What a wonderful group of people you are. After reading some of the posts I decided to reply.
I have been an Activity Director for 15 years. I started in a 40 bed long term care facility and now I am in a CCRC (health center, assisted living, alzheimer's unit and Independent living community). I have experienced many of the same things you have or are experiencing.
For the Director who feels bad when a resident says she isn't doing her job because she isn't leading activities. Does the Director of Nursing give medication? Not in my facility! I plan four activity calendars a month and DIRECT my staff to lead those activities. I do some here and there but not often. It is necessary for me to be at meetings, complete documentation and do the planning that my staff cannot do. It is also necessary that I teach my staff to lead the activities. One of me, six of them, they cannot do my documentation and I cannot do both my job and theirs. I finaly did a managers coffee once a month where a manager met with residents, had coffee and explained what their role was. It has helped many directors in our facility.
One on ones: Volunteers! Put a FREE Training Ad in the local papers, or a free public service announcement on local radios. It is worth the leg work and hours spent training and directing. Have volunteers tell you what they like and put them in the right role, they can save you hours of work every week. Their varied personalities also make for wonderful one on ones for the residents.
Men's Group, get men in your facility to lead these, our men do not want our female staff. Administrators, Environmental services, local VFW, Local Fire department, Local churches (put it in their bulletins). Let them meet with the man leading te men's group and discuss what they want to do, if they want munchies, etc. then at the next men's group the same male leader does it with them. All it takes is for one man to love it and lead it weekly!
Documentation Attendance
Copy your monthly calendar onto a word document (make font smaller), with a space at the bottom of each day paste in that space; One on one TV self/ Lounge Supplies_______ Visitor Socialized Music Read
Every resident has a calendar with their name on it in the attenance book, (tabbed by last name, one book for each unit). My staff must HIGHLIGHT what activities the resident attended and next to it write a code for participation (A V= active verbal. this usually is for discussions, trivia, etc. O=Observed others, etc).
Sounds strange but I have used every attendance form I could find, until I started doing this. It is easier for your progress note documentation, especially if you set weekly group participation goals. They highlight One on ones and know they must turn the page over and write the date and brief note of what they did. Showing that a resident constructively occupied themself also is important so they higlight if they read or watched TV, etc. I type up these Attendance records, I make copies, My staff puts them in the attendance books and thins the books (leaving the 3 past months for my progress notes).
Hope some of this helps someone.
Hugs, tam
