having a difficult time adjusting to feel more comfortable in the nursing or retirement home setting.