Physical
Items required: purses, wallets, contents for each.
Gather participants around the table. Greet each one with their first name, a hand shake, and look them in the eye.
Present each participant with a purse or a wallet. There will be snaps and zippers that must be manipulated to open the purses. Encourage each participant to manipulate these items on their own but in some cases hands-on help may be required.
Ask participants to simply rummage through their purses to bring out all objects they find and place them on the table.
During this physical portion of the activity, individuals are not asked to label items but simply to handle them, look at them, and perhaps manipulate them. You may provide the labels for items pulled from the purses or wallets and engage individuals in conversation about those items, what they are, what they are used for.
(Do not allow use of make-up or lip balms. If this does happen, confiscate items at the end of the activity and ensure their disposal.)
Cognitive
Items required: purses and wallets and contents for same.
Gather individuals around the table and greet each one by name, eye contact, and a hand shake.
If they do not already have a purse or wallet, make these items available. If you have already conducted the physical portion of this activity, you are ready to begin the cognitive portion. Items from the purses are already on the table and you have already provided verbal labels.
The cognitive task requires participants to replace items to their purse per request. Address one on the participants by name and ask that person to replace one of the objects that is on the table, be specific. “Betty, put the comb in the purse.” Try not to allow an incorrect response. If the person is reaching for the incorrect item, intervene right away by restating the directive, “Look again. Put the comb in the purse; the comb.” Move on to a second person and make a similar request. “Mable, put the money back in the purse.” Continue on around the table until all the items have been replaced. Then direct each participant to “close” their purse by snapping the tab or closing the zippers.
Thank each individual for their participation.
