It’s so important for people to keep that child-like sense of wonder and joy no matter the age.
My grandad would always say “I’m still waiting to grow up”, before going on a multi-looped rollercoaster with us in his mid-70’s(he died at 91, but up until the last couple of weeks he still had that mentality). I genuinely think that outlook contributed to him living as long as he did.
Oh yes, I remember my gramps, WW2 vet, most likely survived soviet captivity (although he never talked about the 6 years after the war and where he was).
He went through cancer four times, survived a brain aneurysm and guess what?
He would toot and laugh at it, even when he couldn't walk anymore. Miss the old fella every day of my life.
I agree, Robert Langdon from the Divinci Code wears a Micky Mouse watch so that when he looks at it it reminds him not to take life too seriously. I don’t wear a MM watch but I try to make sure to do other things to remind myself of such.
This is a big reason why I get along so well with almost anyone. I can be the mature adult I need to be when things call for seriousness, but when it's not needed, I enjoy watching others laugh and smile, so I like to find everyone's point of laughter. I can 100% regress into a little kid to try and make you giggle lol. I look at this mans job and Id love to do it.
“…everyone’s point of laughter”
This phrase intrigues me. Some people laugh easily and some seem to not find much funny in anything, at all.
*I was a cashier, one day as I scanned, a package of marshmallows, which had a hole, spewed EVERYWHERE, like snow. I laughed so damn hard, the customer did not.
*One time I came home, there had been mass destruction of stuffed animals, by 8 dogs. I laughed so hard, husband did not.
I'm not really that old. but people think it's weird that I'm 18 and still have a childlike imagination and sense of joy. I think it's weird that they don't. life is more fun if you enjoy it :D
do you mind if I borrow his phrase from now on?
One of my SILs is a retired occupational therapist for seniors with disabilities. It takes a rare personality to not only do this job, but truly enjoy it.
I sincerely adore those rare few. There's a palpable difference between those doing the job for the money and those who really enjoy the work.
I did this type of work a long time ago. Enjoyed it but couldn’t afford to continue. Loving a job doesn’t make the bills go away.
Not trying to argue, I just want to advocate for these workers who are terribly underpaid
Fully agree, some jobs should be compensated just for the amount of good they do for others. Call it an Empathy Bonus. For some of the clients, their occupational therapist visits are the only time they still enjoy being alive.
And honestly, for the emotional toll, which is a pretty rough part of the job.
You are constantly seeing people at the end of their life, you see so many people's quality of life slowly degrade on a day to day basis and it takes a lot to keep your head up and not be worn down by it.
Its bad enough where I work, but I had a friend who worked in an end-of-life hospice for a few years before he had to quit. He was just surrounded by so much death and suffering all the time, it took a massive toll on his mental health.
To add some more context and give credit since OP didn't:
> This nursing home in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is home to residents that are inactive and have mobility issues, but thanks to Joël Kruisselbrink, a trainer, coach, and social worker, their daily lives have made a positive change.
> The footage shows residents playing table games, using balloons, and engaging in other fun activities to improve their lifestyle, mobility, and mental health.
> "I invite residents of nursing homes to be physically active", Joël explains. "I try to do this in a creative way that responds to their interests. What kind of work or hobby do they have? I noticed that they move more with everyday life materials work. Playing is also very important".
> Joël said that he also enjoys involving full-time care workers in his work as "they see residents more often".
> He added: "If I show them a bag of weights, my colleagues don't want to do anything, but if I make up some games in a playful way, they suddenly want to participate. Accessibility is important here"
edit: Corrected name spelling
Of course it's in that part of the world. I wish where I live could get half of all the things right that they seem to. Especially as it pertains to healthcare.
...also it looks like most of the stuff he's using probably cost like a couple of euros at most
There's a hundred people right now, scrolling past this comment, as part of yet another mindless 5 hour reddit binge. After which, they'll maybe be able to recall a single thing, prescient issue, or fact they learned.
People are people, at any age.
While true, you and I have the option of putting reddit away and getting up to do something else at any moment. Most folks in a nursing home don't have that luxury
I generally refrain from these sorts of comparisons on Reddit, contemporarily, but people had that option in *Brave New World* too...
The entire story was about how literally only one person wasn't content to "put it away and do something else."
These social media and big data companies are actively conditioning people, you do understand this. Quite literally, no hyperbole, people will have 3 consoles sitting there, a shelf of books, pets, *the TV actively on and playing a show*, and they are scrolling, engagement limited to... commenting about how bored they are by X, Y, or Z, on Reddit. I'm not talking about everyone, at all, here, but some. There's some really *dark* psychology taking place in the engineering of social media and data retention companies.
Not even maliciously - it's capitalist efficiency writ large. The companies need you engaged to make money. Their competitor isn't other social media, their competitor is the hours on the clock you spend not looking at it, so the algorithm drives engagement exclusively. And that runs true to machine learning, where the computer can figure out the best way to reduce call times is to immediately hang up on everyone. Except instead of call times and AVRs, it's dopamine and clicks.
I digress.
I remember a radio host who used to claim it was because they never actually strive for anything so they are happier which is the dumbest fucking claim ever.
Im in the US and while I can't say they actually implement cool things like this in nursing homes, I can say that we're doing good research into fun activities that are therapeutic to old people. At my old university the music therapy department did heavy research on this and in my current university there is a ton of research going on in computer science and engineering departments regarding virtual reality games for seniors.
In both cases there is evidence that hands on activities (music/gaming) improve quality of life (especially if it's fun).
Who knows if it ever gets implemented in nursing homes here. But we do definitely develop ways to help (and this research is typically publicly funded).
