darlenebe

Thanks everyone, Submitted my budget and was informed that I was only being funded $750.00 a year for everything! 31 residents and 9 AL residents........can this be possibly the going rate? What is the average $ amt you all are funded per resident per yr? mo? darlene be

Hi, I have to submit a budget for the Activity Dept. I have never had to set one up before. I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions of items that I should have on my budget. Since Admin went this route, my budget will likely be what I am currently getting or less. My concern is that when I hand in my budget proposal, I may overlook an item. Another question is, do any of you budget for books, periodicals specific for the Activity Dept.? thanks, darlenebe

Have any of you ever done something big for "Seniors Week"....In our area Seniors Week is celebrated from September 26 to October 2 with October 1 being the International Day of The Older Person..............any programming suggestions or ideas for involving community, and intergenerational programming.......am also wondering if you have any suggestions for involving staff............thanks.

Hi Bobby, I would like a copy too please...thx...darlenebe

Hi, I made my own walking assessment and walking documentation form....will gladly share it but don't know how to upload it. darlene

Dear Krista's Mom, Wow...I thought that kind of stuff only happened to me! Stop, I repeat STOP TAKING YOUR WORK HOME.....tell them to fix the computer....yes it is easier to take it home and do it on your computer, but use your work hours to accomplish this task using a pen and paper....when your Admin sees that he is paying you for paperwork and not programming or delivering programs that should open his/her eyes. People only use you if you let them.....Yes your Admin may be hard to see...but leave a note on his/her door specifically asking for computer repairs and for a set allotment for this months Activity Supplies. As long as you are taking your work home, why should Admin get your computer fixed? As long as you are paying out of your own pocket, why should Admin give you a budget? Find out when your Admin is there, take a 2nd person in with you, such as your DOC, or RN in charge and make your concerns known. The only person who can stop this craziness is you.........and when you do........your Admin should step up to the plate........and if he doesn't.......well.........get out........find another job in a facility that values their Activity Dept., and the staff who do all the heart work in order to give their residents the best quality of life possible. Activity Directing is one of several careers I have had........to say the least it is the one that I love, however I learned the hard way........WORK SMARTER.......NOT HARDER! You need boundaries........remember, people only use you if you let them, and you are being used. All the best to you.

Dear Kelly, I have been an Activity Director for 7 1/2 years. My first 7 3/8 years were just like yours............it resulted in me ending up stressed out, burned out and physically ill and off work for 3 months. During that time, I sought professional help. It was the best thing I ever did. My problem, is that I am an enabler with a an incontrollable desire to be the best Activity Director I can for our residents.....which is a wonderful quality much needed to be a good Activity provider. However on the negative side, my enabling quality impacted me greatly. Our facility had 3 previous Activity Directors before me. When I took the position, I was determined that the staff would not gossip about my lack of programming for the residents. My first mistake was that I did not have a job description. That's a no - no....and I learned this the hard way. It's taken me 5 years to get a job description for my dept. that reflects the current resident pool. The one I was given after 2 years of nagging Admin was developed at a time when there was 2 level 4 residents, (one with advanced Alz and one with Advanced Parkinsons with dementia). The other 29 residents were cognitively well, and there wasn't an assisted living wing which housed 10 tenants. My second mistake was I started fundraising, and unfortunately was very successful at it. I did this so that I was able to have a budget as the only Activity supplies were some tattered Bingo cards and Bingo chips. My efforts were so successful that Admin informed me 2 years later, that he wanted my fundraised monies to go thru the Home account and than these funds were used to by capital equipment and provide a courtyard for the residents. My third mistake was developing a successful volunteer program I did this because I knew that if I wanted my fundraisers to succeed I needed community support and advocates. The volunteer program took more time away from the residents, but it did help me get a regular pastoral care program going, a courtyard for the residents, and some friendly visitors and a great deal of musical entertainment. However now my hours have been cut and volunteers deliver the Activity Program on Mondays. We are not unionized so this is perfectly legit. The point I am trying to make is that in my facility, I donated at least 20 hrs per week for a better part of 6 years. I delivered the services of management labor and received starting rec attendant wages, unbeknownst to me until I started a networking group with other AD's in the region. My Administrator was my direct supervisor and had a clause in the old job description that he wanted me to go by, that said " and all other duties as assigned". I did the facility newsletter, developed forms for all the other depts. and mine, and as my "star" rose in the community and in the home, my Admins personal dislike and bullying of me grew....until I went on stress leave. As his dislike of me grew, the more he minimized my contribution at Board level. I became just the fun and games girl. You see, I too, never wanted to let the residents down, so I did as much of the extra workload I could from home. ... so the Board has no idea of how much I did. My children were teenagers and my husband and I had been together several years....I didn't think my overwork impacted them...however since my stress leave, I have learned differently. I am now back at work, the DOC is my direct supervisor, and a wonderful leader and mentor she is who supports my efforts on behalf of the residents. She represents me fairly at Board level, has given me a job description that is quite specific in my responsibiliities. The Admin had informed the Board a couple of months ago that the Volunteers were very good and do not need a leader. The DOC has removed Volunteer Coordinating off my job description. Now all I coordinate are my volunteer music groups and friendly visitors. I no longer recruit, train, supervise, manage volunteers. I know longer Fundraise for the facility. Unfortunately, she and I know that we will lose the strides forward we made, but the Admin and Board Members are unable to see it. They feel that the volunteers can manage themselves and that they will just do hot suppers and no one will have to organize the volunteers, that they will organize themselves.... and they might for a while, but those of us who have worked with volunteers know that this won't last. The other item she got, which Admin refused to do was to provide coverage for me while I am off. You see I used to go to work sick and all, because he refused to cover me when I was off, and when I wasn't there, staff would be ticked at me, the residents and their families would be angry that I was ill....and it just got worse and worse. Then along came a DOC who values what Recreation Programming does for the residents, who values me as a caring,committed employee and in the process, she also got me a $2.00 an hour raise. My point is.... the Administrator is there to save money. Our facility is funded for a full time Activity Director. When I was cut to 4 days a week, our Administrator hired one of my Volunteer Secretaries and now she is receiving pay for 1 day a week. I am an intelligent woman....I know where the money for her wage is coming from. Just remember, you are there to provide mental, physical, social, emotional and sensory stimulation for your residents. Working harder only gets you more of a work load. When you burnout, the focus doesn't remain on the great job you did....5 minutes of fame is just that....5 minutes. The focus will be on the lack of stimulation for the residents, how you're tired and grouchy all the time....etc.etc. I go to work now, and I am happy. I have time for the residents and they are getting the best of me. I don't bring my work home anymore. What I can do on 4 days a week is all that gets done. At home...family first. At work....residents first. This is why my Motto is WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER! Take care of yourself, Darlene

Diana, I am a new member and I was going through all the previous posts looking for ideas for my residents. I loved the "Timeslips" concept and am looking to set this up for my residents. I have a feeling that this will be my best new, innovative program for 2005. Thanks so much for posting your wonderful suggestion. darlene

Does anyone have a form for documenting resident progress in daily walking program? Thanks

Hi Bobbie, I would like to have a copy too. Could you email to darth@sasktel.net ? Thanks

Hi, I'm an Activity Director in Canada for a Long Term Care Skilled Nursing Facility. I love what I do and its taken me 7 years to learn my new motto: WORK SMARTER....NOT HARDER!

Hi there everyone! Does anyone have any Policies and Procedures that they would be willing to share with me? I have none for my Dept. and would like to get them instituted as soon as possible. Please email me at darth@sasktel.net Thanks db