yunakitty

Yes, that's always a concern - people you don't want to know that much about you finding you. I know that when a friend request from my father and then my grandfather popped up, I swiftly had to edit some information (like the fact that I am a liberal - they are Republicans like it's a religion!) but I still friended them. Also, there is an option where you can tag certain people as being in a group, and then you can easily make certain things like photo albums and notes not visible to everyone in those groups. There's no way for them to tell you're excluding them from some stuff. I am an erotica writer in my spare time, and anything pertaining to that, I keep from the eyes of my family and coworkers. Not because I'm ashamed, but for their comfort - I don't think my 74 yr old grandfather or my 13 year old cousin want to read my bodice ripping fiction. I think in general, it's best to keep a low profile on Facebook, not give away anything too risque at all...well, I say that, but it depends on the friends you have on there - I have waitresses at my dad's bar, so I post crazy pictures from karaoke night there; and I have a lot of friends who are also gay rights supporters, so I'm not going to hide that...it gets complicated on what you want to share with everyone and what you don't. Especially when work and residents are coming into the equation. I agree on making a group they can access. It'd be the best solution that would keep your work and your private life separate.

I would agree that in a large facility, it's best to do a monthly birthday party and recognize each individual at it...but in my case, I'm at a smaller facility (only 25 occupied beds currently) so I celebrate each birthday individually. I get a 1/4 sheet cake with their name on it, a birthday card (Target has great 99 cents and 50 cents ones) and either serve it for dessert after lunch or dinner or if it's a bingo day, serve it as refreshment right after bingo. I have about 2 birthdays per month, so this works out (cake is $17.99, so I spend about $20 per birthday.) Of course, if you're in a place where you've got an average of 20 birthdays a month, that would never work. In that case, have a big cake once a month for everyone's birthday lumped together, but make sure you acknowledge each resident on their actual birthday with a card and a visit. I miss the days when we had a retired baker living here who baked and decorated cakes for everyone's birthday (even staff). We only had 8 residents then, so I had time to assist him with that. Oh, he still lives here, but he's a shell of his former self and has no interest in cake making, nor the physical or mental ability to do it anymore. Sad. But he did bring a lot of joy to people's lives back then.

Wow, that is really an awesome idea! I'm on Facebook, and I actually use it to keep in touch with some of the residents' younger family members (that started because I went to school with one of the residents' granddaughters, and it went from there.) I never even thought of creating their own page. I think it could really work well, and help families keep in touch with their family members.

You could always wear bunny ears and go door to door with a basket of goodies...or even make small Easter baskets for all the residents. I did that last year, but we have twice as many residents now, and since this place is so "upscale" you can't just do anything quick and cheap; it all has to be "Marsh's Edge quality." So I'd have to spend WAY more than I'd like to to make decent looking baskets for all the residents, and more than half would still think they were lame. But if I only made them for the people that I think would like them...then people get jealous. So I'm just not doing them at all this year.

Hi! The difference between Assistant and Director is usually that the director handles all of the paperwork, MDS's, careplans, meetings, etc. (Or am I just doing too much? ha ha) In some large facilities, I have heard of activity programs where there is more than one director, or a director who only does admin type stuff, and a small army of assistants actually do the activities. I am at a small facility, so I just have one assistant in addition to myself, an hourly waged AD. (believe me, it's better than way - if I was salary, they'd never let me leave.) I work Sat-Wed with my assistant coming in on Thu and Fri so I can have two days off. I am actually the one out on the floor doing the activities; 10am art, 11am walking club, 2pm bingo, 3pm Wii Games, for example, and then in between I squeeze in meetings, paperwork, and 1:1 visits with residents that don't usually make it to group. My assistant's day is much more relaxed, as she doesn't have the meetings and paperwork to fit in. It is straight up activities. Assistants also do not have to be certified, so you might want to consider just starting out as that and not trying to get certified before even trying out the job. You'll be able to make a lot more sense out of the classes if you have actually worked in the position somewhat first! In my case, I started as an assistant, under the Activities Coordinator for the independent living side of the community. The AL and SN parts of the building had just opened, so she needed someone to work over here. I basically ran the program after a few weeks of working with her, and they sent me to the certification course in Stockbridge (I'm also in GA) that November. So I worked as essentially a director for 5 months uncertified - however, the AC was a certified AD, so the facility still fulfilled F249 (a federal tag). But as soon as I could get certified, I did, and the facility paid for it - another reason you might want to wait until you're hired!

