Pennie

Hi We had a lady place & order for a book & she got the wrong one by mistake. Anyway long story short I had her mail me the wrong book. I just got it in the mail. It was a really good book. Had it not been for this mistake I would have never read the book, so what a great mistake this turned out to be. The book is called "One to One is not the Loniest Number". The book is full of great activities, most of which I think are useable! The activities are diffenent from the usual ones read in other books. Also the cost is very affordable. I am not writting this post as a sales gimmick for our site but to let those interested it really is a good one to add to your library. You can find it in our store. Anyway Gina I like the ideal of your book, Karen has been talking about doing a similar book for over a year now too. The only thing I have to suggest is that since so many of us have to pay for these things out of our own pocket is to make it affordable. Let us know how the book is coming along I am sure lots of AD's would be interested in purchasing it. best of luck in writting it Pennie

Hey Brandi, I have not heard of this before. I went to Google & did a search but didn't come up with anything. Can you tell me where to go to read more about this? Also is this a P & P for your facility or state? Is this acceptable for state/survey time? The "I" is it for the res or staff (person writting the CP? (I assume res) Please tell us more. Thanks Pennie

Hi Suzie.. The thing to remember is that it is a care plan, not a concern plan. Everyone is in your care and should be challenged and inspired as well as re-directed and guided. The way the new guidelines for surveyors is explained as follows: " The information gathered through the assessment process should be used to develop the activities component of the comprehensive care plan. The ongoing program of activities should match the skills, abilities, needs, and preferences of each resident with the demands of the activity and the characteristics of the physical, social and cultural environments. In order to develop individualized care planning goals and approaches, the facility should obtain sufficient, detailed information (even if the Activities RAP is not triggered) to determine what activities the resident prefers and what adaptations, if any, are needed. The facility may use, but need not duplicate, information from other sources, such as the RAI, including the RAPs, assessments by other disciplines, observation, and resident and family interviews. Other sources of relevant information include the resident’s lifelong interests, spirituality, life roles, goals, strengths, needs and activity pursuit patterns and preferences. This assessment should be completed by or under the supervision of a qualified professional (see F249 for definition of qualified professional). NOTE: Some residents may be independently capable of pursuing their own activities without intervention from the facility. This information should be noted in the assessment and identified in the plan of care. " here is a link to the Guidelines if you want to view them.. Surveyors Guide for Activities Do a search in this document for care plan and read the what the surveyors will be looking for from your department.. The ADON is on her own.. Hope this helps.. Pennie ... AD out ;-) Login and the Guidelines are in the "Activity Downloads" on the Main Menu

Hi, I always create busy bags, distraction therapy.. right. Especially in a mixed population.. An Alzheimer resident will always disrupt and touch the others during an activity or movies, luncheons.. A fight inevitably starts.. so I always rally the family, volunteers, church groups to bring old purses, mens ties, old scarfs, dolls with long hair and brushes, old carry-on luggage bags, childrens blocks, poker chips, buttons, cards.. and I create busy bags with things that need to be sorted, things that can be stuffed into a bag and pulled out and put back in, towels to fold, cards to sort, poker chips to arrange, a babies hair to be brushed, I stay away from keys .. they suggest a need to insert them in things, same with pens/pencils they suggest writing on something./.. so I always stay away from items that dont suggest sorting ... I could put 20 ties and 10 scarfs in a purse and a Alz resident will pack and repack the purse for hours, for men I like bolts, nuts and washers of different sizes to be matched up and put together, I had a one church member mount hardware on a standing board for a busy board, an Idea he got from a magazine. Door Knob, door bell, door latch, dialer out of a phone, light switch he had all sorts of things on the board.. he made it so that it would hang on the activity cart and we could bungie cord it tight and remove it if needed hope this helps.. Pennie