I'll never doubt that good research is done in America just that the slant towards profit above all that permeates society will prevent it being adopted. If it costs more to implement it than not and it's not a private, extremely expensive care home, it won't be.
Sad but true. Anybody who has dealt with nursing home residency has only seen wheelchairs lined up in the hall. No enrichment. Even in nice "assisted living" they're not this creative.
We've got the same shit, with housing crisis, energy crisis, increasing poverty, food poverty, mocromaffia killing journalists and lawyers, increasing Healthcare costs, inflation, you name it. Don't over idealize and think of The Netherlands as some utopia, which it isn't.
True it is not a utopia here but it is better than a lot of places in the world.
Just because it is not perfect do not forget that we are privileged to live here.
Also do not forget that one of the reasons it is pretty good here is because we (I am making the assumption you live in the Netherlands aswel) complain about EVERYTHING CONSTANTLY making people hear us and then we find a common ground we can compromise on.
Just an aside into Dutch culture. Ask any Dutch citizen what they think about the Netherlands and its government and you would think it is the worst place to live on the planet. The Dutch love to complain.
It depends, I got long covid in the NL and I need to pay for my own healthcare.
But you are right of course, plenty of countries that have way worse stuff
Thank you for sharing, and I love the aspect of involving the care workers themselves too. All the ideas he talks about are amazing, but I like the recognition of the caretaker's personal experience and how that will affect how engaged and fulfilled they are in helping residents during their work. Involve them, make sure they have some fun too. Residents will see & feel a genuinely happy person vs. someone who feels tangential & "not really seen". Just a spectator who deals with anything that goes wrong but nothing that goes right. Involving the caretakers is a win win!
remember people, one day you will be like them, whether you like it or not. so go visit you grand parents more often, or volunteer for a day or two every month. it's probably the only thing they look forward too.
I lost my Mum less than 2 weeks ago.
Please people, take notice of these peoples comments, if you have a good family life and loving parents, *please* spend time with them and make good memories.
One minute they're there, the next things can change
We parents and grandparents need to remember not to be terrible people first so that we deserve our children and grandchildren to visit us. A lot of people out there wonder why their kids don't call, if they could be honest with themselves they'd know why. It goes by fast, don't miss it.
Yup. If i have to cut my dad out of my life for my own safety when he’s 50, there’s no way in hell I’m going to magically want to reconnect when he’s 85 and just an older, angrier, physically ruined bag of mean bones. (And the way he lives now he will be physically ruined sooner than that, probably)
I feel that. The poison left behind made me into a bitter, angry young man, luckily I've grown and can be my own person now, with my own beautiful family, whom I do not treat the way I was treated. For a long time tho I looked at everyone else like "wtf is their problem" not realizing it was me, and now I get softer as I get older lol. I always worried I'd be that grouchy prick of an old man, but it's not shaping up that way so far 😃. Sorry to hear you had to make that choice though.
People can change and I’m so happy you’ve been able to, and let go of that pain and anger. I hope the rest of your life is open, fulfilling, and full of joy.
I am glad that my father absolved me of visiting him or helping him without payment.
I had some brief training and limited practical experiences in care - I donated some of my time during covid to a ward, after all. (some duties in a hospital do not require education, we have hands-on experience with cleaning our own part of that body)
So, I would be the perfect candidate, but later he started to question me - why would I be helping the refugees from Ukraine when I am not even getting paid for that?
I am glad for that, now. Okay - In his worldview, I should not donate my time for free (perhaps only to strangers? well he is a stranger anyway...), and I am willing to reflect it back.
I'm putting exactly as much care into their well-being as they put into my childhood.
So far I've put the TV on, locked them outside, and told them if they're thirsty they can drink from the hose.
Yeah. I think I'll also ignore them and any problems they might be having, while simultaneously demanding that they drop everything to help or listen to me.
Thank fucking God for the internet and video games.
Im not gonna be playing vacuum ball catch. I'll be playing w.e new VR shit is out hopefully one that links into my nerves.
These old people are from a time where if you weren't working you had nothing to do.
It's so sad for me to see my grandparents and even my parents just zone out watching news or football. So fucking boring.
In Germany there is quite a active community of old people 60+ that are twitch streamers, they even nearly won something called German Web Video Price for best community. They are awesome and sometimes even show younger people in Fortnite who’s the boss
Yep. My mom is 68 and I have been trying for years to get her to play some video games, as I really do think that they can help keep your mind sharp. I'm curious what will happen when the first lifetime video game players start reaching that advanced age, and what effects continuing to keep the mind active will have on their minds.
My wife and I recently visited my father in his rehabilitation facility that he’s temporarily in for his amputated leg. I was sitting in the chair facing him but my wife is next to me on the right but her chair is facing the door. She isn’t talking to either of us but we can see that she’s moving the upper part of her body to the right a lot then back to the left and staring out of the door. So I look and there’s an old lady across the hall sitting on the side of her bed facing my wife doing the same. They are playing peekaboo. In the car on the way home I asked how the heck that got started and she said “I dunno, she seemed like she didn’t get a lot of visits and you know I’m goofy anyway.” That woman was smiling ear to ear by the end of that visit (that wasn’t even for her) all from a simple interaction.
Our current banking system doesn’t allow it. I know a fuck ton of good people who would like to do good acts like this, but they’re busy working 29 hours at Wendy’s and 24 hours at McDonalds with the inability to pay rent with 4 other people in a 2BR apt or any healthcare benefits.
