Embracing Your Role as an Activity Coordinator in Care Homes

Not long ago, I saw an activity coordinator share this in a Facebook group:

"Why is it that in my role I never feel good enough and question what I’m doing? Maybe it’s because my co-workers think I do nothing and they really don’t understand my job. It’s hard to just brush it off."

If you’ve ever felt this way, please know you’re not alone.

As an activity coordinator in the UK, you may have experienced moments of self-doubt. You might find yourself asking questions like:

• Am I really making a difference?

• Why do my colleagues seem to think I do nothing?

• Does anyone understand how much goes into this role?

  
  

These thoughts are common. Many coordinators feel invisible or undervalued. But the truth is, your work is vital. Without activities, residents miss out on joy, connection, and a sense of purpose. Let’s unpack why you may feel this way and how to move forward with confidence.

The Invisible Role of the Activity Coordinator

The work of an activity coordinator isn’t always visible. You aren’t always seen when you’re quietly gathering life histories, spending time listening, or carefully adapting an activity to be inclusive for everyone.

Much of the value you bring happens behind the scenes. Because of that, it’s easy for others to underestimate it.

But let me be clear: your role is vital. Activities are not an “extra” in care; they are central to wellbeing. You are the one making sure residents feel joy, connection, purpose, and dignity. That is not “nothing.” That is everything.

Why Activity Coordinators Often Feel Undervalued

You spend hours behind the scenes planning, adapting, gathering resources, and checking residents’ histories. Each activity is designed to be meaningful. Others may only see the end product: a game, a craft session, or a chat.

What looks like just fun to them is actually carefully designed, inclusive care. Nurses and carers have structured tasks—medication rounds, personal care, documentation. Your role looks different. It’s flexible, responsive, and creative. Because it doesn’t fit the same pattern, it can be misunderstood.

Unlike regulated care tasks, activity outcomes are harder to measure. A smile, reduced agitation, or a resident who joins in for the first time doesn’t go neatly into a chart. Yet these moments are life-changing for residents.

Why Activity Coordinators Are Essential in Care Homes

Activities in care homes are not an optional extra. They are central to a person-centred approach.

Every smile, every moment of calm, and every resident who joins in after weeks of staying in their room are real outcomes that improve quality of life. Activities are not an extra. They’re central to holistic care. Your role helps residents:

• Stay socially connected, reducing loneliness and isolation.

• Maintain physical movement through exercise, dance, and games.

• Keep minds active with quizzes, reminiscence, and conversation.

• Express creativity through art, music, and storytelling.

  
  

Activities Uphold Dignity and Identity

When you adapt an activity around someone’s history, lifestyle, or preferences, you’re saying: “I see you. You matter.” That recognition gives dignity and purpose, which is just as important as physical care.

Activities Support the Whole Care Team

A happy, engaged resident is less likely to become agitated or withdrawn. That has a ripple effect—easing pressure on carers, nurses, and managers. Your work supports not just residents but the entire home.

How to Handle Self-Doubt as an Activity Coordinator

You don’t have to just brush it off when you feel undervalued.

Instead, try these steps:

1. Reconnect with your purpose. Remind yourself daily that you are here for the residents.

2. Celebrate small wins. Keep a notebook or photo board of residents’ smiles, kind words, or little breakthroughs.

3. Share your impact. Record attendance, feedback, and outcomes so colleagues can see the difference your work makes.

4. Find your community. Connect with other activity coordinators—whether locally, online, or in groups like my Activity Coordinators Toolbox—to share ideas and encouragement.

   
   

Care home activity coordinators are often the unsung heroes of social care. You may feel invisible, but your impact is woven into the daily lives of the residents you serve.

🖐️💚 Please don’t forget: your role is not just activities. It’s essential, it’s life-enhancing, and it matters more than most people will ever realise.

And if you’d like a little extra support and inspiration along the way, you’re always welcome in the Activity Coordinators Toolbox.

Activity Coordinators Toolbox

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