Hey Bartman, I have read several posting from you ok lots anyway I never would have put you into the construction worker field. You so don't fit the image I have of them. But from what I have read from you you have made the correct choice for your chosen career. The residents & AD world are the winners & lucky folks for having gotten you. I hate the way that you had to get into the profession, as I also lost my Dad to cancer. It was tough but being an AD working with the elders helped me understand with his loss & even more now dealing with a 73 yr old mom that can drive me nuts at time! Anyway thanks for the great story I really enjoyed reading it. Now if I can get Miguel & Big Chris to write stories & post them. How about he rest of you men? I know we have more out there, several of you are enrolled in our on-line courses. Later folks Pennie

This is rather long but very important, print it out if you wish. Alzheimer's Awareness Day in Texas February 6, 2007 Greetings! Governor Rick Perry has declared Tuesday, February 6 Alzheimer's Awareness Day in Texas. The Alzheimer's Association Capital of Texas Chapter wants to take full advantage of this opportunity to advocate for our cause. We want to make our presence known at the Capitol on this day. We hope to have 200 advocates at the Capitol on the morning of February 6 to support our cause and create Alzheimer's awareness. The more visible our presence, the more attention we can draw. We need your help recruiting advocates! Alzheimer's Advocacy Be an advocate - Recruit an advocate We will all gather at the Capitol Tuesday, February 6 in the morning, 9:30am - 11:30am. We will then blanket the offices distributing literature, making our presence known, and most importantly creating Alzheimer's awareness. We will hold an advocate training as the Alzheimer's Awareness Day nears which will provide disease specific information, literature to distribute at the Capitol, and answer any questions about what to do and say when you represent those affected by Alzheimer's disease. Another way you can show your support is by recruiting others to be advocates. Please share this information with anyone you know who has been touched by Alzheimer's. It is only with your help and involvement that this day can be a success! Youth Advocates Alzheimer's doesn't only affect the elderly We all know that young people are impacted by Alzheimer's disease as well. Maybe they have a grandparent with AD, an aunt or uncle, a parent with early onset, or a family friend. Whatever the case, we want to get adolescents involved in the advocacy effort on February 6 to create awareness of this. If you know anyone high school aged or older that may be interested in this effort please share this information with them. Good resources are * Family members of those with Alzheimer's disease. So often the young people in their lives feel like they can do nothing, this is a chance for them to help and make a difference. * Youth groups. Reach out to adolescents at you church or in your religious community. * Schools. If you know any students who's schools may be interested in participating, let me know or pass this information along. * Colleges. There are many groups on college campuses that focus on community involvement. * Be Creative. Think outside the box. The more young people present the more attention drawn to our cause! * Volunteer groups. We will be happy to authorize community service hours for participation in this worthy event * Benefits. It is a chance for young adults to learn about the legislative process in Texas. This is an opportunity for them to be involved in a cause benefiting those who often cannot advocate for themselves. If a school gets involved, we will send a trained member of our staff to educate students on Alzheimer's disease as well as teach them how to be advocates. If a large group from a school attends, we will be happy to work with the school to arrange for paid transportation. Depending on interest from other youth outside of schools, we will arrange an advocacy training for them as well. Everyone who wants to act as an advocate will have the opportunity to be educated prior to February 6. The time commitment for these young people will be 9:30am-11:30 am on Tuesday, February 6 with boxed lunches provided for all involved. Contact Us If you or anyone you know are interested in making Alzheimer's Awareness Day a success, please >contact Lindsey Floeck, Lindsey.Floeck@alz.org (mailto:lindsey.floeck@alz.org), (512)241-0420x10 as soon as possible. She will be happy to answer any of your questions or follow up with any leads you may have. Thank you so much for your time and participation. We look forward to a large show of support from you >and others in the community. Alzheimer's Association | 3429 Executive Center Drive, Suite 100 Austin TX 78731-1626

