lllucas

Hi, Everybody! :-) FYI: I have added a monthly newsletter to my website, The Activity Director's Office at http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com . You can sign up now and not miss the first edition which comes out in December 2004. The newsletter will be written as an Adobe PDF file. The link will be e-mailed to you each month so you can either read the newsletter online or print out a copy for yourself. It requires that you have the industry standard Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Most computers come with that software factory installed. However, if you need to load it into your computer, you may get it for free at this address: http://www.download.com/3120-20-0.html?qt=...ader&tg=dl-2001 . I will include this address in your e-mail announcement about the newsletter. Thanks to all of you who have helped me get my website up and running. Special thanks go to Pennie and Chip Bacon of The Activity Director Network at http://www.activitydirector.net ; Gina Salazar of Activity Ideas That Work at http://pages.ivillage.com/ginasalazar2004/ and Activity Chat at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Activ...?yguid=32256940 ; and my husband Bob Lucas of Newsletter-Express.com at http://www.newsletter-express.com . Hope to talk to you all when Gina and Miguel get a Chat Night established. Sincerely yours, Linda Lucas, AD ;-) The Activity Director's Office http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Hi, Diana! :-) Hey! Tell us more about your handheld Bingo caller and where we can get one. Sounds a lot easier than the traditional method of calling the game. We want details! Thanks, Linda Lucas, AD ;-) http://theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Hi, Noell! :-D Your program sounds quite interesting and innovative. However (and maybe I'm not understanding it all), it is also quite expensive and far beyond the affordability of most nursing homes' Activity Budget. Most of us are limited to $100.00 max for people to come into the facility and present an activity. Usually the fee is closer to $50.00. My total monthly budget is only $200.00. Do you have something a little less expensive that can be learned and presented by the Activity Director? The artworks are beautiful. Is that done by pallet knife? I commend you for your wonderful work and can see how it is a great benefit to the elderly. Keep pursuing it. Best wishes to you, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com AD's F.Y.I: Art Without Boundaries Agreement This agreement is between Noell Hammer, representing Art Without Boundaries and Client: ______________________________________________ Please Print Name of Organization The Organization/Facility/Club signing this Agreement will be known as Client. Noell Hammer, representing Art Without Boundaries will be known as Provider. Provider agrees to the following: * Minimum 20 paintings ready for framing in a 3 day period. * Two hours consultation with fund-raising committee. * Interviews with the media, or speech for fund-raising organization. * Microsoft Word disc or download with step-by-step instructions and editable documents and sponsorship packages. * Submit an itemized invoice at end of program. Client agrees to the following: * Pay an advance of $750 to Noell Hammer. The rate is $500 per painting day, minimum of 3 painting days. A painting day consists of two sessions of 3 hours each. * Pay expenses for all travel, meals, lodging, transportation to and from airport, and painting location for one (1) facilitator. * Travel days will be paid at $100 per day. * Invoice for expenses and balance of Fee will be due and payable at end of program. * Painting supplies are the responsibility of the Client and will remain with the Client after the program. If painting materials from supply list are not purchased before the program begins, Provider will receive a fee of $25 per hour for obtaining the supplies. * The Instruction Disc or download which will be sent is provided as a service of the Provider and is for use by this Client only and is not to be shared without Provider's written permission. * Obtain permission for resident/artist from family or legal authority to: a.) Paint with Provider b.) To have photos taken (A copy of a Release is included in the Instruction Disc.) * Provider may use photos or scans of paintings and resident/artists for advertising purposes. * Provider is to be held harmless in any legal action resulting from services provided.

Hi, Princess! :-D I left this message as a response to another person's question. I think it will help you, too. Isn't this a wonderful site? Pennie, Chip and Gina have really been gracious in getting my site up, running and promoted. I could not have done it without them. May I suggest two Activity Director sites that contain activity ideas? The first is Gina Salazar's site, Activity Ideas That Work at: http://pages.ivillage.com/ginasalazar2004/ . Gina has activity ideas out the "ying-yang" and has a monthly page on my site. The second is, you guessed it, my site, The Activity Director's Office at: http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com . On it I recommend that you download a great little document titled "Alzheimers/Dementia Activity Ideas." It is from Alternative Solutions in Long-term Care ( http://www.activitytherapy.com ) and is 14 pages in PDF format (i.e. it requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to be installed on your computer). Adobe Acrobat Reader is free, also, and you can find a link for it on my site. I hope this will help you in planning your activities. Best Wishes, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-) P.S.: Princess, there are many holiday sites on the net. Try a search for Christmas or Holiday and see what you get.

