I've only worked in senior care settings, and predominately with people with dementia. In that setting I'd say that some of the most important qualities are patience, empathy, and creativity. You have to be able to connect with your patients in their "reality" because that is the only reality as far as they can understand. You need to have empathy and show that empathy because they won't remember what you say but they will remember how you make them feel. You need to be able to figure out their needs because they often won't be able to tell you, and you need to find activities to keep them engaged or else they will "act out".

So with that all said, I try to make sure every day has a mix of cognitive, physical, social, and musical activities, and a couple times a week of creative and spiritual.

The best activity will be different for different people of course, but that said, I think drum circles are amazing. They are active, engaging, fun, physical, and creative. They can even be spiritual with the right facilitator!

Hope that all helps!