maybe these will be useful or can be adapted tofit your needs Basketball: Even very confused residents can enjoy bucketball. Use a large cardboard container or a plastic wastebasket, weighted down in the bottom, & encourage residents to throw the ball in to it. Cheer them when they make it, encourage them when they don't. You can take this to bedside residents & hold the up so they can try to shoot. Bean Bag Toss: Gather several boxes & label them with numbers. Place these at different distances from the residents. Let the resident toss bean bags into them, giving them points for the ones they get the bag in. Cheer them on Button, Button: Fill a large clear plastic peanut butter jar with buttons of all colors, shapes & sizes. Ladies may respond more to this than men. Empty some buttons out on the table or bed tray & let resident's sort through them. Ask them to notice the many different kinds. Notice that some sparkle, are square, colors etc. Ask how many red ones they can find. Guess how many are in the jar. Ask if they remember collecting mussels to sell to button factories. Ask them to find the biggest buttons. Ask them if they ever sewed & attached buttons. Clay: Rolling clay & shaping it can be great exercise for stiff fingers as well as fun. Work with residents individually or with a small group gathered around a table. Clay seems to be less messy though a little stiffer than play dough. You can buy clay in the toy section of the store. Coloring: Many residents - alert, confused, or mentally retarded -- like to color. Sit down with them; you color one page of the coloring book while they color the opposite page. That way, they will fell less alone in doing activity children enjoy. Nuts & Bolts: Bring a small plastic toolbox to a bedside that has been filled with various sizes of nuts, bolts, & washers. This works well with men who have been mechanics or worked with their hands using tools. Let them examine the box & put the nuts & washers on the bolts. Perhaps you can have a small block of wood enclosed in the box that has holes drilled in it so residents can fit the bolts through & secure them. Even confused residents would enjoy this one. Sorting: Fill a box with bolts, nuts & washers, all together. Ask them to separate these into 3 jars.

Just an FYI for all of you: A new year could bring a new name for the JCAHO Beginning in January, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) will allegedly be called "The Joint Commission." A December 11 memo from JCAHO President Dennis O'Leary to all JCAHO employees revealed the name change plans. According to O'Leary, in order to be less forgettable, the organization will shorten its name. Along with a name change, the JCAHO will update its logo, which will also launch in January, according to the memo obtained by the newsletter, Briefings on JCAHO.

hello amanda welcome to the site. you have come to the right place to have people share activities with as well get advise, a should to lean on when you need it, and much more. No one understands where you are coming from better than those who walk in the sames shoes you do everyday. Feel free to post any questions or share info. again welcome & happy holidays from pennie & all of at activity directors network

Hi Jody, Good Question.. Texas, California and several states have their own certification process. Texas has had the Consortium for 10-20yrs (ctractx.org), California the same I believe.. Some of the other members may know the exact numbers. The main difference is the reach of the Certification, Texas is only for practicing in Texas. Their are several requirement differences also, No. 1 for me was the education req'd.. the National requires a College Degree, and Texas does not.. I was never able to afford college and when I was working full time and trying to become an AD, I could not attend college at that time either, with 2 children. The Texas Certification was perfect for my situation. Both the Basic and the Advanced Documentation for Texas and the MEPAP 1&2 Nationally teach all the important information all AD's need to be successful. You can view the exact tracks to becoming Certified Nationally at www.NCCAP.org and for Texas visit www.CTRACTX.org The difference is merely what fits your particular situation.. hope this helps... later Pennie

Hi, Some of you may be aware of this scam but if your not be sure to read this. You might ven want to print it out & post it around the facility & send it out in your newsletter. Protect Residents from E-mail Scam Senior living residents who use e-mail may be at high risk for identity theft via a new e-mail scam claiming to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Since the e-mail message began circulating last month, the SSA has issued a warning. The e-mail message, with the subject line "Cost-of- Living for 2007 update," claims to be from the SSA and directs recipients to a phony Web site to provide personal information such as a social security number and bank account and credit card information. To report receipt of this e-mail message to the SSA, call 800/269-0271. A Public Fraud Reporting form also is available online at www.social security.gov/oig. more about SSA warning

