Pennie

I'm late but this is nothing new to those who know me ?! Happy 34th. I have been married 25 yrs and we dated about 5 before married. You know it is rare that people make it this far in the married life now a days. When my parents celebrated their 50th, I thought it is sad but not to many in our generation and even more in our childrens generation will celebrate this. My kids well now adults don't have very many friends who have their orignal parents together. we are becomeing a rare breed, just like our profession. Here's to your and Bob's 35th :pint: Pennie

Hi, i like ou new name "Reckies" what a great name Since the Holiday season is on us you should have a lot of variety to fill your calendar. Res. Council is also great way to go. I have a rule of thumb that I use on my caledar that is that my calendar must change 30% every month. Keep what they like try out new activites when on seems like it might catch on give it another try for a month or 2 more. Remember it takes about 3 months for a new activity to catch on. This is all fine and dandy but it does not help you now, right :hammer: Since it the holidays can you add a shopping trip? Lunch out of the facility? Dec. add a night of looking at the lights. If going out of the facility is not possible how about a Dog Show, have satff & family bring in their dogs & show them off etc. offer awards be silly on some. How about a bean auction? Res gets x # of beans in place of money. Have staff , family , volunteers & even res. donate items. Then have an action for the res. to bid on items. You could also have a store in place of auction giving res. tickets making them have so much value or whatever works for you. Maybe have res. make up Thanks cards for your volunteers, even let them make xmas cards to sent out to family members. Allow so many per res. Talk to Admin. about the facility paying for the postage for them. Hope these help, let us know. PS They would be a fool to fire any AD at this time of the year, it's our busiest ;-)

Earn clock hours with home study! 12 NCCAP approved courses Most courses $10 per clock hour Medical Update Call for free faxed brochure 1-888-359-9600 Fax: 423-926-4476 P.O. Box 669 Mountain Home, TN 37684 Order on line

Seasons Seminars, Inc. teaches Teleclasses, what are these? It's a simple phone call that connects participants for a presenter-led CE classes. The process is simple. Participants merely dial the toll-free number "teleconference number" for the class and they are automatically connected with up to 20 other AD's. How does it work? Several days before the teleclass you will recieve an email or fax with the toll-free number, as well as handouts for the class. On the appointed date and time you dial into the teleclass line. You are instanly *connected* with the rest of the class. To see the Teleclas schedule go to the website. Self Study Programs also available - Complete the courses online and print your certificates after successful completion or complete by mail. Teleclass Seasons Seminars 972-422-1513

When: Jan. 17 - 19, 2205 Where: Hilton - Waco, Texas Reservations: 1-800-234-5244 THCA ActivityProfessionals Award Nomination Forms are included in the November Edition of Notes. Check with your Administrator. or go to: THCA Site and download a set or call 512-458-1257 and we wil mail, fax or email you a set. Deadline for nomations responses to THCA is December 3, 2004 More info on site or call

Hi Fremontca Try some of these links below, maybe you can find one or more useful. The last one looked to be interesting. Hanukah Clipart HANUKAH EVERYTHING Hanukah Foods Activities Its not your father's Hanukah

Hi SueG, Welcome to the site. It's a place to get advise, help and support. As well as a place for you to share with others your knowledge and to vent :-x Have fun, browse and enjoy. P

Hey Blake, It seems that there are no listed instructors in OK. that teach the MEPAP 1 & 11 courses, however you might consider distance/alternative learning. Here are a few instructors that are certified by NCCAP & on their approved list. Cindy Bradshaw - Virginia - Internet (Activity Professional Training Institute, http://turn.to/apti) Cindy Musial Olson - Wisconsin - http://www.activitiespro-ed.com/ (cmolson@activitiespro-ed.com) John Rowlett - Indiana - Video (JRBANJOVOL@aol.com) Theresa Thorland - Iowa - home study (dtntt@wctatel.net) Phylis Wiley - (prw979g@smsu.edu) Check out thie website &/or email them for details. P

Hi, Just a shorth note: You facility may be willing to pay for you to become certified. Even if they have someone on staff who is. I have gotten some facilities to pay for my Ass't to be certified. It is to their benefit to have another certified AD on staff, for reasons: If AD quits, gets fired, goes on extended leave or vaction. They have someone to step up to fill the postion, no extra cost on trainig them, no lost time on charting, getting to know the res. etc. Speak to the Admin. and bring up the benefits of it. You have nothing to lose just might get a No but hey you tried.

