Diana

Hi Judy - sorry you have an unrelenting administrator - it takes a good administrator to realize how hard you work and and then for her to still pressure you to do more in less time! If only they realized our true value! Keep up the good work and pray your admin sees it and not lack of you living at the facility 24/7! Sounds like you love your job! I just do my best - that's all we can do!

I rarely use the chatroom - since it is so hard to get good timing on someone to chat with - my schedule is so haywire! the best way to do it is to advertise via the message board when you would like to swap ideas and such with another AD and then use the chatroom then! Diana

Anyone have any fresh ideas for Grandparent's Day? I don't want to do the same old / same old. Diana

What forms do you guys use to keep track of your volunteers and how/where do you keep sign in sheets specifically for volunteers - individually or generally? does anyone have any that they'd like to share? my email address is djcast@activitydirector.com We had some young volunteers over the summer and wanted a better format for keeping track of these things! Thanks for your help in advance!

Karen Kay You'll do great! If you've been in the position for years already, the test is just formality! Have confidence! And have fun ADing!

Another birthday today! Happy Birthday Stacy! the big 30! Congrats! Diana

Hi Miss Terrie, For Pre Meal : Sing alongs are always helpful. Placing residents together that can converse amongst themselves is also key. A small ball toss around the table to get everyone laughing. Bubbles for low functioning residents to get them to wake up and look up. Current events. Bible readings / book club. For Post Meal : I think about myself - I don't think I'd want anything right after a meal, except maybe listening to music and relaxing and watching Days of Our Lives. That might be just what some of your residents are used to also. Maybe taking them outside in the sun (you know I mean shade) to relax and be out of the hustle and bustle of cleaning a dining room.

Just in case anyone hasn't found this site yet, Gina mentioned it on her ActivityChat at Yahoo. http://www.prekfun.com/Theme_Pages/G_L/Luau/luau_games.htm The site is GREAT! Thanks Gina!

this is just one idea, but it went over so well, that a year and a half has passed since I've done this and I still see pictures up in the rooms of the residents. Get several barrels of hay, real cowboy hats, horseshoes, old cowboy rifles (no ammo needed, hahahaha). Go to Wal Mart and cut handerchiefs out of the fabric that looks like handerchiefs (I think it is cheaper) for everone and take western pictures. Digital cameras work best. This project took all morning (maybe 2 hours), but I had families jump in the pictures and residents literally straddeling (did I spell that right?) the barrels of hay and hold the rifle as though they were on a horse! I had to make several copies of almost all the pictures. It was a blast!

Hi Jamie! Welcome to the site! Glad you found us! Yes, being overwhelmed is all part of the job! Take it a day at a time and have fun getting to know your residents! When it comes to ideas, the best way to find them is to go directly to your residents and find out what they like. Once you really get to know them, your activity calendar will reflect their interests. Some fun ways to find out their interests in a group is to get them together, put them in a circle and play a get to know you game. Ask questions that reflect their past roles such as jobs, children, location (birth, raising family), religion, favorite colors, games, etc. You get the picture. Sometimes the group questions are more fun and a lot faster! You'll have to find out this info anyways for their assessments, which you really want to do with any new facility you work at! Once again, welcome to the site! Let us know how we can help!

All great ideas! Figure out what special holidays/ occasions are coming up and fashion the movements after that. Ideas would be : August is hula month - teach them to hula! it is a blast! Fall coming up, teach them to rake the leaves (low stretches side to side), pick apples (reaching up to sky). The scarves are a GREAT idea and so is the parachute. Have you tried Top 5? Grab a large ball (any light type will do) and put numbers (large) on the ball. Have the residents catch it and hold it. Whatever number their thumb lands on, go to a list (you make it up beforehand) and make them list the Top 5 of whatever is on that list - top 5 holidays, colors, cars, states, vacations, food, desserts, drinks - you get the idea.

Pennie, what great ideas! Specifically for Bingo (I really don't have problems other wise, my staff is usually very considerate) we have staff who yell out BINGO! while walking through the dining room. We have come up with the solution that everytime they yell it, they have to give the Bingo players a quarter (which goes towards bingo prizes/cash value). Our ADON actually yells it out every time and then plays off that we are stripping him of his hard earned cash (hahaha) when we have him pay (he actually enjoys it!) You might want to consider something like this! The residents get a kick out of this and the staff feels like they are contributing.

Oh, yes!!! I have been there too!!! I had residents walking out and family members rolling there eyes! This guy had repeatedly called trying to get in and I needed someone in a bind so I thought, let's try it! Definetly, any musical entertainment - TRIAL TRIAL TRIAL! Never pay them on the first try - lost $40 bucks in a heart beat!

Wow, Peachie - I don't know what to say! It is almost impossible to plan a calendar that you can't fulfill what is on it with volunteers or staff. Get the DON or Administrator involved to see if Department Heads can take at least one, if not two activites a week to help out until a permanent AD can fill the position. Good luck and keep us posted!

