Diana

I have way too many pipe cleaners - does anyone have any new craft ideas to do with these things?

HI Karen, I sent you a message with my address, hope you get it! Diana

HI Weda! This is DIana, from San Antonio - Castroville - east of S.A., right? beautiful country! I didn't realize your facility was so big out there! Welcome to the site - hope we'll be able to help! contact me personally if you need any help from S.A. - I love networking in our area!!! Diana Memorial Medical

Some ideas..... Resident/Staff Bingo (since it is so popular in nursing homes anyways) - where the staff get to win the prizes with the residents they help with the game. Have Resident Council vote on Star Staff of the month and post monthly - include a certificate that states the staff recognition to give to staff memeber and to put in their employee folder, announce it at next all staff inservice, and maybe even add a movie pass for two. An idea I saw from a Mariner (now SAVA Senior Care) newsletter, was a sister facility had a Fear Factor activity with the staff trying different events. The residents were the audience. They had to eat gross food and do simple stunts I think. Great staff motivator - out of building get togethers. Ranges from softball team, outside volunteering (Alzheimer's Walk, Walk for Diabetes or Breast Cancer) or even just a company picnic at a nearby park - nearby because those who are still working can stop by on their lunch break. Diana Castellanos Activity Director for 5 years Memorial Medical Nursing Center San Antonio, Texas

Hey, also, what sort of preparation do you guys do with your new volunteers to prepare them to be a successful volunteer? I put them through a sort of orientation, but it doesn't always ensure they will stay. I've realized mostly it is their own determination to be a volunteer that determines their length of servitude. Any suggestions?

Hmmm, violation is such a big word in this incidence. Her right to have the pills crushed is definetly something that needs to be addressed and care planned. I don't think that the specialist needs to go to extrems of saying she needs to go on a puree diet - that's definetly going overboard! It appears to be just a preference. Involve your DON and Social Worker - they may be on your side. My thought is NOT to refer to it as a violation, just simply "Resident's Right to prefer for the meds to be crushed". You don't want anyone to get defensive, unless you feel as though they aren't listening to you.

Hi Wanda, I read through your post twice and am trying to piece together from what you have to what you want. Considerations are your census and your residents needs. Add that to what staff you have available - is it just you in Activites or do you have an assistant. Then, try your new idea for a month as a test and see how it works for you - you can always go back to your old schedule afterwards if the timing doesn't work. I hope this helps!

See if your city has a local DELTA Society - look them up on the web, it gives locations. They match up certified pets and owners with nursing facilities and hospitals. They are already trained, have name tags and insure that all pets involved have their shots and are tame animals.

hi KAREN! WELCOME TO THE SITE! I AM FROM SAN ANTONIO - GOOD TO HEAR OF TEXANS ON THE SITE!

My most frustrating thing is when people as stupid questions (the old saying that no question is a stupid question goes out the window on this one). I have staff that has worked at this facility for over 20 years and we have had our little library in the front lobby as long as I have been here (4 years). The question I got was - where can they get books for residents when I (AD) am not in the facility! No logic to that question! And the old though that the AD is the ONLY person who can do activities! How absurd is that!?!

HI BRAYDON - WANTED TO SAY HI - BEEN WATCHING YOUR POSTS AND THINK YOU HAVE THE INSPIRATION FOR GREAT IDEAS! CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR AND SEE ALL YOU DO! MY BEST CHAT TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS, 7-7:30, CENTRAL. ANYONE ELSE THAT IS A GOOD TIME FOR? DON'T FORGET TO USE THE SHOUT BOX TO CALL SOMEONE OVER TO THE CHAT ROOM, OR ELSE NO ONE IS IN THERE!

it's the worst! you are right! it should be the first thing someone learns when working for a nursing home - say no! when someone asks info about your copier!

Dee, thanks for those GREAT ideas - Thanks to everyone else as well! I like the idea of getting someone interested in group activites in a "tricky" way, so they don't think I am being pushy, and those are inventive ideas! Thanks!

Welcome Liz! I know you'll find lots of info here that you'll need! Good luck!

Hi guys! Spring break is here and we just had our Easter Egg Hunt (easier because we were able to get more kids during Spring Break). It was wet and raining outsite so we had it in our dining room. With 40 kids it was interesting! We put the residents in a circle and had the kids pair up with as many residents as we could. WE had a balloon toss (balloons had prizes written on little papers on the inside), Egg Hunt, Fun Jigs for the residents to do (hokey pokey, hop like a bunny, hop like a frog, say their ABC's, etc). I even had a drawing for the residents to win prizes. I had a lab center, an ambulance company and hospice company provide all the eggs and candy I needed! They loved donating and I loved receiving! What other ideas do you guys have for Easter celebration?

Hello Everyone! Here's a question for everyone - What are some ideas that you folks have for activities in the dining area right before meals, when you have the majority of your residents available. This is the time of day when folks are gathering and yet just sitting and staring at one another or listening to music. These include residents who usually attend activities and those who only come out for lunch or dinner? Earlier Pennie posted one about an AD who played a table bingo (taking about 15 minutes) where she was able to involve residents who don't usually attend activities.