Hi, I will never forget how this subject was brought up to me. It was my very first day and in fact first couple of hours on the job :-o A female res. older lady in her 80's and another male res. also older, said to me we want to do it. Where can we go? I was surprised and just didn't know how to respond. I have since then learned a lot and almost nothing suprises me now 8-) Any way it is their right and we should help them find a private spot/place etc.. Before I do any charting I speak to the Socail Worker. I usually chart a light version of what happened and make a note to read Social Services notes. SS usually speak to the res., if this is a new behavior for one or the other of the res. The s/he documents it. Since this is more in their line of expertise I am more than happy to let them fill in the details. ;-) After all they let us fill in the details under our dept. P

Hi, don't you think we all have the sweetest res in the world until someone messes with their BINGO You can't stop res. from coming in the middle of the game but you should not stop in the middle of it to set them up. Wait til that game is over and then do it. If you have volunteers they can get the cards and chips for them, fo rthe next game. I know at one facility we had to use the dining room as our activity room. We were always in the middle of Bingo when the shift change took place. The time clock was outside of the dining room, which had no doors. Staff would walk through the game, talking, lauging and general just loud. This upset the res. to no end. I put up signs on every entyway into the dining room: Activities in progress QUIET PLEASE. It worked at first?! I spoke to the res. and we tried this, everytime someone walked through who was loud etc.. I stopped calling we all got very quiet and stared at the person(s). This usually worked but this was not the point to me. They had no right to do this to the res. and to me. Complaint were made thru the Res Council which went to the admin. and all dept heads. This was discussed in our staff meetings. The Admin, DON would come to the activity at this time and make their presence know to staff. Again it only worked temp. Guess who else saw the Res. Council mins? Yes state, get a deficiency for this and it really helps for a while. Of course when state was in the building noone ever can in talking or to res meds or to get them for their showers, go figure. I never found a permant cure but just kept at it for the res. As far as the res. attitude in bingo, they got so hateful to each other, saying things that was uncalled for just basically rude and acting like children. I warned them at the end of the bingo games if this didn't stop bingo would be off the calendar. I did take it off for about 2 months. It cured them, if they started to get out of hand again I reminded them they would lose their bingo, and they knew I would do it. As far as the number of times someone can win and about the family members winning (who should not even have to be told that it is for the res) you make the rules so make up a rule sheet and make sure all res. and family members get a copy. Then post it in places it will get noticed. This should include the staff break room. I never knew you could cheat at bingo until I started working in this profession. :-o Live and learn ;-)

Hey llluca, To be national certified you should go to the NCCAP.org site You can just be certified in Texas, if you prefer. Either way you will need to still sit in on the exam. To learn when it will be and anything else about being certified and activities contact the "Guru of activities" Pam Sanders. She has more knowledge, personialty, connections than anyone I know. I am sending 2 email addresses for her. I forget which one is her good one. When you find out which one is the correct one would you mind letting me know? Tell her that I gave it to you & that I said "Hi" Thanks Pennie ernestejones@msn.com ernestejones@hotmail.com

Hi, Sounds like the res. have gone going w/o activities for quite awhile &/or a activity calendar was posted with act. on it that never happened. If res. went to the trouble to go to a act. and it was not going on, after a few times they just quit coming. Unmotivated res. are hard to get out, active and part of life again. You can always tell a home that has excellent act. because they (res) are out and always asking what's next. It will take you time to get them to trust you and to get them involved. Have you not been there long? You need to find the 1 or 2 res that seem to be out and who are visiting other res. knows what's going on. Talk to them about poss. act. suggestions. Also have a few of your own to tell them about, be excited. Enlist their help. Let them be a part of the act. somehow. Once you have them pumped up they will help spread the word and you will get a few more res. But chances are they will only be there to check it out, make sure they aren't missing anything. So if poss. show them they are missing out on the fun. encourage them to join in, don't push to hard. When you are not in an act. go to res. rooms and chat. Don't bring up act. talk to them about yourself ask questions about their families etc.. This will take some time but soon you will notice res. coming out to your act. because they feel they know you and like you. Also talk to any family members you see ask them questions about their relative. About not being there on the weekend, this should not be happening. I don't what state your in but in Texas we are required to have act. 7 days a week! On Sunday you must provide some type of church services. Look at your state regs. and your company policy, see what it says. Besides the weekend is when most family members visit, if there is nothing going on this could effect the census. I mean if you facility is dead and the one down the street is busy, alive with acts. then that's where I would put my loved one. You need to get some volunteers to help out by doing some act. They can be from the community, family members even some res. Call your local churches and get them to speak with their congression see if some of them won't come it. You may think about working some on the weekend. You could work 4 on Sat and 4 on Sunday, or 8 on either one of them, take a weekday. How many res. do you have? Ask about getting some part-time help. You know if you have a good weekend act program families start to talk and the census will start to go up. It will be known that is because of your dept. families, new admissions will make sure of this. What better way to get extra staff, volunteers and more monie ;-) Hold off the frustration, I know it's hard but it will work out if you give the res. enough time. You know Bingo, Parties, Music the basic type act. are usually winners until you get to know what they really want. best of luck P