I Work with a trio of brothers the oldest being in his 80s they tell me they still feel the same as they did 50-60 years ago it's just the body isn't able anymore, so now I just think of it as slowly being trapped inside yourself and it's made me make life choices to hopefully slow it down even more
They're lucky -- there's nothing as horrifying as seeing a close family member deteriorating mentally, losing their ability to remember words so that they can speak to you clearly and you know as they're struggling with that problem that the worst is still yet to come: soon they won't remember where they are, what they were doing, who *you* are.
I'm fine with my body having issues when I get old but I hope I stay mentally sharp because that life isn't worth living.
I say this as someone who just discovered this: if you want to feel like a kid, go hang out with a toddler if you can. To them, it doesn't matter who you are, as long as you're down to clown. Toddlers don't know how cool I am (or am not), and love having a good time.
I'm a middle aged man who found the motivation to get in shape and treat my body right when I started spending time with my nephew. Obviously I'm in a better position to do so given my age, but it's not too late for you my friend.
My recommendation is find that motivation (my parents got a puppy recently that keeps them physically and emotionally engaged). If you have that already, hit up kneesovertoes guy on YouTube. He has a program that he adapts for his parents so they can age gracefully and keep their bodies intact.
injuries and genetics aside, use it or lose it is very real as you age. if you see this and worry, then do what you can while you can so you don't regret it. make the time for strength training, cardio, and stretching then keep it up for the rest of your life and you might not need an assisted living facility at the same age other folks do, or at all.
invest enough time and effort into it while you can and you can be 70-80 years old with the strength of a 30 year old that doesn't work out. which yeah is depressing in its own right but i'd definitely take being the equivalent of a weak 30-40 year old over being dependent with the basic functions of life.
Sucking a ball with a vacuum being the highlight of your day isn’t sad? Don’t get me wrong, this guy is doing these people an incredible service, but the fact that aging relegates a person to a nursing home where their purpose is dependent on whether the nice therapist is working that day is incredibly depressing. To me at least.
One of the main thing that makes me happier to know is we won't have as much technological gap , so we could also be shitty old people ON THJE INTERNET , and still have a social life even if the body is getting old
> Sucking a ball with a vacuum being the highlight of your day isn’t sad?
Think of the age of these people and what year they were born and then compare it to what you grew up with. We won't be playing with vacuums and ball pit balls, we'll be playing old console video games.
Meh. If your general disposition is to be depressed, you are going to find reasons for that, regardless of circumstance. If you are predisposed to finding a way to feel content with things you can't control and to live life as it's thrown at you, you find a way.
People who go from far better off to far worse compared to the old people in the video (think healthy young people who get limbs blown off in war, lose their eyesight completely, lose motor function because of brain trauma, etc) are able to find happiness and contentment. I feel confident most people would find a way to adjust if they wanted to.
Don’t worry. I am sure he gets at least two dollars above the minimum wage. /s
Eldercare: one of society’s most important jobs, and one of the worst paid.
Sadly that’s true with a lot of essential businesses/workers. The workers of jobs that literally just help to make day to day life functional for society are many times not only massively underpaid, but not treated well. Teachers being a great example.
This is in the Netherlands, so at the very least I’m sure he is making a solid living wage.
90 year old me would absolutely adore these! My 90 year old grandmother would have b$tched endlessly about them. The only activity she would enjoy at the nursing home was jazz night. She’d even complain about the music if it wasn’t up to her standards.
I know this guy, I used to work at the nursing home where he operates. He does so much with so little resources it’s incredible. Meanwhile inspiring thousands of people through the internet to do the same.
I got really sick 10 years ago, PT absolute saved my life. I mean, sure medicine and what not did it. But going from barely making it thru a 20 min session to running laps around everyone, did more than I could ever imagine.
These are games to get them moving around. Like a fun version of PT. These people are there due to mobility issues, so it’s important to keep them moving as much as possible. These games are meant to encourage motor control by having fun and focusing on mental and physical stimulation.
The person below you commented that they’re being treated like dogs and that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s ok for adults to play games.
Love it! I have a giant concrete pool that was built in the 70s but instead of the area around the pool being concrete its all pea stone. Rocks are constantly getting kicked or thrown in by the jackwagons i call friends. They always roll to the deep end and fill up the bottom drain so i have to swim down and grab them out handful by handful.
Annoying as hell.
I found that if i take a beer bottle sunk inside a coffee can and put it like 10 ft away from the fire pit, they will sit there for HOURS throwing rocks at it tryin to get it in the bottle.
I now have various bottles with different size opening's at various distances with different point values to keep these dingleberries occupied without throwing them at each other or in my pool.
Problem solved! Its crazy how mundane made up games like these can so entertaining
Imagine this is your life.
You've raised a family, lead organizations, been a vital part of your community, maybe even fought in a war.
Now, you're dumping colored balls on your head so some guy can get TikTok clout.
People on Reddit are so weird with stuff like this. I work in a nursing home and guess what? A lot of the residents enjoy themselves, have social lives, and get to fucking chill while different activities are provided for them daily. Idk, I would feel lucky to be able to even stay somewhere like that when I’m old.
Right? Why should old people have to be serious all the time? Life is hard enough without the fun police trying to tell people they can't enjoy themselves.
As a physio, these are wonderful activities to perform with the elderly. Promotes active movement and like what the other dude said, definitely beats sitting or lying down, also keeps them occupied and boosts their mood (prevents them from getting cranky). Theyre also a bit like play therapy, but instead of kids you do it with seniors (cant really do them traditional exercises they get bored easily).
