Resident Interest and Past Hobbies Inventory
Resident interest and past hobbies inventory for capturing lifelong hobbies, roles, and activity preferences so life enrichment can personalize programming and improve daily engagement.
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Built for: Senior Living · Assisted Living · Memory Care · Independent Living · Continuing Care Retirement Communities
Overview
This resident interest and past hobbies inventory is an intake survey for life enrichment teams that want to understand who a resident is beyond basic demographics. It captures career and life roles, creative and hands-on hobbies, music and entertainment preferences, physical and outdoor interests, social and spiritual practices, and the times of day and activity formats that feel most comfortable.
Use this template when a community needs a reliable way to personalize programming, match residents to meaningful activities, and identify engagement drivers that support quality of life. It works well at admission, during a care-plan update, or any time staff need a clearer picture of what will feel familiar, motivating, and respectful to the resident's identity. The open-ended prompts are especially useful for uncovering details that do not appear in standard care records, such as a former trade, a favorite instrument, or a preferred way to participate.
Do not use this as a generic satisfaction survey or as a substitute for clinical assessment. It is not designed to measure mood, cognition, or care quality. It is also not ideal as a high-frequency pulse survey, since residents should not be asked to repeat the same personal history too often. The best results come when the answers are reviewed, shared with the right staff, and translated into actual activity choices rather than stored and forgotten.
Standards & compliance context
- If the survey is used in a care setting, keep the resident record accurate and limit access to staff who need the information for programming or support.
- When family members answer on behalf of a resident, note the source of the response so staff can distinguish resident preference from proxy input.
- Avoid collecting unnecessary sensitive details before the resident understands why the questions are being asked, especially when asking about spiritual or cultural practices.
- If your organization has privacy or consent requirements for resident records, align the survey workflow with those policies before deployment.
General regulatory context for orientation only — verify current requirements with counsel or the relevant agency before relying on this template for compliance.
What's inside this template
Career, Roles & Life Story
This section matters because former roles often reveal identity, pride, and conversation starters that make activities feel personally relevant.
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What was your occupation or primary role during your working years?
Include paid work, military service, homemaking, farming, volunteering, or any role you held with pride.
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Is there a skill, trade, or expertise from your career or life that you enjoyed sharing with others?
For example: teaching, woodworking, cooking, nursing, music, gardening, mechanics, sewing.
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How important is it to you that activities connect to your past work or life roles?
1 = Not important at all · 3 = Somewhat important · 5 = Extremely important
Creative Arts & Hands-On Hobbies
This section matters because it shows which tactile or expressive activities are likely to feel familiar, enjoyable, or worth trying again.
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Which creative or hands-on activities have you enjoyed in your lifetime? (Select all that apply)
Painting / drawing, Knitting / crocheting / sewing, Woodworking / crafts, Cooking / baking, Gardening / floral arranging, Photography, Pottery / ceramics, Scrapbooking / card making, Writing / journaling, Other
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Are there creative activities you would like to try or learn for the first time?
No experience needed — we love introducing new skills!
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How would you rate your current interest in participating in hands-on creative activities?
1 = Not interested · 3 = Somewhat interested · 5 = Very interested
Music, Entertainment & Cultural Interests
This section matters because music and entertainment preferences are often the fastest way to create comfort, connection, and engagement.
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What genres of music do you most enjoy?
For example: big band, country, gospel, classical, jazz, folk, rock and roll, opera, show tunes, polka.
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Did you play a musical instrument or sing? If yes, please describe.
Include instruments played, choirs or bands you participated in, or any performance experience.
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What types of movies, TV shows, or theater do you enjoy?
Classic films, Westerns, Musicals / Broadway, Comedies, Dramas, Game shows, News / current events, Sports broadcasts, Nature / documentaries, Soap operas, Other
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How important is live entertainment (concerts, performances, visiting entertainers) to your quality of life here?
1 = Not important · 3 = Moderately important · 5 = Very important
Physical Activity & Outdoor Interests
This section matters because it helps staff match movement and outdoor time to current comfort level instead of assuming ability or interest.
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Which physical or outdoor activities have you enjoyed throughout your life? (Select all that apply)
Walking / hiking, Swimming, Dancing, Bowling, Golf, Fishing / hunting, Cycling, Yoga / stretching, Gardening outdoors, Sports (spectator or participant), Exercise classes, Other
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How would you describe your current comfort level with physical activity?
Select the option that best fits your current ability and preference.
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How important is spending time outdoors to your daily wellbeing?
1 = Not important · 3 = Somewhat important · 5 = Very important
Social, Spiritual & Intellectual Interests
This section matters because it identifies how the resident prefers to connect, think, reflect, and participate with others.
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How do you prefer to participate in activities?
Choose the option that feels most like you.
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Which intellectual or social activities interest you? (Select all that apply)
Book club / reading, Current events discussion, Trivia / word games, Card games (bridge, poker, cribbage), Board games / puzzles, Lectures / educational programs, Reminiscence / storytelling groups, Intergenerational programs (with children / youth), Community outings, Pen pals / letter writing, Other
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Do you have religious, spiritual, or cultural practices that are important to you?
