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Hi,
I finally got the answer from Pam sanders on this reg. here is her reply:
This is Illinois state regs. As such they do not apply to Texas.
They are interesting but not any more explicit than the licensure regs for
assisted living facilities providing dementia care in the Texas
Licensure regulations for Assisted Living Facilities.
Now we know this is a State Reg for Ill. Probably we all have regs. simliar for our Alz/Dem units in some form or other. P
Thanks Pam ;-)
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Nominate an ALFA Hero
The 8th Annual ALFA Hero Awards Competition is now seeking nominations. Do you know an inspiring Administrator, Staff Member, Caregiver, or Volunteer? ALFA wants to know about them.
ALFA Heroes are recognized at the ALFA National Conference (May 4-6, Atlanta), where they will receive a complimentary conference registration, food and lodging, commemorative plaque, and cash prize.
The first link is to Adobe, if it won't take you to the form use the second link.
ALFA Hero Nomination Form
At this link go half way down the page look on the right for the form link.
ALFA Hero Nomination Form
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FREE! 2005 assisted living standards online
New assisted living standards, effective January 1, 2005, are now available free on the Joint Commission website, as well as the assisted living standards crosswalk and the statement on fire safety. See it all online
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Hey Gina,
Thanks for the info. I am waiting for a reply on the question, if ths is for Ill only or everyone. I will let you know as soon as I do.
Have a great Christmas. P
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Hi,
This is a first for me to read. It is interesting. I would think that there would be no problem to have 2 Res. Council Meetings if the Admin has no problem w/it. As far as keeping them out of the other counil meeting you can't but this geoup could discuss this topic in a meeting & vote on it. Still not sure if it would be legal. I will do some research & speak w/ some people I know. I'll get back to you as soon as I hear from them. Anyone else have any suggestions? P
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Stacy
I haven't heard of the dementia regs. but doesn't mean they aren't there If you find them &/or learn more about these will you keep us all updated on it, please.
Thanks P
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Hey There Jeremy
Nice to have you aboard. You will find lots of help & support from everyone here. Just remember that there is no dumb question only dumb guesses ;-)
It does not take long to get attached does it. You will have to distance your self some what, because if you don't you will not make it in this line of work. I don't mean to sound cold or cruel but have had my heart broken so many times from losing those special res. Anyway Happy Holidays. P
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Has anyone had to deal with DAVE yet? Share w/ us what this effect has had in activites &/or any changes you have made to meet these requorements.
While the main goal of the Data Assessment and Verification (DAVE) program is MDS accuracy, CMS is also using DAVE to make sure it doesn't pay facilities more Medicare dollars than they've earned for providing resident care. As a result, if you can't prove that your assessments are accurate, you may have to give back reimbursement you've already received.
What is DAVE? What does a DAVE review mean for your facility?
A comparison of on-site and off-site reviews: The review process and common findings
How to prepare for a review
A list of the top 9 MDS hot spots Sections B, G, I, J, K, M, O, P, and T and how to get accurate coding for each
Advice straight from the horse's mouth hear from CMS itself how the DAVE process works
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Has anyone set up or begun planning for the changing IC standards? How are you involving the activites dept?
You've put in your time to comply with the 2004 Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' (JCAHO) infection control (IC) standards. Now you're ready for the next challenge: All of the IC standards for 2005 have changed!
Beginning next month your written IC plan must include prioritized risks; program goals; strategies to minimize, reduce, or eliminate the risks; and a description of how to evaluate the strategies. You will also be required to update your emergency management activities by preparing specific response plans for an influx or risk of an influx of infectious patients. And those are just two changes in a long list of standards amended by JCAHO for 2005!
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This was sent to me via email. I thought some you may to check it out.
SNF SNEAK PEEK: Chicken, again?
When I was child, my mother constantly had to endure me and my brother's grumbling, chicken, again? as she fed us dinner. Now, when I eat at my mother's house where she always serves chicken I keep my mouth shut. It's hard to stay creative when you're doing the same thing every night whether it be feeding your bratty kids, or planning activities for your residents.
Do you feel like you're feeding your residents the leisure equivalent of boring chicken with your activities program? Are you looking for some new, creative ideas? We can help. 50 Fresh Ideas for the Activity Director is a 12-page report that is chock full of new and innovative ways to get your staff and residents involved in fun projects that keep them enthused and interested.
This special report will save you much-needed time and energy, plus it will give you ideas on how to save money. You'll also find innovative tips and resources to help you plan your new activities. So, if your activity well is running dry, order this report for only $29!
To order 50 Fresh Ideas for the Activity Director , visit hcmarketplace or call customer service at 800/650-6787 and mention source code EASK.