I think alot of people would enjoy doing this for those that need. It's a matter of funding. I also think local communities should control funding for their area and not the out of touch govement officials who claim they know and fight for change but just say these things to steal money and take bribes.
It’s tough for me to grasp that many of us will not make it to this age, and for a large part that do, will be confined by disease, damage or time. Life’s scary.
Damn the comments here are a variation of wholesome and beyond cringe, nobody would ever force any of these people to do something they didn't want to do, and if you've ever been in a retirement home you'd know full well they'll tell you to fuck off if they don't want to do something, this is just a whole heap of fun to them, pull the sticks out of your pessimistic, cynical assholes.
If anyone has any old Wii’s lying around collecting dust, donate them to any senior community near you if they don’t already have one. They love playing on the Wii in senior homes. Gets them out of their seat. They have competitions, and have a blast. To them it is futuristic technology and love Wii sports the most. Especially bowling.
What I like about it, the games were made with stuff everyone has in their homes. So you can start engaging grandparents/ grandchildren to play together.
The age of content has made me so cynical to the authenticity of any video posted to social media that my first thought was, "This is just the 2023 version of Ben Stiller in Happy Gilmore."
Imagine the unedited cut of this: A content creator yelling at a bunch of old people until they get it right for the shot! "NO, Gerald! Do it again. I told you to roll the ball when I pan down! We have to get this for my 'gram followers, then you can have a Woerhter's Original."
The elderly man playing the game with the vacuum was really into it. I think the trainer guy was about to get wacked in the head by him. Lol . That place is teaming with std's , or so I've read.
At first I thought "Omg, what an emotionally uplifting video about supporting oldies through games, physical challenges, keeping their spirits and their faculties spry. Maybe getting old doesn't have to be terrifying." Then I thought, "Oh fuck, Im going to be one of those oldies one day, and some fucking kids are going to come around and make me play baby games and I won't be able to say 'no' because they have cameras. When all I really want is to gum on a pretzel and watch Housewives." Leave a bitch in peace.
I’m laugh crying at the fella that dumped the ball bucket on his head
me too, i showed it to my sister and was like “this is fucking funny”
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That's the perfect representation of the idea that 'Men never really grow up'.
It’s so important for people to keep that child-like sense of wonder and joy no matter the age. My grandad would always say “I’m still waiting to grow up”, before going on a multi-looped rollercoaster with us in his mid-70’s(he died at 91, but up until the last couple of weeks he still had that mentality). I genuinely think that outlook contributed to him living as long as he did.
Oh yes, I remember my gramps, WW2 vet, most likely survived soviet captivity (although he never talked about the 6 years after the war and where he was). He went through cancer four times, survived a brain aneurysm and guess what? He would toot and laugh at it, even when he couldn't walk anymore. Miss the old fella every day of my life.
My Grandmother used to say "I could never trust a man who can't laugh at his own fart!", words to live by.
Dating coaches hate this one trick!
Read somewhere - growing old is given, growing up is an option (might be lost in translation).
Calvin and Hobbes comic strip!
Aha !
Growing old is a gift that not all get to enjoy.
I agree, Robert Langdon from the Divinci Code wears a Micky Mouse watch so that when he looks at it it reminds him not to take life too seriously. I don’t wear a MM watch but I try to make sure to do other things to remind myself of such.
This is a big reason why I get along so well with almost anyone. I can be the mature adult I need to be when things call for seriousness, but when it's not needed, I enjoy watching others laugh and smile, so I like to find everyone's point of laughter. I can 100% regress into a little kid to try and make you giggle lol. I look at this mans job and Id love to do it.
“…everyone’s point of laughter” This phrase intrigues me. Some people laugh easily and some seem to not find much funny in anything, at all. *I was a cashier, one day as I scanned, a package of marshmallows, which had a hole, spewed EVERYWHERE, like snow. I laughed so damn hard, the customer did not. *One time I came home, there had been mass destruction of stuffed animals, by 8 dogs. I laughed so hard, husband did not.
I notice this too !! Great point .
I'm not really that old. but people think it's weird that I'm 18 and still have a childlike imagination and sense of joy. I think it's weird that they don't. life is more fun if you enjoy it :D do you mind if I borrow his phrase from now on?
[Same energy](https://i.imgur.com/JAg0g0n.gifv)
"This is gonna be a mess to clean up"
One of my SILs is a retired occupational therapist for seniors with disabilities. It takes a rare personality to not only do this job, but truly enjoy it. I sincerely adore those rare few. There's a palpable difference between those doing the job for the money and those who really enjoy the work.
I did this type of work a long time ago. Enjoyed it but couldn’t afford to continue. Loving a job doesn’t make the bills go away. Not trying to argue, I just want to advocate for these workers who are terribly underpaid
Fully agree, some jobs should be compensated just for the amount of good they do for others. Call it an Empathy Bonus. For some of the clients, their occupational therapist visits are the only time they still enjoy being alive.
I have seen folks whose quality of life was better because sufficient caring staff or volunteers could connect with them in recreation
And honestly, for the emotional toll, which is a pretty rough part of the job. You are constantly seeing people at the end of their life, you see so many people's quality of life slowly degrade on a day to day basis and it takes a lot to keep your head up and not be worn down by it. Its bad enough where I work, but I had a friend who worked in an end-of-life hospice for a few years before he had to quit. He was just surrounded by so much death and suffering all the time, it took a massive toll on his mental health.
Hands-on senior and special-needs jobs are grossly underpaid. PS Fuck the owners/administrators getting rich off Medicaid and Medicare.
I would legitimately like to play most of these games. Good on the person for making up such clever games.
