lllucas

Hi Tracy! I agree with Sara. Also you can give your Acministrator (and the office) a copy of your monthly activities calendar . Whenever possible, involve them in your group activities such as parties and special events. Your census is extremely low which accounts for the lack of noise. Is the administration office near the activity area? If not, you need to get the residents as close as possible. Administration and visitors will notice if they can see and hear the activities going on. If the Administrator still dosen't notice, turn up the heat...squeak the wheel...invite him to every activity. It'll drive him nutty and pretty soon he'll leave you alone. (My hisband was an Adnimistrator...believe me, I know all the trickes). Best wishes, Linda

Hi, Karen! What a wonderful looking site. The holiday colors are terrific! Will you continue to do this for each season? I truly appreciate Activity Director Network. Best Wishes, Linda

This is a list of Christmas gifts for Alzheimer's/Dementia residents. You will find that many of these gifts are also excellent for the entire population of your facility. Go to: http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com/...iaGiftIdeas.pdf Hope this helps you.

Hi, Everybody! :-) RE: Making 11x17 (tabloid size) calendars. Most copiers will allow you to run this size paper. Often you must hand feed it into the copier. If you are lucky your copier will have a feed tray. Tabloid size paper is available at Office Max and Staples, and comes in a variety of colors. Also, it is easy to enlarge your calendar from 8 1/2 x 11 to 11 x 17 by choosing a setting on the copier. Best Wishes, ;-) Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Hi, Bonnie! :-) I'm like everyone else. I think it is a good idea to judge the general atmosphere of the facility (formal, casual, etc.). Then you can make your choice of dress. However, you also need to understand the kind of work you must do every day. If you are a department of one and must conduct all of the activities, you need to dress appropriately (usually not a dress). I do a lot of bending over, stretching high, stooping...and trying to modestly deal with a skirt is just impossible. So keep it real when you decide what to wear. My general attire is slacks, a shell, a smock, knee-highs and Nike's. This configuration pretty well meets every situation I encounter. Sincerely, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Hi, Jacks! :-) BOYS' NIGHT OUT: Ideas for Men's Activities The male resident or client can sometimes pose a special challenge to the activity professional in terms of developing programs of interest and motivation to attend programs. Male residents in long term care communities are in the minority and in most cases, their needs and interests are different than the masses of female residents who reside in the facility. The activity professional and program should reflect some effort to address these needs through tailored and group programming. To first understand the male resident, one must understand what generation they have come from. Growing up during the 1920’s through the 1960’s was much different than it is today. The men of that generation were a dominant force in all aspects of life. They were the bread winners, bosses, managers, owners, mayors, and overall decision makers in the home and society. They equated their worth with their accomplishments, their strength and ability to protect others. They had jobs that had a tangible outcome and other people often depended upon them for a service, support or protection. Even in the family, the husband or father assumed a dominant role. This was before women’s liberation and the wife and mother often deferred to the husband in all decisions regarding money, raising the children or home. This was the life they knew. Today, these male residents are now residing in a community because they need help. They have lost their independence and are no longer the provider or protector. To make matters worse, they are being cared for by women (for the most part, as male care givers in health care are also less in numbers). The male resident sometimes reacts by withdrawing from the mainstream of events. They see a facility filled with women and make the decision they cannot or won’t fit in. In other cases, they may become argumentative and demanding, possibly as means to reassert their authority and control. And then there are the few men who do adjust and join programs easily. To address the needs of the male resident, the activity professional can develop “gender specific” activities. Our calendars abound with activities for women –cooking, crafts and the infamous “Red Hat Society”. We must also make sure there are ample activities for the men. Scheduling separate activities for men is sometimes not easy because of staffing or space. However, ensuring that the men have a role within regularly scheduled activities as well as special groups is important. Craft groups: Having a workshop area for the men who come to crafts is important. When the men see a group of women working with yarn, pompoms and the typical feminine craft items, they may not even enter the room. Defining a “workshop” for the men with appropriate male oriented crafts is encouraged. Working with wood, paint, tile, leather and similar items may be more welcome. Most craft catalogs are filled with pages of more manly oriented crafts. Discussion groups: Providing the male resident with a leadership role within daily programs is a successful approach. Possibly the male resident could be responsible for obtaining the newspaper from the front lobby and delivering it to the program area. During current events, having a male resident be the “weatherman” and report on weather conditions could be another role. We think of many “hostess” oriented roles for our female residents, we need to think of suitable “leader” roles for our male residents. Exercise programs: Scheduling a “men’s gym or workout” might be of interest to the male residents. Introducing light weights or light gym equipment would be more appealing to the male resident. Focusing on repetitions and increasing strength, and monitoring progress on a chart is often appreciated by the male resident. Active games: Games that have a tangible quality and equipment are often well received by the male population. Bowling, basketball, target toss and similar games with equipment are effective. Keeping the equipment adult-like and as close to the original format as possible is recommended. Many of the senior catalogs such as S & S, Nasco, Sea Bay and Sportime have great supplies. http://www.sportime.com/ http://www.enasco.com/senioractivities/ http://www.seabaygame.com/index.html http://www.ssww.com/ Creating teams and keeping score are also more appreciated by the male resident. Creating a men’s bowling league and contacting nearby care facilities for a shared tournament has also been successful. Trips into the community: Locations for trips of interest to men include local sporting events, fishing expeditions, museums with male oriented topics (war, sporting, nature), and a local “man’s” bar for lunch. One of the more successful trips for my male residents was taking them to the local Ford or Chevrolet car dealership when the new car models arrived. I would make pre-arrangements with the salesmen and they were willing to spend time with the residents showing the new models and looking under the hood. Sensory/Diversional Programming: Ensuring there are male interest oriented sensory baskets which include fishing, sports, cars, and other items of interest to the cognitively impaired man should be developed appropriately. Having diversional items of interest for men such as bolt boards, pipe works, sorting baseball cards, and sanding wood should also be available as defined by the resident interest. Interest clubs: Scheduling a “Men’s Club” is one way, but not the only way, to offer programs of interest to the male resident. A regular men’s club is recommended for every calendar. Seeking a male staff member or volunteer to coordinate the program is also highly recommended. The club content can be self directed, defining topics of interest or directed by the group leader. Louise Whitley, (LWhitney@JewishHomeRoch.org) a social worker in NY State, introduced a program called the “Plaid Flannel Shirt Society” for her male clients. Of course, this evolved in response to the “Red Hat Society” for the women. She wrote a wonderful poem “When I am an old man…” as a motto for the group. http://www. dhspecialservices.com/oldman.htm There are two books about programming for male residents in long term care. Gentlemen’s Gatherings which can be obtained from Gary Grimm Publishing http://www.ggapublishing.com/ Barbers, Cars and Cigars which can be obtained from Eldersong http://www.eldersong.com/shop/key/mens-activities.html Many companies have lots of trivia and reminiscent materials of interest to male residents also. Creative Forecasting has a monthly column which lists a variety of activity ideas focusing on male interests. They often follow a seasonal or holiday theme. http://www.creativeforecasting.net/ Let Debbie answer your Activity Questions Visit DEAR DEBBIE: About Debbie Debbie Hommel, BA, CRA, ACC, is the Executive Director of DH Special Services. She is a Certified Activity Consultant on State and National level, with over twenty-seven years of experience in providing direct care and consultation to long term care, medical day care, assisted living, and ICF/MR facilities throughout New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. She is an experienced trainer and workshop presenter, conducting a variety of seminars throughout the Tri-State area for the Activity Professional, Administrator, and allied healthcare professional. Debbie Hommel is an active member of Activity Professional Associations on State and National levels. She is ACC certified through the NCCAP. She is a founding member of the New Jersey Activity Professionals' Association, serving terms as Vice President and President. She received the Weidner Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994 and the Monmouth & Ocean County Activity Professionals Life Achievement Award in 1999.