Hi all, A great free event for you & your residents in Houston TX area The Nathaniel Center presents Entertainment on the House, featuring Decorate the Night December 8 & 9 @ 7:00 p.m. Decorate the Night is a holiday variety show with singers, dancers, orchestra and performances depicting the holiday season past and present. Call 281.348.7800 for FREE tickets and visit us online at: www.nathanielcenter.com. I hope some of you will be able to take your residents. I took a group last year to the Entertainment on the House event and everyone loved it. Please e-mail Buddy Gurganus and let him know how many residents you will be bringing. He will arrange to have the tickets ready for you when you arrive. buddy_gurganus@yahoo.com The Nathaniel Center is located in Kingwood, Texas and is dedicated to providing a spectacular venue for performing arts, cultural learning, and other community events. The Nathaniel Center is owned and operated by The Nathaniel Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting many U.S. Charities as well as the Performing Arts.

Hello Anita, I am sorry it took me so long in greeting you. Welcome back to the wonderful life of activities. They say once it is in your blood there is no going back! You can earn CEU's from our website On-Line CEU's as well as many other great websites. If you need any help or have questions all you need to do is ask! We have a great group of folks on the site who go out of their way to help. Happy Holidays pennie

We want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2007! All of us at Activity Director's Network thank you all for being apart of our growing website. AD's are very special people with hugh hearts & they have so much compassion. So be sure to take a few mins. this month for yourself & enjoy the season. Merry Christmas to one & all. From: Pennie & all the folks on AD's Network team

Hi Sandy, I am not sure of the guidelines for Adult Day Care. I recently had a lady call & sign-up for membership on activitydirector.com site. She told me that they have State come in etc. She only hires AD's for her day care centers. The reason she bought a membership was to use our activities, the calendars & newsletters. She told me they do a full calendar & hang it up in the center, as well as a newsletter & send these out to family members. Other than that I will not be much help to you. I am planning on getting more info. on Adult Day Care so that we can provide info. to this new & fast growing group. Please share with us what you learn. Bets of luck Pennie

We all get irritated when living in close quarters with others. But, this resident may have reached her limit in this case. A resident in a nursing home in Mandeville, LA is accused of killing her roommate. She allegedly beat her sleeping roommate to death with metal drawer handle. As terrifying as that sounds, she then proceeded to cover up the crime scene. The resident washer her hands and ironically hid the drawer handle in her drawer. It didn't take long before the police identified the culprit and in the process of bringing up charges against her. The defendant's sanity is expected to be questioned as a factor in her brutal behavior. This leads one to wonder if her age plays a role in this assumption regardless of her mental capabilities. At any rate, the police have ruled out bringing criminal or negligence charges against the nursing home in which the residents resided at this time. Dealing with residents that are having arguments is one thing, but preventing roommates from killing each other takes it to a whole new level. Is this an issue, really? Some residents are not in the right mind and this could become a more apparent issue in the future. As new generations begin moving into our facilities murder may become more common and less taboo then the current generation in our facilities now. The USA statistics for 1960 accounts for 9,110 murders versus 16,692 murders for 2005. What do you think? Do you think the law should be more lenient with a senior who commits this type of crime based on age? Was a mental incapability to blame? Do you ever think one of your residents could be pushed to such a drastic measure? - Cheryl

Hi All the Texas approved MEPAP Activity Director Class Starts 1st Tuesday of every month. at http://www.activitydirector.org . Enrollments are being taken now, Contact cabacon(at)activitydirector.com or call our offices at -- toll free 888.238.0444 We accept all Credit Cards, POs, Company Checks. We do have a Corporate Discount. Payment Plans available. This is the MEPAP Class designed by NAAP and the NCCAP. It is approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and by all States as a Qualified Training class for Activity Directors providing an approved activity program for the elderly 55+ and older. Price is $600, 16 Week Online Course, 90 hours Class work, 90 hours of On-Site Practicum, Step by Step, Easy to follow worksheets, Fax, Mail, Submit Online, Email your assignments .. Live Chats during the week with the instructors. Texas has approved both the Texas Basic (196hr) and Texas Advanced (196hr) Classes in addition to the MEPAP.1(180hr) and the MEPAP 2(180hr) Either class can qualify in Texas. thanks, Pennie