Hi, Pennie :-) I just wanted to ditto your comments. After the fellow resigned he was accepted as a member of council and had a chance for input the same as the others. And...they listened to him. Crazy! Linda Lucas, AD ;-)

Hi, Gina! :-D Thanks for your kind comments. I've always been proud of him. He also sculpts Santa Claus doll heads and paints; and he is a minister and a musician, too. He's one of the busiest retired fellows I know. I might add that this guy is my number one volunteer (he calls it "draftee") with over 400 hours donated over the last year. I suppose most married Activity Directors' husbands get drafted from time to time. You have to use every member of the family, at some time. Well, enough bragging. See you in the chat room. Sincerely, Linda Lucas, AD http:www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-) PS: Soon Bob will have his Christian cartoon page up and running.

Hi, Sue! :-) Isn't this a wonderful site? Pennie, Chip and Gina have really been gracious in getting my site up, running and promoted. I could not have done it without them. May I suggest two Activity Director sites that contain activity ideas? The first is Gina Salazar's site, Activity Ideas That Work at: http://pages.ivillage.com/ginasalazar2004/ . Gina has activity ideas out the "ying-yang" and has a monthly page on my site. The second is, you guessed it, my site, The Activity Director's Office at: http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com . On it I recommend that you download a great little document titled "Alzheimers/Dementia Activity Ideas." It is from Alternative Solutions in Long-term Care ( http://www.activitytherapy.com ) and is 14 pages in PDF format (i.e. it requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to be installed on your computer). Adobe Acrobat Reader is free, also, and you can find a link for it on my site. I hope this will help you in planning your activities. Best Wishes, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hi, Diana! :-) I'm not sure this will help you, but here's what we do in our facility. Resident Council Policy: An officer may voluntarily resign at any time. If the officer has continuing health problems that render the officer unable to perform their duties for three consecutive months, the officer will be asked to resign and a replacement officer will be elected by the Resident Council. I have had a situation where the Council President was not able to do his job. (Actually, he was a tyrant and the council members hated his guts!). I took two staff members and two members of the council with me and talked to him in his room. My approach was concern for his health (ha, ha...I think some of the residents would like to have done him in). But, seriously, he understood what I was saying and was also concerned about his health because of the stress of being the president of the council. Before we ended the meeting, he voluntarily resigned...with his dignity intact. There were no further problems. You might give this a try. Be prepared, be polite and take witnesses with you. Also, take a letter of resignation with you to let her sign. Best wishes, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-) PS: By the way...we have outbursts during Bingo every once-in-while, too. Do you think your president's mood will adjust with her new meds? Maybe she can step aside until there is a return to normal behavior. Just a thought. :hammer:

Hi, Gina! :-) Hey! I'm sorry I missed tonight's chat session. I didn't discover it until 11:00pm Eastern time. I really want to take part in it. Is there any way you can notify members to their e-mail? Maybe you can set up a regular scheduled time to chat (weekly? monthly?) so everybody interested can mark it on their calendar. By the way, your page is getting a lot of hits every day. Thanks for your contribution to my site. Sincerely, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-) admin@theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Hi, AD's! :-) Well, here is another blatant plug. For years my husband has been creating color pencil portraits from photographs. Many family members have commissioned him to do portraits of their resident. Now his work is available on the internet through the Activity Director's Office website. For a unique Christmas present why not check him out and have him do a portrait for you or a family member in your facility. He's quite talented for a retired administrator (I know that sounds like a mother talking about her son...but check it out for yourself). Have fun, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hi, Everybody! :-) Do any of you have special plans to celebrate Natiional Caregivers Month? A quadraplegic resident and my husband and I are members of a local caregivers support group. It has been a good source for PR and census building over the last couple of years. I was wondering if someone might have some suggestions about how to recognize caregiving at the facility level and at the community level. Thanks in advance, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hello, AD's! :-D Several years ago I had a resident who celebrated her 105th birthday. I was able to do some research and created a timeline for her life-span. I remember that she was a young adult when the Wright brothers flew their plane at Kitty Hawk. The local newspaper interviewed the resident and used my timeline for their article. It was a great PR and marketing expreience for the facility. Because of that, and at the request of many AD's seeking trivia resources, I have received permission to offer trivia from my friends at http://www.corsinet.com as a PDF download on my site. If you would like to have a copy of Famous Firsts of the 1900's - A Simple Timeline of the 20th Century, visit http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com and download it for free. It has 14 pages and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (also free) to download. Happy ADing, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hi, Princess! :-D I assume that you already offer finger foods, drinks and special treats appropriate to the season or holiday. Other things that work are guest speakers and musicians, door prize drawings, party games with prizes, individual RSVP invitations &/or escort service (i.e. cueing with assistance). Use plenty of advance promotion such as posters & word-of-mouth. I hope this will give you some help. Sincerely, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hi, Brandy! :-D In Indiana the rate is somewhere between $6.50 and $8.00 depending on the amount of experience you have. If you are a CNA or QMA, the amount will be higher. If you are just starting out, the amount will be lower. Best wishes to you in your endeavors. Sincerely, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hi, Mona! :-) What a great idea for Octoberfest. Let us know how it goes. Sounds like a wonderful activity and a great way to collect money for resident Christmas shopping. I may try it for next year. Thanks for the idea. Sincerely, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hi, Pennie! :-D This is a great little piece. Thanks for posting it on your site. May I post it on my site, too? It really hits the heart. Best wishes to you and Chip, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hi, Everybody :-) Hey! If you need volunteers try using people who are on the food stamp program (i.e. contact the Department of Public Welfare in your area). Also try IMPACT. They pay people to work with you just for the experience. And, you might contact local colleges and enlist activity therapy students The students must complete so many hours of practical training. You may actually give out grades to their professor! Hope this helps, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com ;-)