Hi, pvmpenny! :-) I'm really happy to here that your residents have computers. It is important for facilities to begin to add computers for resident use. The census in many places is beginning to realize more and more people with computer interests and skills. This will only increase as the years pass. The old proverb is "You can't teach and old dog new tricks." But that just isn't true. We have a computer for the residents in our facility (we need a lot more). It is wonderful to see them playing card games and board games. That's also a great way to improve their fine motor skills...praise the mouse! They feel as though they are back in the flow of the mainstream of society. I only wish our folks were connected to the net. I volunteer my husband to be a e-mail buddy to one of your residents. His address is rdlucas2003@yahoo.com . He is a recent member of this message board and goes by "OldBob." Oh...yeh...he agreed to do this. Best wishes on your computer endeavors. Keep in touch with us all and let us know how it all progresses. Sincerely ;-)

Until this last year the lift-bus was driven by anyone who was directed to do so or wanted to do so (i.e. staff, volunteers, family members). It is large but not so large anyone needs a special license. :-( Now it is only driven by assigned staff members. I think it all comes down to insurance. Believe me, that makes it difficult for evening outings when only a couple of residents go somewhere. :hammer: Adapt and overcome.... ;-)

Hi, Friends! :-) A very successful event for us has been a Ladies Tea Club which is hosted in a different resident's room each month. Invitations are sent and the ladies wear hats (not necessarily red hats). This works well for a very small group. For a larger group I recommend that you meet in the activity room or dining room. Serve favorite drinks and lady-like snacks. Don't forget the flowers. Sincerely,