For example: attending services, prayer times, cultural holidays, dietary observances, or faith-based reading. This helps us support your practices and connect you with appropriate resources.
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How important is it to you to have opportunities for meaningful conversation and social connection?
1 = Not important · 3 = Moderately important · 5 = Extremely important
Preferences, Goals & Anything Else
This section matters because it captures timing, aspirations, and open-ended details that do not fit elsewhere but can strongly shape quality of life.
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What time of day do you feel most alert and energetic for activities?
This helps us schedule programs when you are most likely to enjoy them.
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Is there an activity, program, or experience you have always wanted to try but never had the chance?
Dream big — our team loves making meaningful moments happen.
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Overall, how important is having a rich and engaging activity program to your happiness and quality of life here?
1 = Not very important · 3 = Moderately important · 5 = Essential to my wellbeing
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Is there anything else you would like the life enrichment team to know about your interests, preferences, or things that bring you joy?
Please share anything that would help us get to know you better and make your time here feel like home.
How to use this template
- 1. Add the survey to your resident intake or life enrichment onboarding workflow and keep it tied to the resident record so staff can use the answers later.
- 2. Ask the resident first, then invite a family member or care partner to help fill gaps only when the resident wants support or has difficulty recalling details.
- 3. Review each section in order and record concrete preferences, such as former roles, favorite music genres, preferred activity times, and comfort level with group participation.
- 4. Flag any low-interest or low-comfort responses so the team can follow up with a different format, a smaller group, or a one-on-one option instead of assuming nonparticipation.
- 5. Share the completed profile with life enrichment, dining, nursing, and other relevant staff so the information turns into programming, conversation starters, and resident-centered routines.
- 6. Revisit the survey after major changes in health, mobility, or residence status, and update the record when new interests or goals emerge.
Best practices
- Lead with the resident's own words whenever possible, because specific phrases make it easier for staff to start meaningful conversations.
- Use clear activity examples in multi-select questions so residents can recognize options without needing to interpret broad categories.
- Keep the form conversational and avoid medical or clinical language unless you are asking about comfort level or participation limits.
- Treat low-interest answers as design input, not as a refusal, and offer alternative formats such as smaller groups, passive participation, or observation.
- Ask about time of day and preferred participation style, because a great activity can still miss the mark if it is scheduled at the wrong time or in the wrong format.
- Capture spiritual, cultural, and social preferences with care, since these often shape what feels meaningful and respectful to the resident.
- End with an open Anything else question so residents can share interests that do not fit neatly into the listed categories.
What this template typically catches
Issues teams running this template most often surface in practice:
Common use cases
Frequently asked questions
Who should complete this resident interest and past hobbies inventory?
It is typically completed by new residents during move-in or admission, then updated with existing residents when preferences change. Family members, care partners, or life enrichment staff can help if the resident wants support. The goal is to capture the resident's own voice whenever possible, especially for interests, routines, and quality-of-life priorities.
How often should this survey be used?
Use it at admission and then revisit it periodically, such as after a move, a health change, or a major shift in participation. It is not a pulse survey, so it does not need weekly repetition. The best cadence is the one that keeps the profile current without creating unnecessary survey fatigue.
What is the main purpose of this template?
This template helps the life enrichment team identify engagement drivers such as past roles, hobbies, social preferences, and meaningful routines. It supports programming decisions for one resident or for a whole community by showing what activities are likely to feel familiar, motivating, and personally relevant. It is especially useful when planning individualized calendars or small-group offerings.
Should this be anonymous?
No. This is a resident intake and preference survey, so it should be tied to the resident record to make the information usable for care and programming. Anonymity is not the goal here; accuracy and continuity are. If the survey is completed by family or staff on the resident's behalf, note that clearly in the record.
What are the most common mistakes when using this template?
A common mistake is asking only broad activity questions and missing the details that make programming personal, such as former roles, favorite music, or preferred time of day. Another pitfall is collecting answers but not translating them into actual activity plans. It also helps to avoid overloading the form with too many open-ended questions, which can reduce completion quality.
Can this template be customized for memory care or assisted living?
Yes. For memory care, you may simplify wording, add visual prompts, and allow family input while keeping the resident's preferences central. For assisted living or independent living, you can expand the survey to include more self-directed interests, volunteer roles, or community-based outings. The core structure stays the same: life story, hobbies, social connection, and preferences.
How does this compare with asking residents ad hoc questions?
Ad hoc conversations are valuable, but they are easy to forget, inconsistent across staff, and hard to turn into a usable profile. A structured template creates a repeatable record that can be reviewed by life enrichment, nursing, dining, and family support teams. It also makes it easier to spot patterns, such as residents who prefer quiet one-on-one activities or those who want more live entertainment.
Can this survey connect to other resident systems or workflows?
Yes. The responses can be used alongside care plans, activity calendars, resident profiles, and onboarding workflows. Many teams also use the answers to inform small-group matching, volunteer visits, music programs, and special event planning. The most useful integrations are the ones that make the information visible where staff actually plan activities.
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