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I have 2 group high school students come in once a week. This is a class for them & they are graded on it. They do the monthly decorating for the facility, 1:1's, do a group act. something like Bingo, ass't res. to & from act. etc.
They also help the nurse aides fill the res. water pitches.
You could also speak w/ the students and see what they suggest. Maybe they could do a group act. that they play & carry out. Of course his only works if they come on a certain day & time.
You can also use for filing paperwork. If you can't keep them busy speak w/ other dept heads I am sure that they could use the extra hands too.
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Hi,
This may be to late for this year, but who knows.
Here is what I do every year, In the newsletter I ask that family members bring their loved ones (the res) a gift to the activity office by ----- (name a cut off date) I have a list of all the res. as we recieve the gifts we mark out that res. name. From this we know who will not be getting any gifts. I also explain why we do this in the newsletter and ask anyone wishing to buy gifts to donated for this cause. Ask them to wrap it & put a tag on it that says female or male. Santa give all of the res. a present at their Xmas. party.
From this list we know who will not be getting anything on Xmas. day. Usually you have several gifts left over from your donations, people also call the facility wanting to buy gifts &/or donate money.
If I do not have enough gifts &/or money to buy for these res. the Administrator will give us money to buy presents. The facility usually has money put aside in the budget for things like this.
Then on Xmas. day (my staff & I are off) one of us will run up to the facility & pass out the gifts.
We also make little stocking, put the res. name on it. Then fill it with small inexpensive items. On Xmas. eve my staff & I meet at the facility around 10 pm and we place the stocking on the res. doors.
If you have any questions please let me know. Ask your Admin. how they have handled this in the past. If they do nothing then explain how you feel & see if they won't come up with some money for this cause.
At least next year you will know and if need be have fund raisers and take donations all year long for this.
P
PS Have the res. name & a list of items they would like for gifts. Sometimes people (especially other family members) will want to adopt & buy for a res.
The generation that we are dealing with has a lot of pride and do not like to "take charity" so I really don't like using the tree ideal.
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Welcome Katie,
You have joined our profession at the busiest but most rewarding time of the year :-D
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you & all of my peers. P
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Hey Princess,
Gina posted the Come & Visit I beleive you are asking about. It was posted on the board Oct 30, 2004. This was printed Sat, July 18, 1987 by Dear Abby
You can get to anything that far back by going to the bottom of the page and you will see a place for you to search. Search back can be 30, 60, 90 or to the beginning.
Also here is another good one:
Time for memory test, reality check
By: Marsha Kay Seff
http://eldercare.uniontrib.com/news/marsha..._memorytest.cfm
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears, does it make a sound? Even so, he seldom remembered the outings.
Like everything else, they seemed to float through his brain like cotton candy.
So I thought a lot about trees – and babies. The first few years of a baby's life are said to be the most important. You give
them everything you have, while they enjoy the moments.
Yet, they don't remember, at least consciously, the times you cherish, from wiping their tiny tushies to taking them to the
beach. They don't remember the happiness and love with their brains, but I'm certain they remember with their hearts.
The same must be true of our parents. Even if they didn't recall a Thanksgiving when we knocked ourselves out to see them
smile, I bet they feel our love and hold fast to it during their final days. They might not be able to name us, but I bet, deep
within, they know us.
Meanwhile, we still know them. And if we give them our all, we'll have fewer regrets when they're gone. We won't feel guilty
about what we didn't do to help them enjoy the moments. For the moments there were – we remember.
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Also the AD needs to be reminded that "New Movies" today are really offensive to the elders. Most women of the generation we deal with didn't curse, drink, smoke, talk about sex etc.. Men didn't curse in front of ladies either. This is not all res. but a hugh amount of them.
Have any of the res. voice a concern to any of the family members. I would think that they would be very upset.
Res Council would be a great place to cover this issue. But do u do this or does the AD? If the AD does then maybe speak w/ council president & see if s/he has heard any talk on the subject or suggest that they bring it up to the group.
Another way is to speak w/ the administrator. Explain that you have spoken to the AD so that s/he knows you did not go over her head first. Explain the problem to him/her like you did to us. Ask him/her to not say anything to the AD about you coming to them, because you want any problems to occur from this. Suggest to the Admin. that s/he drop in during movie time.
Another thing that could be done is tell the res. that movie may be to forward for most of the res. (they aren't all as hip as s/he is ;-) ) and that s/he could rent it & watch it in their own room w/ a few other res. of their choice if they wish. Make it like a special treat just for him/her. Maybe provide a snack & juice for them when they watch it in res. room.