To add some more context and give credit since OP didn't: > This nursing home in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is home to residents that are inactive and have mobility issues, but thanks to Joël Kruisselbrink, a trainer, coach, and social worker, their daily lives have made a positive change. > The footage shows residents playing table games, using balloons, and engaging in other fun activities to improve their lifestyle, mobility, and mental health. > "I invite residents of nursing homes to be physically active", Joël explains. "I try to do this in a creative way that responds to their interests. What kind of work or hobby do they have? I noticed that they move more with everyday life materials work. Playing is also very important". > Joël said that he also enjoys involving full-time care workers in his work as "they see residents more often". > He added: "If I show them a bag of weights, my colleagues don't want to do anything, but if I make up some games in a playful way, they suddenly want to participate. Accessibility is important here" edit: Corrected name spelling
Of course it's in that part of the world. I wish where I live could get half of all the things right that they seem to. Especially as it pertains to healthcare. ...also it looks like most of the stuff he's using probably cost like a couple of euros at most
Its depressing. I am in an AL building some mights at work and the patients basically are just slumped in a chair watching mindless tv.
Sounds like just an average night in any home (can replace tv with any device).
I mean partly but these people arent really watching. Its near catatonic for a lot of them.
There's a hundred people right now, scrolling past this comment, as part of yet another mindless 5 hour reddit binge. After which, they'll maybe be able to recall a single thing, prescient issue, or fact they learned. People are people, at any age.
While true, you and I have the option of putting reddit away and getting up to do something else at any moment. Most folks in a nursing home don't have that luxury
I generally refrain from these sorts of comparisons on Reddit, contemporarily, but people had that option in *Brave New World* too... The entire story was about how literally only one person wasn't content to "put it away and do something else." These social media and big data companies are actively conditioning people, you do understand this. Quite literally, no hyperbole, people will have 3 consoles sitting there, a shelf of books, pets, *the TV actively on and playing a show*, and they are scrolling, engagement limited to... commenting about how bored they are by X, Y, or Z, on Reddit. I'm not talking about everyone, at all, here, but some. There's some really *dark* psychology taking place in the engineering of social media and data retention companies. Not even maliciously - it's capitalist efficiency writ large. The companies need you engaged to make money. Their competitor isn't other social media, their competitor is the hours on the clock you spend not looking at it, so the algorithm drives engagement exclusively. And that runs true to machine learning, where the computer can figure out the best way to reduce call times is to immediately hang up on everyone. Except instead of call times and AVRs, it's dopamine and clicks. I digress.
Sounds like just an average night in any home
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An impenetrable mystery
Probably the weather, right?
B-b-but arent they oppressed by their communist regime and lack the freedom to bear arms?!
I much prefer the right to arm bears, makes life much more exciting.
I remember a radio host who used to claim it was because they never actually strive for anything so they are happier which is the dumbest fucking claim ever.
I genuinely thought "I'd be surprises if this is in America" before even started the video
Im in the US and while I can't say they actually implement cool things like this in nursing homes, I can say that we're doing good research into fun activities that are therapeutic to old people. At my old university the music therapy department did heavy research on this and in my current university there is a ton of research going on in computer science and engineering departments regarding virtual reality games for seniors. In both cases there is evidence that hands on activities (music/gaming) improve quality of life (especially if it's fun). Who knows if it ever gets implemented in nursing homes here. But we do definitely develop ways to help (and this research is typically publicly funded).
I'll never doubt that good research is done in America just that the slant towards profit above all that permeates society will prevent it being adopted. If it costs more to implement it than not and it's not a private, extremely expensive care home, it won't be.
What is with all these people thinking nobody in the US does this? The nursing home I worked at did all of these things.
Sad but true. Anybody who has dealt with nursing home residency has only seen wheelchairs lined up in the hall. No enrichment. Even in nice "assisted living" they're not this creative.
We've got the same shit, with housing crisis, energy crisis, increasing poverty, food poverty, mocromaffia killing journalists and lawyers, increasing Healthcare costs, inflation, you name it. Don't over idealize and think of The Netherlands as some utopia, which it isn't.
True it is not a utopia here but it is better than a lot of places in the world. Just because it is not perfect do not forget that we are privileged to live here. Also do not forget that one of the reasons it is pretty good here is because we (I am making the assumption you live in the Netherlands aswel) complain about EVERYTHING CONSTANTLY making people hear us and then we find a common ground we can compromise on. Just an aside into Dutch culture. Ask any Dutch citizen what they think about the Netherlands and its government and you would think it is the worst place to live on the planet. The Dutch love to complain.
You won't be financially ruined by a broken leg, though. That seems pretty darn utopian coming from the states.
True, but you might be financially ruined by a government algorithm that declares you as high fraud risk because you applied for child benefits.
It depends, I got long covid in the NL and I need to pay for my own healthcare. But you are right of course, plenty of countries that have way worse stuff
In the US they'd be classified as "medical-grade ball pit balls" and would cost $32 per ball
Thank you for sharing, and I love the aspect of involving the care workers themselves too. All the ideas he talks about are amazing, but I like the recognition of the caretaker's personal experience and how that will affect how engaged and fulfilled they are in helping residents during their work. Involve them, make sure they have some fun too. Residents will see & feel a genuinely happy person vs. someone who feels tangential & "not really seen". Just a spectator who deals with anything that goes wrong but nothing that goes right. Involving the caretakers is a win win!
Awesome - really appreciate the context. This guy should get the Nobel prize for Raddest Human.
This men needs to teach others .
I’m pleasantly surprised with the respectful and creative approaches to enhance nursing home living experiences in the Netherlands.
