52 replies to this topic

[CRYSTAL887410]

MarySue, on Mar 21 2005, 06:24 PM, said:

:-D I have been reading your ideas for 1:1 visits....pretty good ones I think! One great in room activity that I have found to work well is hand massages. You just take some lotion (I try to use unscented if I know the resident has sensitive skin or breathing trouble) and rub it between your hands to warm it first. Massage very slowly the resident's hands. This is very relaxing and makes their hands feel so much better.

Question for anyone...Is there a regulation out there stating the amount of time that you must spend with each resident on 1:1's? I have always been told 15 minutes per resident, but if that is so, the good morning idea (which I think sounds GREAT) might not work. Anyone know?

We are required at the Facility I work at to spend 30min a week with each resident ... Very hard to do when u are the only one that does them!!!!

[turtle]

Hand massages are such a great in-room visit idea..even my men love it! As far as amount of time spent with a resident during 1:1, our facility policy is to spend whatever length of time it takes to meet the needs of that resident. Resident A may only require 10 minute visits daily while Resident B requires 30 minute visits 3x a week. We have not had any trouble with our surveys regarding the amount of time spent during 1:1 visits. I don't know of any regulation that specifically states an amount of time to be spent. There may be one...I just do not recall reading it anywhere. I would love to see what others have to say about the length of time spent with each resident.

[belindaklly]

I was wondering if anyone is working in Hospital as an Activity Director. I will be working with skilled patients and not sure what kind of 1:1 activities to do with them. Everyone has good ideas but would this be good for people that are skilled. This is a new position in the hospital and really not sure where to start. Any ideas would be great.

Belinda

[joanbanks86]

Joan Banks

the in room visit for me i use a chart with games and snack music and cd's , i try to find games that they like to play and go in a play

those games serve a snack. i

[themusiclady]

I have spent three years going to a lady's room and doing activities with her- she doesn't even know she's 'doing activities' she is completely immobile and doesn't like it if she thinks anyone is fussing!

Yesterday we watched a Christmas Carol movie and she tried English Christmas Pudding; she's dictated me her family recipes; I've taken a keyboard in there and played to her or we've sung hymns; we've 'travelled' to several places & looked at the culture; I've taken pieces of herbs and flowers and plants; put a windchime by her bed; we eat different foods she's wanted to try, one week I made a trifle; I dress up and show her my performance clothes and props and any new smart clothes I bought; if it's windy or rainy we open the windows & feel the fresh air; we've looked at her photos, my photos, George Bush's photos; read loads of poetry and scripture and talked about it; I've taken in a puppy & a tiny kitten.

Her family and the staff all do the same- take souvenirs of their trips and activities, and her son puts all the family photos on the laptop for her.

Really it's not the activity- it's the engagement involved, and I think the less physically mobile a person is the more responsive I have to be at not interrupting or being too directional. With my friend above she doesn't like it if she has to be moved or there's lots of equipment- she has no control over her environment except verbally and likes things visually where she would place them herself. That's a consideration for where to sit- can someone who can't move comfortably see. She gets insecure if there's too much physical activity going on.

If she were less able to communicate verbally then I would fill more of the speech gaps. Often the caregivers know the particular song or activity which always makes someone smile, I always ask them and watch how they work.


If the person likes spending the time and looks forward to it anything you talk about or do is going to be fun and looked-forward to- I've had more jokes and laughter with this bed-bound lady than with anyone in my life!

I love my work!!!!

~Tracy

mail@tracypace.com

[lindsaymarie]

My current favorite 1:1 activity is pet time with our facility's rabbit. When I worked in AL, we simply gathered everyone into a circle in the activity room and passed the rabbit around to each resident while conversing about childhood pets and animals and so on. Now that I work in memory care, however, I find it more difficult to keep a group of people seated for that long. Instead I bring the rabbit from room to room and each resident gets to pet her for as long as they want, which usually adds up to about an hour unless the rabbit becomes antsy, in which case I end the activity early. There are a couple residents who really dislike leaving their rooms and whose sole interest is the rabbit, and they really love this activity.

The ideas in this thread are really fantastic. I have written down the housekeeping music boxes and the sweet dreams cart, and I hope to implement those next week.

[shirlee]

Make a simple themed art project reflecting the holiday or season to decorate their room. For valentines days they cut out a heart and they choose how to decorate it using stickers, markers, feathers etc.

[shirlee]

For independent room activities, based on needs and interest we provide books, magazines, puzzles, word search, crosswords, scent stories, music, movies, sound machines, craft projects like water color or drawing sheets.