Hi All, I ran across this web site from all place a cooking magazine :-? I went to it and wow :-P Story Crops helps you generate questions for about every occassion. It gives advise on how to interview people, questions to ask and more. You have the option of doing the interview by recording or verbal. go to the website click on Participate then click on question generator, from here you make up a list of 8 questions. They then give you a page of questions, you may have not even thought of and they reword yours to sound better. Then you have a chance, actually 2 possible more to get the questions in the order you want and delete the ones you don't. After all is done you get a final copy to save and print. Best of all this is FREE :hammer: Check them out. P

Hi, Below are some great websites for Volunteer info. Adopt-a-Nursing Home Volunteer Match is an online volunteer recruitment tool. A potential volunteer can view available opportunities. This tool assists facilities in recruiting volunteers who use the Web to find placement meeting their needs and interests. Volunteer Clip Art this site has clip art and several award certificates. These are free and they do not mind you using them. Download clip art directions part of the link Volunteer clip art. Inspirational Quotes The material is useful for speeches, volunteer recognition, and newsletters, recruitment materials, etc Resources Lots and lots of resources. Volunteer Ethics Professional Ethics and training material. Holiday Project Volunteers is a national non-profit organization of volunteers who visit with people spending Christmas, Chanukah and other holidays throughout the year confined in nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions. Also don't forget about your local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire, High School Classes, Garden Clubs, Eastern Star Ladies, Quilting Groups, Any Dancing Clubs, Dog clubs, Offer you facility to groups that need a place to meet or practice like Drama clubs, Book clubs, etc. Call your local dance studios that teach children and offer your place and res. as audience for the group to practice for a recital. Also contact your local juvenile judge, court. Usually these kids are given community work as one of their criterias. You have the option of saying no to any of the kids that you are not confromtable having in the facility. Also share these kids with other depts. I have found that most of these kids come back on their own to volunteer. Well this should you busy for a while. ;-) P

Hi, I was wondering if the other res. knew that her behavior was related to health issues or does it even matter to them? Also was the out burst and the council request for her to step down documented in the mins? If not you need to be sure and get them in there. The problem will need to be addressed just like any other type of concerns that the council has. I would also go to the Administrator with the key people from your council group and speak with him/her. (be sure that you have explained to them before hand what the Adm. is asking them to do etc.. Once they have meet with her make up a game plan from there. I had to fired a lady too. I also took extra staff and res. council members. I don't remember excatly what we told her but she did not take it well. But in a few days all was OK and she was at the next meeting, with her attitude which was not new to any of use and the reason they wanted her out! However it was easier for all involved because she was not a Pres. now. Let us know what happens and good luck

Hi, I know that I am a little late to have helped you with your question. But I thought that I would go ahead and address this question for future reference. The F Tag (F stands for Federal) 249 address The Regulation, Quality Of Life, the listing or Definition is under the Activity Director Job Description. The Qualification for this tag reads: The AD must meet the following educational and/or experience qualifications: 1) Be a qualified Recerational Therapist who is: a) licensed or registered either Nationally or by the State in which practicing: and eligible for certification as a Therapeutic Recreational Specialist by a recognized accrediting body on Aug. 1, 1989; or 2) Possess 2 years of experience in a social or recreational program within the last 5 years, 1 of which was full-time in a Resident activities program in a health care setting; or 3) Be a qualified Occupational Therapist or Occuoational Therapist Assistant; or 4) Successfully complete a Training Course approved by the State. **** You do not have to have 2 years experience, 2, 3 and 4 address this, note the or's in bold. If you are qualified, under section 1, then you can use 4. If you have not taken the required courses to be licensed either Nationally (NCCAP.org) or by your State. It is possible for the Administrator to go ahead and hire you. All that would need to be done is for you to enroll in and take the required courses. If Surveyors and/or State came into the building and they asked about your credeintials. (You need to give the personnel dept. proof of your enrollment for the courses, check with them on excatly what they need or ask the Administrator, I would also check with the Instructor just to be sure the proper papers get into your file.) In your personnel file there will be the proof showing that you are enrolled in the qualified courses and in the process of becoming certified/licensed. This should be sufficient and avoid getting a deficiency written. ******* I hope this has answered your question adequately. You may want to copy this info. about the F-249 Tag for you records. Thanks p