From what I know of new facilities, and small ones at that, it usually falls on the Activity Director to transport residents (I am assuming you are talking about doctor's appointments and/or activities). It is not fun, but AD's are usually considered "not team players" if they do stick their necks out to stay in the facility and do activities instead of going on transports. You are not ALONE!!!! My best advice, keep trying! For any activity director, it feels like our jobs never end at the end of our 40 hours a week! Try to find as many volunteers as you can to fill in those timeslots that you simply can't fill as one person! I have been an AD for 5 years and have been the only person in activites 95 % of the time - it is the beast of the job! It sounds like you are gung-ho about your job and that will get you very far!!!! Don't lose your gusto - it's hard to gain back! Welcome to our site, hope the ideas get you by from day to day - I know it helps me!

Dorthea, how nice to have you on the board! With so many years of service we will definetly be asking you about ideas and the such! We love to hear of monthly ideas along the way, too! Again, Welcome!

I guess the topic never gets old! Kimmyh - you have done amazing, and out of the way things to accomodate your residents! You should be so proud of yourself! If those staff members aren't repremanded by getting written up for mocking a resident (I wonder if that is considered a form of mental abuse on some level) - then go to the Administrator or someone who is corporate or an owner of the facility. When you spoke to the Social Worker, what did they say? Keep us posted!

I should be working, but can't help but fill this one out! Diana What are you listening to right now? KLOVE, Contemporary Christian music What was the last thing you ate? Coconut cake (yes, that was this morning) Do you wish on stars? occasionally - it's hard not to! If you were a crayon, what color would you be? black, to put an exclamation point on everything! How is the weather right now? surprisingly sunny, but muggy Last person you spoke to on the phone? my husband How old are you today? 30 Favorite drink? water, so refreshing! Favorite sport(s) to watch? Go! Spurs! Go! - basketball or gymnastics Have you ever dyed your hair? two days ago I went blond, Lord help me! Do you wear contacts or glasses? glasses since 3rd grade Pets? allergic Favorite month? Springtime months, always seems to be a time of renewal Favorite food? doritos What was the last movie you watched? Elf - I have a 1 year old, I don't have time to go to the movies! Favorite day of the year? everyday spend with my family! When was the last time you cried? July 15th, at my friend, Maria's funeral. What did you do last night? went to church, gave my daughter a bath and went to bed! What inspires you? the love of Christ How many years at your current job? 5 + How many states have you lived in? 5 or 6, including Germany How many cities/towns have you lived in? double of every state at least

I have very sad news to report today. My friend, Maria D'Avy, Activity Director in Del Rio, Texas, was killed this past weekend in a two car accident. She leaves behind 4 children and many family in Mexico who are making their way to Del Rio for the funeral. Pray for their safe travel and comfort in their grief. Maria, may you rest in God's hands and forever enrich souls in heaven with unlimited possibilities! Your friend, Diana

very few of us really knew what we were doing when we begame AD's - but you are one of the blessed for doing it in AL! In long - term care you would have too much paperwork! In AL, you just enjoy the activities and getting to enrich the lives of your residents! Welcome to the site!

I seem to have lost my recipe for making Ice Cream in a group. It's the recipe where you put the milk or heavy cream with sugar and other stuff (vanilla, I think) in one ziploc bag and then get a bigger ziploc bag with ice in it and have the residents exercise (mix the ingredients) for a certain amount of time and the end results is Ice Cream. I've done this before with great results (cold hands, but we had ice cream!) but cannot find my recipe! Help!!!

Hey, take a look at my new post of "4th of July." it might help also!

HI Everyone! If you are like me and you have off on the 4th, what do you do? Each holiday that I know I am not going to be available and I know that volunteers want to be with their families as well, I came up with the idea to have a folder or basket of holiday specific items for families and staff to take from to entertain the residents. It works so well that when I come back from my day off, the basket or folder is usually empty on each unit (and I have four units!!!!!) Here are some ideas I came up with for the 4th, does anyone have any they want to add? Read patriotic stories Color or craft an American Flag (don’t forget, 7 red stripes, 6 white stripes and 52 stars - those who are crafty can use cotton balls, glitter, paint) Finish a 4th of July word find (I make copies) Read patriotic poems (I find on WEB and make copies) Reminisce about past Independence Day celebrations - pictures from families are usually helpful Play the Red, White and Blue game – name as many items as you can that have the colors in the names, or that are those colors; example : little boy blue, little white lies, Red Lobster, Red rover, Blue Bonnets Get current magazines with Independence Day pictures of anything in red, white and blue and identify or admire them (families can bring in stuff like this) Can't wait to see what everyone else has planned

Hi Stacie, I don't understand what you mean by quality improvement. Is it resident related, or employee related? Give us more information... Thanks,

phxville, there is no need for you to explain yourself!!!! check out TThorland's post about home study and I think you will find it most helpful! I too finished with a BS in sociology/gerontology, and then found out that I loved activities and had to continue my education to become certifited! I almost didn't do it. Being certifited will be most beneficial - you won't reget the time you took, believe me! Good luck to you and don't let people who become offended easily (too many out there to count) try to insult you "nicely." Sounds like you know where you are headed! Glad you joined the field of Activity Professionals!