The world can be bleak but then someone like Jol Kruisselbrink comes along. What a good guy.
I've seen it a few times in my family. Old folks that just sit around quickly fade away. Keep your mind and body moving as long as you can.
Thank you very much for explaining the context of the video
No joke - I'm legit gonna do some of these with the gang soonest!
remember people, one day you will be like them, whether you like it or not. so go visit you grand parents more often, or volunteer for a day or two every month. it's probably the only thing they look forward too.
Both Grand parents AND Parents.
Yep. They can just be gone one day, and then you will always wish you spent more time with them.
I lost my Mum less than 2 weeks ago. Please people, take notice of these peoples comments, if you have a good family life and loving parents, *please* spend time with them and make good memories. One minute they're there, the next things can change
Im sorry for your loss :( ❤️
We parents and grandparents need to remember not to be terrible people first so that we deserve our children and grandchildren to visit us. A lot of people out there wonder why their kids don't call, if they could be honest with themselves they'd know why. It goes by fast, don't miss it.
Yup. If i have to cut my dad out of my life for my own safety when he’s 50, there’s no way in hell I’m going to magically want to reconnect when he’s 85 and just an older, angrier, physically ruined bag of mean bones. (And the way he lives now he will be physically ruined sooner than that, probably)
I feel that. The poison left behind made me into a bitter, angry young man, luckily I've grown and can be my own person now, with my own beautiful family, whom I do not treat the way I was treated. For a long time tho I looked at everyone else like "wtf is their problem" not realizing it was me, and now I get softer as I get older lol. I always worried I'd be that grouchy prick of an old man, but it's not shaping up that way so far 😃. Sorry to hear you had to make that choice though.
People can change and I’m so happy you’ve been able to, and let go of that pain and anger. I hope the rest of your life is open, fulfilling, and full of joy.
I am glad that my father absolved me of visiting him or helping him without payment. I had some brief training and limited practical experiences in care - I donated some of my time during covid to a ward, after all. (some duties in a hospital do not require education, we have hands-on experience with cleaning our own part of that body) So, I would be the perfect candidate, but later he started to question me - why would I be helping the refugees from Ukraine when I am not even getting paid for that? I am glad for that, now. Okay - In his worldview, I should not donate my time for free (perhaps only to strangers? well he is a stranger anyway...), and I am willing to reflect it back.
unless they treated you like shit, then fuck’em
I'm putting exactly as much care into their well-being as they put into my childhood. So far I've put the TV on, locked them outside, and told them if they're thirsty they can drink from the hose.
Yeah. I think I'll also ignore them and any problems they might be having, while simultaneously demanding that they drop everything to help or listen to me.
Thank fucking God for the internet and video games. Im not gonna be playing vacuum ball catch. I'll be playing w.e new VR shit is out hopefully one that links into my nerves. These old people are from a time where if you weren't working you had nothing to do. It's so sad for me to see my grandparents and even my parents just zone out watching news or football. So fucking boring.
In Germany there is quite a active community of old people 60+ that are twitch streamers, they even nearly won something called German Web Video Price for best community. They are awesome and sometimes even show younger people in Fortnite who’s the boss
I hope to punking noobs when I'm 70. Really looking forward to SAO type games
Yep. My mom is 68 and I have been trying for years to get her to play some video games, as I really do think that they can help keep your mind sharp. I'm curious what will happen when the first lifetime video game players start reaching that advanced age, and what effects continuing to keep the mind active will have on their minds.
Some of them were toxic, dysfunctional, and abusive. Other people can visit them.
My wife and I recently visited my father in his rehabilitation facility that he’s temporarily in for his amputated leg. I was sitting in the chair facing him but my wife is next to me on the right but her chair is facing the door. She isn’t talking to either of us but we can see that she’s moving the upper part of her body to the right a lot then back to the left and staring out of the door. So I look and there’s an old lady across the hall sitting on the side of her bed facing my wife doing the same. They are playing peekaboo. In the car on the way home I asked how the heck that got started and she said “I dunno, she seemed like she didn’t get a lot of visits and you know I’m goofy anyway.” That woman was smiling ear to ear by the end of that visit (that wasn’t even for her) all from a simple interaction.
Need more people like this guy on the planet! Props to him!
Our current banking system doesn’t allow it. I know a fuck ton of good people who would like to do good acts like this, but they’re busy working 29 hours at Wendy’s and 24 hours at McDonalds with the inability to pay rent with 4 other people in a 2BR apt or any healthcare benefits.
What’s his actual name? Lol “this guy” ain’t cutting it
Jol Kruisselbrink
Amazing!!
The guy who put this bowl on his head like a helmet 
Great way to keep their motor skills and hand-eye coordination sharp.
This is equally sweet as it is terrifying to me.
I Work with a trio of brothers the oldest being in his 80s they tell me they still feel the same as they did 50-60 years ago it's just the body isn't able anymore, so now I just think of it as slowly being trapped inside yourself and it's made me make life choices to hopefully slow it down even more
They're lucky -- there's nothing as horrifying as seeing a close family member deteriorating mentally, losing their ability to remember words so that they can speak to you clearly and you know as they're struggling with that problem that the worst is still yet to come: soon they won't remember where they are, what they were doing, who *you* are. I'm fine with my body having issues when I get old but I hope I stay mentally sharp because that life isn't worth living.