Hi Jill, I know several AD's who do Tai Chi with their res. & they say that the res. love it. Have you tried to contact a fitness club in your area to see if they would come to the facility & do a program w/ your res? Many Church Excercise groups would love to hold an excercise session at your facility. Some fitness clubs have a senior day also I have a couple of links you can check out &maybe they will be help. Senior Citizen Dance and Exercise Videos and DVDs Healthy Exercise Tips for Safe Senior ExerciseSenior Fitness and Sports, Exercise, Training, and Online Resources

Hi Jill, I have tried over the years to hold a chat room on various nites & times. Karen also has tried amoung a few others. It has never worked. The first time on you might get 2 or 3 people on but afte that noone shows up to chat. I think that the time was a problem because the members are all over the world & that most of us are just to busy. You are more than welcome to set up a chat night & time & see how it will work for you. Just let us know the details & we can post this info. for everyone to see. I'm sorry that because of this you won't sign up tobecome a member. The site has so much more to offer than the chat area. We would really like for you tobecome a members. I fyou have any questions , concerns or comments please post them or you may email me at pbacon@activitydirector.com oe use the Live Help. Thanks for you comments, remeber we will gladly set you up for chat night just let us know OK Pennie

WE NEED your votes.. we have a tie.. show your support for your favorite activity!!!! thanks, Pennie

Hey Miguel, Don't know if these suggestions will help but they can't hurt. Some of the different things I have done are: 1. I buy Pizza or some sort of lunch for nursing all shifts. 2. I have contest that involve the different units. i.e. Halloween , Thanksgiving, Xmas. The best decotaed units get prizes. Chek w/ admin but on one of these the staff gets a paid day off or they can tak ethe 8 hrs pay. What I do have the unit nurse for each unit decide who helps & the ok the days off. Basially a unit wins & she/he takes over fron there. This is a hugh involvement at the facility. Othe rawards can be printed T-Shirts, a meal, gift cert etc. 3. Have activities that involve the satff i.e. races that have the differnt units where they compete against each other Have a unit nurse lay in a bed unmade, have CNA's from different unit try to make it while th enuser fights them. the nurse wants her team to win, blind fold 2 CNA,s & have 1 try & feed the other, balloon race etc. 4. Offer special lunches you can charge a small amount or it can be free like nachos, hot dogs, ice cream sundaes etc. Have the res make items & serve them w/ act staff help. 5. Sit with them during lunch or breaks & ask about their family, friends etc. get to know them. Let them know how much you appericate their work & help. 6. Answer a call light or ask if you can help ass't residents to meals etc. 7. Have a contest where the CNA who brings most res. or the res. on the list (per CP's) to act. 8. Secret Pals amoung staff works great too. After you do several of these things you will have the help of most of them. Once they see you appericate them & their work & that you don't think you are any better (not that you do but they may think you do) you will have enlisted some good co-workers. Just be creative on what you do & on ways to reward them, Plus the DON should be insiting that they help according to the federal regs. Speak w/ him/her about the problems if no luck then speak w/ Admin. As last resort get the CMS guidelines out & hi-light areas about all being involved in res. lives. Lastly if all else fails then when state gets in & if they ask you about why res are not at activities be frank w/ them about them not helping. Back this up w/ documentation on why res. in not at specific activities i.e. res. not OOB, not dressed, whatever the reason was. Also.. I have passed out a few trivia print-outs with residents names listed, that they might have a familiar topic of discussion. Though they may toss them in the trash, at least they will have a participation answer for state.. when asked how they helped with activities.. Best of luck to you Pennie