Hi, Everybody! :-) I just received this e-mail and decided to pass it on to you. This reminds me of the old Art Linkletter show, Kid's Say the Darnedest Things." I'm sure you will want to share it with your family, friends and residents. ;-) Subject: Proverbs A first grade school teacher in Virginia had twenty-five students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic! 1. Don't change horses..........................until they stop running. 2. Strike while the...............................bug is close. 3. It's always darkest before...................Daylight Saving Time. 4. Never underestimate the power of ........termites. 5. You can lead a horse to water but ....... how? 6. Don't bite the hand that .................looks dirty. 7. No news is.....................................impossible. 8. A miss is as good as a . Mr. 9. You can't teach an old dog new ........ math. 10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll .....stink in the morning. 11. Love all, trust .................. me. 12. The pen is mightier than the .pigs. 13. An idle mind is........................... the best way to relax. 14. Where there's smoke there's .............pollution. 15. Happy the bride who........................gets all the presents. 16. A penny saved is ............. not much 17. Two's company, three's . the Musketeers 18. Don't put off till tomorrow what . you put on to go to bed. 19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and...... you have to blow your nose. 20. There are none so blind as ............ Stevie Wonder. 21. Children should be seen and not ........ spanked or grounded. 22. If at first you don't succeed ............... get new batteries. 23. You get out of something only what you ..... see in the picture on the box. 24. When the blind lead the blind ........... get out of the way. And the WINNER and last one! 25. Better late than.................................... pregnant Have a great time,

Hi, Dixie B! :-) Welcome to a great profession and a great AD message board. We will be glad to help you in any way we can...just let us know your questions. There are many websites on the net that can help you out with ideas. Some sites are pay sites, but many are free. Check out the Web Links page listed on the left hand side of this page. You will find a lot of help here. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't invite you to visit my site, The Activity Director's Office, and download our free e-magazine, Activity Director Monthly. Many activity professionals from across the country contribute monthly articles to its pages. Again, welcome aboard. You have chosen a challenging, yet, rewarding profession. We all wish you the very best in your endeavors. Sincerely ;-)

Hi, Everybody! :-) Here's a one-on-one activity that works well for me. I have a local elementary shcool that has a special reading program established for its students (grades 1-6). Those who meet the schools requirements are allowed to join a group called Kids Kare. Kids Kare is a joint volunteer coordination between the shcool and the nursing home. The children's reward is the privilege to come to the nursing home and read to the residents in the resident's room...one-on-one. We have the children in once per month during the school year. The children love it and so do the residents. At the end of the school year (usually during National Nursing Home Week, our facility sends the president and the vice president of the Resident Council, along with the Activity Director, to the school to hand out recognition certificates to the students who participated. We meet in the school cafeteria with one grade at a time and hand out the awards. Of course...lots of pictures are taken and the event is publicized in the local newspaper. Everyone has a lot of fun. :-D Now is the time for you to contact your local school about establishing this event. Wishing you the best, ;-)

Hi, Mary! :-) Volunteers can really help make your job easier...but you have to grow them. Make sure you are taking care of the volunteers you have by awarding them certificates, praising them in newspapers and the facility newsletter, patting them on the back...treat them as though they were made of gold...they are! :pint: When your religious groups are there, try to encourage some of them to volunteer for other needs that you have. Sometimes you get an older group of volunteers who are willing to come at different times during the day for coffee time, one-on-ones, help with decorating for the seasons, helping with parties and special dinners, and a wide variety of other things. Many of the younger people work during the day and find it very difficult to volunteer...but older folks who are retired are often looking for ways to fill their days. Also, their volunteering is a good way to sew seed for future census. That is, many of the 50+ crowd have parents who may need nursing home placement at some time. Some volunteers who are older than that may need placement for a spouse. By volunteering they will learn about the quality and caring of your facility. To me, a vibrant activity program is the best visible sign of quality care. ;-) Also, try to establish a regular visit from the local elementary school. A reading to the resident type of program works well and counts as a one-on-one visitation. Sometimes a local college has an Activity Therapy program that requires its students to serve a practicum of so many hours. You can sign up to be a practicum director and they will send you students each semester. Family members make good volunteers as do their children. Also, the children of staff can volunteer. Do you have any children who wait in the facility for their mother to get off work? Grab them as volunteers. ;-) Here's the secret of keeping volunteers: praise-praise-praise. It is important to establish a yearly time for volunteer recognition. Choose a day or evening other than National Nursing Home Week or National Volunteer Week (Why? Because the volunteers are probably swamped with other facilities wanting them to come to their party during that time). Instead, pick another time and you will have a successful showing up of your volunteers. At the volunteer recognition provide them with party food and drinks, set the tables with center pieces you can give away as prizes, give each of them an inexpensive gift, provide certificates of participation, award one volunteer as Volunteer of the Year, have someone to supply music during the party time (instrumental is best) so the volunteers can socialize with each other and the residents. Let the resident council be the sponsor of the event. I hope this will help you out. :hammer: Sincerely,

Hi, Julie! :-D The questions I get via e-mail generally concern "activity ideas" and "certification information." Most of the activity idea inquiries are about men's activities and dementia activities. The certification questions are generally about home study or online courses. I have tried to answer these questions in various ways on my website, The Activity Director's Office, and I invite you to take a look at the pages and articles for some ideas. Hope this helps you out.

There are several sites on the Internet which may help you. However, in a totally biassed way, I recommend my site, The Activity Director's Office at http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com . From the Menu select Activity Ideas that Work. In that page's menu you will find a listing for Alzheimer's/Dementia activities. Hope this helps. That specific page is http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com/...Alzheimers.html