I know that it is a fine line for u since u are new to the job but hopefully it can be done in a way that it won't be blown up into a mess.
Otherwise all u can do is sit back & wait for the res. to take matters in their own hands forcing the AD to do her job :idea:
Best of luck P
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Hi,
My heart goes out to you. I had a similar problem w/ a res. The bad news is it never went away. The good news was that we made a silent truce for shorth period of time, several times over.
The truce was done by me finding something for her to do. She needed to have something that made her feel useful &/or in control. But after a while she would get to big for her britches & creat problems for me, my staff & res.
So I would have to take the job away from her.
I spoke w/ her family and tey said she was this way her whole life. :-x
Read her chart see what kind of disease she has, meds taking, likes in hobbies etc.. see if you can shed some light on this & provide some sort of act. for her.
She could be doing this because you are new and she may not like changes or she may be testing you. Be sure to document her behavior constatnly.
Speak to the nurses, nurse aides, social worker etc. see what they know about her. How come your exc. director is not stepping in & helping w/ this prob? It is effecting more that just you.
The one thing I like about having a res. like her is that I see them as a challenge. I am determine to win them over, they keep me on my toes. Best of is that we are Activity Professionals and we are very creative, stubborn & resourceful when we need to be.
Hang in there & let us know what's going on. Also come here to vent, believe there will be days that you will need to or else blow up :idea:
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another christmas websit, lots of things on it
Holiday Stuff
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Gina great links! Here is another that I post every year, it is one of my very favorites. A Cup Of Christmas Tea I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I do. P
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Hello Kate,
Glad to have on the site. Please feel free to share, ask questions, browse etc.. There is a lot of talent on our board. Help is just a question away. Pennie (P)
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Not long ago and far away, Santa was getting ready for his annual
trip...but there were problems everywhere.
Four of his elves got sick, and the trainee elves did not produce the
toys
as fast as the regular ones so Santa was beginning to feel the pressure
of
being behind schedule.
Then, Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mom was coming to visit. This
stressed Santa even more.
When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were
about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven
knows where. More Stress.
Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the boards cracked and
the
toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys.
So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of coffee and a
shot
of whiskey. When he went to the cupboard, he found the elves had hidden
the liquor and there was nothing to drink. In his frustration, he
dropped
the coffee pot and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the
he
kitchen floor.
He went to get the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw it was
made from.
Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed on his way to the door. He
opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas
tree. The angel said, "Where would you like to put this tree Santa?"
And that my friends, is how the little angel came to be on top of the
Christmas tree.
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Hey All,
This was sent to me and I thought this would be a good article to share w/ res. It would make for a lively group topic. What do you think? This is as I recieved it, so I am not suggestion that you send it out to everyone as it says in the end of this.
Story in Tampa Newspaper
Will we still be the Country of choice and still be America if we
continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that
came to live in America because it is the Country of Choice??????
Think about it.
All I have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS? I
celebrate Christmas, but because it isn't celebrated by everyone, we can
no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has to be Season's Greetings. It's
not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how this winter
break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday? We've gone so far the
other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone, that I am now being
offended. But it seems that no one has a problem with that.
This says it all!
This is an editorial written by an
American citizen, published in a
Tampa newspaper He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!
IMMIGRANTS,
NOT AMERICANS,
MUST ADAPT.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we
are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist
attacks on Sept. 11,
we have experienced a surge
in patriotism by the majority
of Americans. However, the dust from the attacks had
barely settled when the "politically correct! " crowd began complaining
about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.
I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who
is seeking a better life by coming to America. Our population is almost
entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there
are a few things that those who have recently come to
our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand. This
idea of America being a multicultural community
has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As
Americans, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.
We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese,
Russian, or any other language.
Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!
"In God We Trust" is our national motto. This is not some Christian,
right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and
women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly
documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as
your new home, because God is part of our culture.
If Stars and Stripes offend you, or you don't like Uncle Sam, then you
should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We
are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really
don't care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY,
our land, and our lifestyle. Our First Amendment gives every citizen the
right to express his opinion and we will allow you every opportunity to do so!
But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about our flag,
our pledge, our national motto, or our way of life, I highly encourage you
take advantage of one other great American freedom,
THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.
It is Time for America to Speak up
If you agree -- pass this along;
if you don't agree -- delete it!
AMEN
I figure if we all keep passing this to our friends
(and enemies) it will also, sooner or later
get back to the complainers, lets all try,
please
Bob Crick
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Hi,
Activity Directors ......We use therapeutic leisure activities to enhance the quality of our residents' lives.
WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY!
This will not help you, but it sums up our profession in a fun way. My consultant gave me this way back in the 70's.
Activity Professions...
Conduct more interviews than......Jay Leno
Do enough exercise to be on......Sprotsworld
Put on as many specials as......Bob Hope
Ad Lib as much as......Joan Rivers
Play as many games as......Sesame Street
Know as much trivia as the contestants as......Jeopardy
Live through as many family traumas as......Dallas
Deal with as much illness as......General Hospital
Have as much compassion as......Little House on the Prairie
Analyze current events like......The Today Show
And - We are ready to go into reruns..... At any time
Above and Beyond all This, We must...
Sing like ......Kate Smith
Play the piano like ......Peter Nero
Do stand up comedy like ......George Burns
M.C. like......Georgie Jessel
Act like......Katherine Hepburn
Edit newspapers like......William Randolph Hearst
Read like......Orson Wells
And do bulletin boards like......Norman Rockwell
8-) Adapted from a speech by Madge Schweinsberg, Sept. 1981
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Hey brandy,
I do what I call Intercom Bingo. The res., staff, voluteers, & in-rooms all play this. You could take what I do and change it up to fit your needs. I bought bingo card that had 4 cards per sheet. These sold for a dollar per sheet. The money was split between the winner and the act. dept. Mon thur Fri. every morning I do morning announcements over the PA System. At the end of the announcements I would call out 1 bingo number. (To get the number I use the same thing that I use at reg. bingo, a bingo cage w/ balls) After I have called the number it is written on a large sheet of paper & hung out on the bulletin board. This game can last a few days or a even a couple of weeks. Once I have a winner it is announced over PA that person(s) card is hung on BB. I don't give the winner the cash until 2 days later. This is because someone else may have a bingo and was could be off or out on pass etc.. If you have more than 1 winner the pot is split 3 ways or 4 ways, depending on the number of winners.
The res. that are you in-rooms can usually hear the announcements, some call me on my phone from the phone in their room. I also have som eres. who play but are bedbound, so their card is hung up in their room, where thay can see it and usually a nurse aide will check it daily. But if not then one of us in act. will drop by and check out the card for them.
This is a very very popular game in our facility.
Red Hat is hugh, go to their web site and find a group that is in your area. Then contact the "Queen" head lady. Explain to her what you wanting to do. She should be able to guide you & who knows her group may come speak with your lady res. & even accept them into their group.
This group is so much fun and I think it perfect for our res.
If you get one up & going how about sharing with us how you did it and how the res. like it. P
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Hi Diana,
I was a total wreck teaching those classes. There was so many people :-o I hope you learned something from it. I could have never done it without Chip's help! In fact I was talked into doing it by Pam Sanders & him. They are hard people to say NO to :oops:
I am not sure what is going on there this year, I haven't spoken to Pam or anyone else about it in details. I would love to go this year and plan on it if all goes well. It always fun to see all the people you know & meeting new AD's. I hope to see you there.
Maybe your husband & daughter can go. Chip found an auction, some neat stores while I was in the classes. He was having a great time on his on ;-)
Plus we enjoyed going out in the evening to different places to eat. Of course the seminar ended early enough that I was able to hit a store or two myself, after all he did right :-D
P
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Hey Diana,
Reading your post reminded me of my first job. I worked in a 150 bed home like you it was just me. I found myself working much more than my 40 hr week plus taking work home. Burn out began to set in :cry:
Sometimes you have to not do such a great job. If you are able to do it all then there must be no need for any help, at least that is how it is viewed by the powers that be. I fought tooth and nail for a part time person, it fell on deaf ears. It took the right state surveyor (person) to get me and the residents the helped needed. So sometimes it pays to talk to them about your concerns, after all most of them are human (ha-ha). You really can't do a good job on the paperwork, get to know your res., especially the SNF ones, do activities that meet all of your res. needs & least of all give the time needed to one on ones. It is not fair to you and more importantly to the res. So it sometimes takes a slap on the hands to get what you need.
After all I bet other depts. have needs that are met while you are overlooked. Stand up to them be loud, clear and heard. We after all are just as important as the other depts.
Do a time survey for your average weekly duties. Show how much time it takes to plan a calendar, newsletter, interview new res., Care Plan Meetings, Other Meetings, setting up & taking down an activity, average time for phone calls, greeting Volunteers/traing etc., doing a activity, doing one on ones, etc..Then show the benefits to activites also show how you have increased the census.
Best of luck, don't back down from this it is very important issue, needs to be addressed. Let us know how it goes & if you need any help &/or encouagement.
;-) P
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