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Using Trivia For Retirement Homes

Using Trivia For Retirement Homes

Welcome to the start of another week on the DigiGames Trivia blog and we have a full week of hints, advice and information for you this week to ensure your trivia needs are meet and to provide with the very latest news, information and guidance on the ever changing world of Trivia. Add us to your bookmarks, share the link and above all else we hope you enjoy the next 7 days we have in store for you!

 

On with the show……

 

To kick off this week, we are going to continue the series of posts that are aimed to get you, as a trivia host thinking about the different ways you can boost your income and the different avenues you can try to raise your business. We have already looked at events such as post-prom parties, corporate events and weddings but today we are going to look at an avenue you may have not previously considered. That is Using Trivia for Retirement Homes……

 

Chances are there are several retirement homes in your local area and they are constantly seeking ways to keep the entertainment levels up. Rather than sitting in front of the TV night in and night out, many homes are hiring entertainers of some sort on a weekly basis and this opens up a great avenue for Trivia games for the elderly.

 

As with all new events when you are considering using trivia for retirement homes then you need to consider a few factors regarding the approach. This is going to be like no other event you run and the aim is not to get people into a bar this time but to give the residents a good hour or so entertainment. You need to think how you are going to pitch this and what you are going to say to make sure you get booked? Pitch your prices at a reasonable level and get a solid structure in your head about what you wish to deliver. You are filling up Tuesday afternoon at 2pm or Thursday morning at 10am…..basically off-periods where you normally aren’t doing any trivia shows.

Sell the idea its morale boosting, will get residents active and their minds going and tell the administrator exactly what you are going to do…..create a quiz they will enjoy.  Explain that this is more than just playing cards, this is stimulating their minds, which will resonate with the administrators.

 

Then comes the tough part….the delivery. The first thing you have to think about when using trivia for retirement homes is that this needs to be a fairly simple and relaxed event. No need to rush though the questions, have a million and one rounds and have everybody competing against each other. Residents will not want to play and you will soon find yourself having a “chat” with the administrator.

 

I have found there are two key ways in which you can use trivia in a retirement home….

 

  • Get everyone involved. This will involve some sort of event where everyone plays, teams are split up into some sort of table setting and you issue the questions and the winner gets a prize. This will have to be pitched at a nice level, not having the residents do too much and embracing the right kind of technology. Buzzers maybe suitable but you would have to pitch the level right and you would have to factor in that some people might want to just….

 

  • Spectate……here is a great idea that has worked well for me! Use your game show system, run a game show style event with  members of staff and it will allow the residents to watch. Residents can even be ‘phone a friends’ tdo the staff members player, or provided some other type if assistance.  This allows them to both spectate, but also actively participate.  This I have found to be a better idea in certain retirement homes I service than having everyone involved directly in a trivia game.  A sit means that there is no pressure and people can relax and the people who want to play can play. Have some sort of plan of when people are playing, and scheduled at a future time to play, and everyone has something to look forward. It will give the contestants and indeed the watching audience that game show feel. Think along the lines of Jeopardy but tailor the questions to suit the age range and not making them too hard for the players and you will have created a winning formula. (It goes without saying this would need electricity, more space and you may need to seek permission from the administrator to check this is doable)

 

 

As I have mentioned earlier Getting prizes for Trivia are important in retirement home trivia. Use maybe 10% of your fee to buy a good, suitable prize for the winner and it will add to the whole occasion.  As harsh as it may sound, the basic reality is some people you will be presenting trivia to may not be able to get out as much as they used to so little prizes here and there are good. Just basic items found at your local dollar store is all you need.  It is something they can touch and hold that makes them feel more special as a winner.  Also, get to know the residents and build a rapport…that way they look forward to you coming, they will be showing their happiness and enjoyment and you will keep your booking!

 

Timing is also important here and this is where you have to be business savvy. If you are going to be running a trivia event in any retirement home chances are it is going to be early evening when the event runs as most residents start to wind down early in the evening and running a trivia at 11pm at night is going to cause the residents and the caregivers complications. So the best thing about this kind of work is it means you have the full night to run another trivia event boosting your business even further. Head to the retirement home early evening, plan the timings so that you can still get a local venue and combine your night!

 

All in all, using trivia games for seniors and running trivia in retirement homes is not something that should be taken with a pinch of salt. It can be a very rewarding avenue of work and of course anything that can boost your income and give your business another string to its bow is certainly worth the time investment.  Follow the steps above and pitch your retirement home trivia to the right level, use appropriate technology and you are on your way to a very successful dose of retirement home trivia indeed!

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