Hi Chris - I realized your first post about this was over a month ago and the inservice is probably already done - but here's some thoughts none the less. CJackson had the right idea when she said it gets them off the unit (unless activities are done on the unit) and, but it still helps them with their level of functioning. I had a horrible aide one time (thank goodness we fired him) that kept say "how do you KNOW that is what they want to do? how do you KNOW that is the music they like? how do you KNOW they like that?" he was unbearable! he wouldn't take the residents to activities and he would turn hiphop music on for demented residents on THE RESIDENT'S RADIO simply because I couldn't "prove to him" that that wasn't what they wanted to listen to. We proved it eventually by letting him go! One thing I like to do is involve the aides in a group social with the residents, but only allow them to have refreshements IF they bring a resident. Another extreme you can try with teaching/inservicing staff on the need for activities is put them through a sensory/sensitivity training. Give them glasses with vasiline on them and tell them that they can't take it off because their hands don't work (put big gloves on their hands). Tell one of them they have hemiparesis and put an arm in a sling and weigh down the same leg. Put them in wheelchairs and tell them they can't move from there during the inservice, not even to go to the bathroom. Etc, you get the point. the need for attention and activities becomes obvious when you are put in the situation and can relate to it. HOpe this helps! Good luck!

WOW PENNIE!!!! oNE YEAR!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! DIANA

I couldn't resist - here is a website of IRIS BLESSINGS - some are great! Here's a sample : "As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction." "Walls for the wind And a roof for the rain, And drinks beside the fire. Laughter to cheer you And those you love near you. And all that your heart may desire" It goes on and on! http://www.luquette.org/inspire/irish_bles...s.htm#Blessings

Hi Gina - that's the reason I don't use Activity Connection - too pricey! Believe me, you can find SO MUCH without having to pay for it! Activity Director's Office has free newsletter, Gina is on that site and has WONDERFUL activity ideas - once again FREE!!!! You don't have to pay to do a great job for activities. I also am a once woman show and don't have the funds for Activity Connection. You'll do GREAT! I promise! just use your resourses and the other sites that are offered through this one!

Oops, here's Bunny's website!!!! http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/activ...shipforseniors/

Hi Guys, this is what I use. I got this from Bunny, though off the top of my head, I can't think of her website. She posts at http://www.senioract.com/wwwboard.html pretty often. This is all entact and I give her full credit for this survey. ACTIVIY INTEREST SURVEY In Order to make our Activities Program as responsive to your needs as possible, we ask that you take a few minutes to complete this survey. We’ll use the results to help guide us in formulating an activity schedule you’ll enjoy. Thanks for your time and input. In how many scheduled activities do you participate each week? _____ How many times a week do you require independent leisure materials? ____ (These are: magazines, crossword books, cards, movies, books, musical tapes, craft items) Are you satisfied with this level of participation? yes________ no _________ What are your three favorite activities? 1.____________________________ 2.____________________________ 3.____________________________ What activities would you like to see scheduled?_______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ What time of the day do you prefer to have activities scheduled? Morning _____ Afternoon_____ Evening _____ Do you prefer activities ( check all that apply) Outdoors _____ Indoors______ Away from the Facility_____ Would you like to be involved in any capacity as a volunteer in the Activities Department? Yes contact me______ no thank you_____ Do you enjoy Entertainment arranged by Activities? yes________ no _______ What are your favorite types of entertainment? ________________________________________________________________________ Do you have any suggestions for the activities director? ________________________________________________________________________ Put a check after all of the following that might interest you. Art__ Crafts__ Bingo__ Bird Watching ___ Card Club ___ Gardening___ Music ___ Golf ___ Walking___ Picnics ___ Children Visits ___ Baseball ___ Tennis ___ Bowling ___ Glee Club___ Carnivals ___ Movies___ Book Club ___ Cooking ___ Teas____ Womens Club ___ Mens Club ___ Needlework ___ Travel ___ Socials ___ Visiting ___ Exercise___ Shopping___ Loteria___ Woodworking___ Horseshoes___ Poker___ Please deposit this survey at the front desk when it is completed. Thanks! Please add any additional comments to the back of paper. This document can be used several ways, to allow a new admission input, or to assess the success of your present program. I try to use it periodically with every resident a their needs/ interests can change. I keep a copy and just review it with them every year or so for long termers. For those in for just a short time, I might refer to it, and ask if they feel like trying a bit more now. Often they are very ill and do not feel up to much on admission. The first two questions allow you to do a few things: Get an idea of what they think their participation level is compared to the reality you know, to offer them the idea that all of their leisure activities do not have to be done in a group, and that you will provide them with items to use independently. I hope you find this form useful. Feel free to use adapt and change it to suit your needs. I reserve the right to puplication. It is my original form. Bunny ( Nancy Hahn)

Nope, this is the second time I've looked and I can't find it either - it takes me to a "google search" and it doesn't find anything there either.

What GREAT NEWS!!!! We hated the thought of loosing you, Gina! I saw the addition to the site, Linda, and it looks great - just like I remember Glad you two teamed up

Hi everyone, here are some websites for St Paddy's day that are GREAT! Happy Green Everyone! http://www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/stp.html http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/patrick/index.html http://blackdog.net/holiday/pat/