Hi Vanessa, Here is a sample letter that you can copy & then paste into another program to edit it. Hope you find it useful & will work for you. Pennie Hello My name is Vanessa _________ and I work at (name of facility). My resident's are in need of Church Services, Bible Study, Gospel Music, and room visitors. The ideal schedule is as follows:  Church Services - 1 night a week, as well as on Sunday - I would like to have several churches volunteer and rotate the days that services would be performed in order to address all denominations.  Bible Study - any day of the week morning or evening  Gospel music - ideal for an afternoon during the week - Hymns from your selection can be enlarged for our resident's use.  Room Visits - once weekly visit by members of your congregation - Our bed bound residents are in great need of companionship. The visits may involve Bible readings, singing, or simple conversation. I am more then willing to work out a schedule that is convenient with you. My facility has a piano, podium, and microphone with a speaker system that would be available for your personal use during your visits. My staff would set-up the area for any of these programs, as you would need it to be. I ask that you please consider this request and know that we would all be extremely grateful for any services you all may provide. We would love to have you involved with our resident's and our facility. For more information or questions please contact me at (phone number & extension) Thank You, Sign your name This is only a sample letter. You will need to rewrite it to fit your needs & facility. Then mail this out to every church in your area. Also contact churches where some of your resident's were members. They are usually the best source to get into the facility since they have someone already staying in the facility. You might also look at your resident's, you may some that are prefect for doing Gospel music, doing a bible study & who knows you might even have a Pastor/Clergy etc person in your midst already.

Hi Betty, You must renew your certification every 2 years, if certified by NCCAP. If you are ADC or ADPC -- 30 hours continuing education will be needed. To find out what you can use in the Body Of Knowledge go to NCCAP & look there for this info. Pennie

Hey Stacy, I put this info in my newsletter, post flyers/signs around the facility for family members to bring 1 small gift for their family member. Wrap & label it with the resident's first name & from Santa. Use a deadline date so you will know which resident's will not have Christmas gift. Anyone wishing to buy & extra gift have them wrap it & label it male or female from Santa. These gifts should be given out at your resident's Christmas party. You should also ask for donations in your flyer & newsletter. Use your list of residents, who won't receive a gift, to guide people who want to buy Xmas gifts, pass these out on Xmas Day. My facility is good about giving me money to buy gifts for resident's who won't get Xmas gifts. As far as gifts, ask your residents what they would like or what they need. Usaually socks, combs, brushes, after shave, perfume, hand held mirrors, stamps, paper/stationary, pens/pencils, envelopes, PJ's, snacks (be sure the snacks are sealed, so that they can keep them in their rooms). From here you can add personal things like books, radio, CD, robe, shirt, sweaters, pictures (items for decorating room, inexpensive things) house shoes etc. You'll find most residents want the basic stuff. These residents usually don't have family so they rarely get things they are in need of, the basic stuff. I also buy little stockings for every resident, small items. On Christmas Eve visit the facility (usually after 10 pm) or have reliable staff place the stocking in the residents rooms or place where ever it will work best for you. When they wake-up they wil have a nice suprise. A little more info then you asked for, but hopefully, I have answered your question and given some info you can use. Pennie

Hey Miguel, Several years ago at a facility I worked at I held a "Craft Bazaar" It went really well. I did this for 3 years, learned alot fro year to year. In fact the facility still has these. I posted information well in advance in my newsletter about this up coming event. Then made flyers up place in every place of bussiness that would let me. I place an ad in the newspaper, called in to radio stations & contact all churches in the area. The ad was for crafters to rent a table & space for set amount of money. All of the money went to activity dept. This also included the PR fo rthis event. Residents were able to get a table for free & kept all of their money. The next year I rented the space, not the tables & vendors would be required to give 10% of total sales to activities. This was the best money maker way for the event. I also ask family members to donate bake goods & set-up a table for the resdients to man & activities got all of the profit from this. As time went on thi swas a hugh event. People started calling me asking when was the next one going to take place! It is a lot of work but you get the hang of it & after a couple of years it gets pretty easy. The key to this is doing it near a pay day for most people (1st or 15th) & maketing the event. Also mak ethis a one day event 2 days is to much for everyone involved. Bets of luck let us know how it goes. Pennie