Here is another website that has some great Christmas Crafts. You will also find crafts for New Year, Easter etc.. Check out Daniell's Place

The Entertainers board is now up and running. So be sure to post any that you use or have them do it. If you read a listing and you think you would like to learn more about them, use their email address in the posting. Click on the email address and a post like note will appear and after you filled it out and hit send it will contact them. I really like this new format better than the old one and hope you do as well.

Hi Linda, Welcome to Texas. What area of Houston do you live in? I'm a Houstian. The pay here varies from facility to facility and from LTC to Ass't Living. although not by much. Are you Nationally Certified? If not then you will need to become certified for Texas or become Nationally certified. That along with expernice will make a difference in pay. All of that being said you can expect about $12.00 to $15.00 an hour. This is a rough estimate but as we all know that we have come along ways these last few years in our profession but our wages are still on the low end of the pay scale. Later Pennie

Hey Brandy, The average pay in Texas for Ass't. is about $8.00 an hour. The amount will vary due to the experience you have, on the facility you work and depending on if you work in the city (Houston) or small town outside of the city. I just recieved my newsletter from The Consortium for TR/Act. They have said that they are getting so many request from Texas about wages, that they are conducting a survey. They have sent out a questioneer. I don't know when they will have the results but once they have finished I believe it will be posted on their website. However their website is down and they hope to have it up aging by Christmas. Then in the Activity Director's Guide the discuss the cons of our profession. The 4th one had to do with Low Wages. They had a good response on how to handle this. Basically it said: Wages are something you earn. You should provide an activity program that is a step above other facilites, ones that gets good press coverage, and one that lures in pppotential residents. They suggest that you keep a record of the best programs that you have done. When it comes time for your review don't be shy! Boost about your accomplishements, be excited and talk about a few up coming events you have planned. When they offer you a fifty cent raise ask for a dollar, if they offer you a dollar ask for two etc.. And if you don't get regular raises, ask for them! This was a great article written by Marge Knoth. Again it is called Activity Director's guide. Hope this is useful to you, P

hi gayle what happen with the job? did you get it? in texas you do not have to have the 2 years to be hired, but you do need to be certified or in the process of being certified.

with the holidays coming up it is perfect time to include staff & res. you do a secert santa - have staff draw a res name from hat and be their secert santa for a week. they should leave them a card or note everyday. they could leave other items like a dollar store trinket, scratch off, gum, coke etc.. then at the end of the week have a party to reveal the secret santa to res. you could do this the other way around by letting res. be secret sanat for staff have a unit decorating contest, units compete against each other. this could be just for the nurse station or for the entire unit. have staff pick out a femal & male res. daily for a week (on there unit) and nam ethem the ling or queen for the day. think of another title beside king & queen, something that fits this time of the year. Have staff bring in baby pictures of themself and hang these in a central location. let res. guess who the picture is of. res could write down who they think each picture is and the one with the most correct answers get s a prise. maybe you want to switch it around from staff pics to res pics. make a board up and name it something like pat on the back. cut out some hands to leave by the board. explain to res, family members, volunteer and staff that when they see someone do something that is above the call of duty they should write that staff persons name on the hand along with what they (staff) did and place it on the board. at the end of every week give the staff members a certificate or award of some type. take all of the hands down and start it again do this for about a month. just a few suggestions for you P

Hi there brandy Yes you are required by the state of texas to be certified. You don't have to be certified thru NCCAP unless you want to be. I do however suggest that you are. It requires more work/courses to be certiifed by NCCAP but worth it in the end. You will need to take the exam for texas, after you have completed the required courses etc. They only hold the exam i beleive twice a year. I am Livingston which is not to far from Houston area. Where are you located in texas?

Hi linda, Thanks for all of your support and help. Chip loves your husbands newsletters & recommends it often to others. As far as posting this on your site, feel free. It does hit home doesn't. P