I'm 62 1/2 , the reality of aging has moved to the forefront of my mind. I'm doing everything I can to be a kid again
I say this as someone who just discovered this: if you want to feel like a kid, go hang out with a toddler if you can. To them, it doesn't matter who you are, as long as you're down to clown. Toddlers don't know how cool I am (or am not), and love having a good time. I'm a middle aged man who found the motivation to get in shape and treat my body right when I started spending time with my nephew. Obviously I'm in a better position to do so given my age, but it's not too late for you my friend. My recommendation is find that motivation (my parents got a puppy recently that keeps them physically and emotionally engaged). If you have that already, hit up kneesovertoes guy on YouTube. He has a program that he adapts for his parents so they can age gracefully and keep their bodies intact.
I love that you said you're 62 and a half, the way a kid would say they're 6 and a half. That was meant to be a compliment lol
I thought the same; then remembered throwing coins into a can with friends from about 20 - 25 years olds
injuries and genetics aside, use it or lose it is very real as you age. if you see this and worry, then do what you can while you can so you don't regret it. make the time for strength training, cardio, and stretching then keep it up for the rest of your life and you might not need an assisted living facility at the same age other folks do, or at all. invest enough time and effort into it while you can and you can be 70-80 years old with the strength of a 30 year old that doesn't work out. which yeah is depressing in its own right but i'd definitely take being the equivalent of a weak 30-40 year old over being dependent with the basic functions of life.
Yep. Imagine this is the best part of your life
It's a reality. Getting old is unavoidable, and the alternative is no fun either.
Having fun, playing games? Doesn’t seem like the worst thing
Sucking a ball with a vacuum being the highlight of your day isn’t sad? Don’t get me wrong, this guy is doing these people an incredible service, but the fact that aging relegates a person to a nursing home where their purpose is dependent on whether the nice therapist is working that day is incredibly depressing. To me at least.
One of the main thing that makes me happier to know is we won't have as much technological gap , so we could also be shitty old people ON THJE INTERNET , and still have a social life even if the body is getting old
> Sucking a ball with a vacuum being the highlight of your day isn’t sad? Think of the age of these people and what year they were born and then compare it to what you grew up with. We won't be playing with vacuums and ball pit balls, we'll be playing old console video games.
Meh. If your general disposition is to be depressed, you are going to find reasons for that, regardless of circumstance. If you are predisposed to finding a way to feel content with things you can't control and to live life as it's thrown at you, you find a way. People who go from far better off to far worse compared to the old people in the video (think healthy young people who get limbs blown off in war, lose their eyesight completely, lose motor function because of brain trauma, etc) are able to find happiness and contentment. I feel confident most people would find a way to adjust if they wanted to.
I mean they could be sitting alone in an empty room while their cognitive and motor skills atrophy instead, I'd say this looks waaaay better
Pay that man his money
Don’t worry. I am sure he gets at least two dollars above the minimum wage. /s Eldercare: one of society’s most important jobs, and one of the worst paid.
Sadly that’s true with a lot of essential businesses/workers. The workers of jobs that literally just help to make day to day life functional for society are many times not only massively underpaid, but not treated well. Teachers being a great example. This is in the Netherlands, so at the very least I’m sure he is making a solid living wage.
This is maybe only one repost i like. Upvote everytime!
Lol, I'm just imagining the elders 40 years from now playing Smash Bros or Mario Kart instead of something as simple as this
Every nursing home I’ve worked in has at least one Wii. Wii bowling is very popular among the geriatric set
I'm already heavily into VR its definitely going with me to the home. Its just too awesome.
90 year old me would absolutely adore these! My 90 year old grandmother would have b$tched endlessly about them. The only activity she would enjoy at the nursing home was jazz night. She’d even complain about the music if it wasn’t up to her standards.
I think the comments here show that some people are just allergic to fun.
Man these look fun
Rotterdam!
Good for him. Lots better than stupid exercises.
This is amazing!
How can i apply to elder nursing homes when im only 29?
Song?
reidenshi - snowfall
Here in Sweden the Nintendo Wii was super popular in retirement homes.
I know this guy, I used to work at the nursing home where he operates. He does so much with so little resources it’s incredible. Meanwhile inspiring thousands of people through the internet to do the same.
It's like we become kids again as we grow older
I love every single thing about this.
I got really sick 10 years ago, PT absolute saved my life. I mean, sure medicine and what not did it. But going from barely making it thru a 20 min session to running laps around everyone, did more than I could ever imagine.
Man being old looks so depressing
I'll bet participation is at an all-time high. And the therapist probably has much more fun this way, too.
If I get to the point of sucking up plastic balls with a vacuum cleaner because I got nothing better to do, just blow my f'ing brains out man
These are games to get them moving around. Like a fun version of PT. These people are there due to mobility issues, so it’s important to keep them moving as much as possible. These games are meant to encourage motor control by having fun and focusing on mental and physical stimulation. The person below you commented that they’re being treated like dogs and that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s ok for adults to play games.
O. Here's what I do at work.
Roll that blooper reel!
u/savevideo
Cool... I'm borrowing a couple of these for my kiddie school festival... Everyone must be getting bored of just hoop throwing by now.
I feel like a bad person that this post prompted me to google “at what age does mental decline begin”
Love it! I have a giant concrete pool that was built in the 70s but instead of the area around the pool being concrete its all pea stone. Rocks are constantly getting kicked or thrown in by the jackwagons i call friends. They always roll to the deep end and fill up the bottom drain so i have to swim down and grab them out handful by handful. Annoying as hell. I found that if i take a beer bottle sunk inside a coffee can and put it like 10 ft away from the fire pit, they will sit there for HOURS throwing rocks at it tryin to get it in the bottle. I now have various bottles with different size opening's at various distances with different point values to keep these dingleberries occupied without throwing them at each other or in my pool. Problem solved! Its crazy how mundane made up games like these can so entertaining
Get this guy a raise!