Hi, Pat :-) My advice? Keep your cushy job and forget about the stinky hours. If you want to keep your hand in activities, become a volunteer. That way you'll be close to the residents and be in a position to hear about AA openings in other places. :-D Lots of Luck in your pursuits, Linda Lucas, AD http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Hi, Gina! :-D I should have replied to this post a week ago. My question is this...do you have some chocolate samples you could send to me? I'd REALLY appreciate it! Sincerely, Linda Lucas, AD A devout chocoholic!

Hi, Miguel! :-D I tried but could not send to the e-mail address you posted. I, too, would like a copy of your Participation log and your Room Visit log. Thanks for all of your hard work in Acitivities. Sincerely, Linda Lucas, AD ;-) http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com admin@theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Hi, Everybody! I highly recommend that you provide the men with a once-a-month home cooked breakfast. Nothing brings them together like food. The activity is "men only." You personally (or with the assistance of your volunteers) cook their meal to order. Try fried eggs, sausage links and fried potatoes. They will love you for it. It seems that most of the elderly are big breakfast eaters. This will remind them of those early mornings at home. It also provides a personal touch. Not only is this a good activity for the men...you may have to do it for the women, too. I've done it for both and even once for the staff. Great results every time. By the way, let them SEE you cooking their breakfast. Best wishes, Linda Lucas, AD ;-)

Hi, Linda, :-D There is a wonderful little article written by Sandra Stimson, Excutive Director of Alternative Solutions in Long Term Care (http://www.activitytherapy.com). A free, printer friendly version of her article, A Tribute to Activity Professionals is available for download at http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com/...ofessionals.pdf I think it would be worth your time to print it out, copy it and distribute it throughout your facility during your special week in February. Hope this is helpful, Linda Lucas, AD ;-) http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Dear Laree, :-) I can appreciate your problem :hammer: . You are on the right track. However, you need to create a calendar for your small groups and 1:1's. You are right, residents not coming out of their room must have 1:1 activities. You will find that most skilled persons are too sick to come to group activities. When planning your activity calendar, don't stretch yourself too thin. Don't put on the calendar what you cannot accomplish. I don't know how advanced your volunteer base is, but in some states they can do one-on-ones for you. Keep reminding your administrator (politely) that you NEED a SSD. There is no way two people can do what you're trying to accomplish and keep it up for very long. The paperwork for skilled is intense and involved; and the resident turnover is often and endless. Hope this helps you out, Linda Lucas, AD ;-) http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

Hi, Newsletter Writers! :-D Well, it's time to think about the facility newsletter; and it's time for a blatant plug for my husband's website. Newsletter-Express.com has the free November newsletter ready for you to print out. Just add your activity calendar and you're ready to go. It saves you a lot of time and lets you get back to the more important things like activities and charting :pint: . This newsletter is absolutely free...no gimmicks, obligations or come-ons (and it's a marketing director's dream come true). Also, you might want to check out his personalized version of the newsletter. For a small fee he will customize his newsletter to suit your facility. Check it out. You can print out a copy to examine absolutely free...no obligations. The Newsletter-Express.com address is: http://www.newsletter-express.com. You'll be glad you took a look. Happy Newslettering, Linda Lucas, AD ;-) http://theactivitydirectorsoffice.com P.S.: Give me some feedback on what you think about the whole concept.

Hi, AD's! :-D On October 29th from 6-8 we have invited the children of the community, who are 12 and under, to Trick-or-Treat at out facility. All children must be accompanied by and adult. We provide the residents with candy to give out and invite the visitors to parade up and down the hallways in their costumes. We also award door prizes throughout the evening and offer refreshments and a steady flow of popcorn :pint: . We used to have a haunted house but with increased census we have no longer have a space to set it up :-D . Question: What are you doing for Halloween? Linda Lucas, AD ;-) http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com