Bridging the Gap: How to Get Other Departments Involved in Activities (Without the Drama)

By Pennie Bacon | Resource Director, Activity Directors Network

One of the top concerns we hear from Activity Professionals across the country is this:
“How do I get the rest of the facility to help out with activities?”

Whether it’s nursing staff, dietary, housekeeping, or administration—getting support from other departments can feel like pulling teeth. And with short staffing and burnout at an all-time high, many Activity Directors feel like they’re doing it all alone.

We’re here to tell you:
🔹 You’re not imagining it
🔹 It’s a common problem
🔹 And there is a solution

The Real Reason Staff Avoid Helping With Activities

It’s not always laziness or lack of care. Often, it’s one or more of the following:

• They don’t know they’re allowed to help
• They worry it’s not part of their job description
• They’ve never been trained on how to engage residents
• They’ve seen it go poorly and don’t want to do it “wrong”
• There’s a culture of “that’s not my department”

This is where education, leadership, and CMS tools can bridge the gap — especially when you know how to speak the language of compliance.

✅ Use the CMS Critical Element Pathway for Activities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a document designed to help surveyors determine whether your activity program meets the federal regulations for meaningful engagement.

📄 Download the CMS-20065 Activities Critical Pathway (PDF)

This is not just a surveyor tool — it’s a roadmap to collaboration.

You can use it to:

• Audit your current activity program
• Identify gaps in staff participation
• Show leadership where improvement is needed
• Train other departments without sounding accusatory

Instead of saying “I need more help,” you can say:
“CMS expects cross-departmental support for individualized activity programming. Here’s how we’re doing — and here’s how we can do better together.”

Pro Tip: Turn the Pathway Into a Worksheet

Create a checklist version of the CMS-20065 and use it to:

• Evaluate one group activity per week
• Rotate in different departments to observe with you
• Highlight care plan alignment, resident choice, and participation

Then build mini in-services using real data. For example:

• Nursing: “3 out of 6 residents required 1:1 support during this group. Here’s how quick prompts helped increase participation.”
• Housekeeping: “Our sensory program was interrupted twice by vacuuming — let’s coordinate schedules so residents stay regulated.”
• Dietary: “Meal-based programs thrive when staff allow time for conversation. Here’s how your team can help build connections.”

Talking Points for Your Administrator

• “According to CMS, activities must reflect resident interests and support physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.”
• “The surveyor tool evaluates cross-departmental support. We want to be proactive, not reactive.”
• “By educating the full team, we reduce the risk of deficiencies and improve resident satisfaction.”

You’re not just asking for help — you’re building a stronger, more compliant, and resident-centered facility.

Change the Culture Without Conflict

• ✔ Invite other departments to join your morning huddles
• ✔ Highlight team wins in your newsletter or on a whiteboard
• ✔ Share the survey form with department heads
• ✔ Offer brief shadowing opportunities during large programs
• ✔ Rotate a “guest of the week” from each department to co-lead an activity

Final Thoughts

You were never meant to carry the full weight of resident engagement alone.
Meaningful activity programming is a facility-wide responsibility — and now you have the tools to show exactly how and why.

Print the CMS Critical Pathway.
Turn it into your ally.
Educate your team with confidence.
And watch your programs transform from unsupported to unstoppable.

Thanks for being part of the Network. We’re cheering you on.
🧡 – Pennie Bacon
Resource Director, Activity Directors Network