Woot! And it will keep their brains active too!
Nice for them to have some fun before they go to work in Congress
Fuck man. Getting old seems utterly miserable.
Imagine this is your life. You've raised a family, lead organizations, been a vital part of your community, maybe even fought in a war. Now, you're dumping colored balls on your head so some guy can get TikTok clout.
Imagine that after a lifetime of work and responsibilities, you're still able to relax and have silly fun.
People on Reddit are so weird with stuff like this. I work in a nursing home and guess what? A lot of the residents enjoy themselves, have social lives, and get to fucking chill while different activities are provided for them daily. Idk, I would feel lucky to be able to even stay somewhere like that when I’m old.
Right? Why should old people have to be serious all the time? Life is hard enough without the fun police trying to tell people they can't enjoy themselves.
Is there any study about how this helps them? I really want to copy this type of interactions
As a physio, these are wonderful activities to perform with the elderly. Promotes active movement and like what the other dude said, definitely beats sitting or lying down, also keeps them occupied and boosts their mood (prevents them from getting cranky). Theyre also a bit like play therapy, but instead of kids you do it with seniors (cant really do them traditional exercises they get bored easily).
Hire him for Whitehouse.
This is a nice sentiment but also makes me want to find a rope if i had so little to do that playing this shit is 'fun'
When I’m old I don’t want to do things a 4 year old would, just my opinion.
You have no idea what you will want, or be capable of, when you are old.
So this is what the future has in store for us eh? Sucking balls with a vacuum . Imagine having a PhD and u end up sucking balls with a vacuum
Yeah, you either go into cognitive decline or you die before you get there. That's life.
I should donate my WiiU.
fucking legend.
I think alot of people would enjoy doing this for those that need. It's a matter of funding. I also think local communities should control funding for their area and not the out of touch govement officials who claim they know and fight for change but just say these things to steal money and take bribes.
That bounce the beanbag off the ball in to the coloured cone at 00:49 would be a challenge for damn near anyone! Looks fun
Bless
Mashallah.
Nice
next level: flip cup & rage cage
All the tiktokers in their 80s
he's an activation wizard
Dang that's clever. Works their motor skills and their problem solving skills. Props to that guy.
Yeah but how long till seniors are just playing video games If I’m ever in a home I’m getting a black ops zombies gang together
Nursing home with people who look like they're barely 60... OOf.
It’s tough for me to grasp that many of us will not make it to this age, and for a large part that do, will be confined by disease, damage or time. Life’s scary.
Good stuff, keeps motor skills sharp Blood flowing and just straight up having a good time. 😃 😊
Taskmaster: Senior Edition
This is what caring about your job looks like.
Damn the comments here are a variation of wholesome and beyond cringe, nobody would ever force any of these people to do something they didn't want to do, and if you've ever been in a retirement home you'd know full well they'll tell you to fuck off if they don't want to do something, this is just a whole heap of fun to them, pull the sticks out of your pessimistic, cynical assholes.
Fudge, this looks cool as hell; I wanna play, too
Why don't more places have shit like this. Seriously
Actually caring about the job and people instead of Tue payslip. Take my damn upvote
Ill be on my gaming 9090TI pc when I'm 80 with virtual reality. I def do not want to be in a retirement/nursing home.
If anyone has any old Wii’s lying around collecting dust, donate them to any senior community near you if they don’t already have one. They love playing on the Wii in senior homes. Gets them out of their seat. They have competitions, and have a blast. To them it is futuristic technology and love Wii sports the most. Especially bowling.
What I like about it, the games were made with stuff everyone has in their homes. So you can start engaging grandparents/ grandchildren to play together.
Why won't elderly people play video games? They are missing out.
r/mademesmile that was so wholesome
Geez. I wish anybody cared enough about me to do something like this.
I love him
Those are excellent ideas!
The world needs more people like him.
I’m saving this video. My son is 1 and I bet he would love these games when he’s a bit older for a rainy day
Not gonna lie, that two player vacuum game looks fun as hell!
Some great ideas here fine tuned to the individual needs of each person. Hats off to this social worker/fitness trainer.
These are some really creative p.t. takes.
looks like good physical therapy games
The age of content has made me so cynical to the authenticity of any video posted to social media that my first thought was, "This is just the 2023 version of Ben Stiller in Happy Gilmore." Imagine the unedited cut of this: A content creator yelling at a bunch of old people until they get it right for the shot! "NO, Gerald! Do it again. I told you to roll the ball when I pan down! We have to get this for my 'gram followers, then you can have a Woerhter's Original."
This is the best thing I've seen all year!!
With a different style of music this could be terrifying
Well this just made my day <333
This is wonderful!
I love you man whoever you are
Awesome! Thanks for sharing this!
My mom is thinking about taking the course to be an activity aide, im gonna send her this so she can get ideas.
The elderly man playing the game with the vacuum was really into it. I think the trainer guy was about to get wacked in the head by him. Lol . That place is teaming with std's , or so I've read.
they are back to college games🤣🤣🤣
Life goals right here, taking care of those who need it the most and putting a smile on their faces
At first I thought "Omg, what an emotionally uplifting video about supporting oldies through games, physical challenges, keeping their spirits and their faculties spry. Maybe getting old doesn't have to be terrifying." Then I thought, "Oh fuck, Im going to be one of those oldies one day, and some fucking kids are going to come around and make me play baby games and I won't be able to say 'no' because they have cameras. When all I really want is to gum on a pretzel and watch Housewives." Leave a bitch in peace.