I agree that it's just fine to do your Easter celebrations ahead of time. It also helps to stretch out the fun of the holiday, instead of cramming it all into one day. What do you have planned for the actual day? Do you have an assistant that works weekends, or are weekends just where you leave stuff for the nurses to do with them? In either case, a simple Easter craft would be fun. I work every weekend (assistant covers Thu and Fri for me to have days off) so this is not an issue, and we have Easter egg decorating planned for Saturday and two different tea parties on Sunday. There is also a family dinner that evening, but Marketing handles those kind of events.

I agree with a lot of the suggestions, but I have to be honest - I would be a little scared off by your flyer. Not that it isn't impressive - it's too impressive! Even though I'm at an upscale community, it doesn't look like something I could afford! I have one entertainer regularly booked at the present time, a singer/guitarist who has a whole set up with backing music. He does classic oldies, some Broadway, etc, and has really good rapport with the residents. I pay him $100 a visit, and he plays for an hour in addition to arriving 15-20 minutes early to set up and it takes him the same amount of time at least to pack up. He's really in demand locally, so he actually plays at a discount for us because he likes us. I can only afford to have him twice a month with my current budget of $700 a month, because I have so many other expenses (when you have to do it upscale, you can't have kool aid and box cookies at parties, and the money goes fast when you're expected to do wine and brie parties constantly .) Anyway, what I was going to say was that I think you'd be a hit with our independent living side, and they have rather discerning taste. A Rat Pack style performance would be right up their alley. Do you only market yourself to Assisted living and Skilled Nursing facilities?

The stretchy bands have to be bought in a big roll and you cut them - ask your therapy department. They may have spare pieces laying around that they would just give you. I also thought of something else - puppets? Simple ones that don't have buttons that could be pulled off. They could be washed easily too.

Green jello is lime though...

Yes, bingo can be difficult when you've got those kind of residents! I have one who loves bingo, it's what she lives for, but she chants "right right right" over and over during the game. Most residents know she can't help it, but then you have the ones who "reset" their minds every 10 minutes or so, so even if I explain it to them, later in the game they are saying "Why won't you shut up!" which makes her MORE agitated. Sigh. Then I have a couple of people who just DO NOT get the concept, and talk if they are brought in. Nothing will stop the talking for more than a minute. I try to explain that I'm the only one that is supposed to talk, but that only sticks for 60 seconds max, and then they're going again. It's bingo related, which is actually worse than just chit chat - ie, I'll say I 26, and she'll go "No I 26, but I have I 19, I 21, I 30, I 23"...and the other players start getting confused and angry from hearing other numbers. So, she is not allowed at bingo. It's too disruptive for the other players. Don't be afraid to make some people sit out if they can't behave themselves - they (or other staff) may complain it's not fair that they don't get to play, but if they are allowed in and disrupt everyone, how fair is that to all the other people that just want to play in peace? When in doubt, I always make the decision that puts the least number of residents out. So if it's two disruptive players versus 10 quiet ones...well, you get the picture. I always make sure those players that can't come are set up with something else to do - one likes to work on jigsaw puzzles (she sticks the wrong pieces together, but she's engrossed and that's what matters) and the other likes to rock a baby doll and fold laundry, so I set them up before bingo starts and I can play guilt free!

What about those stress balls that are about the size of a tennis ball that you squeeze on? Or stretchy bands? People could play with those things with minimal potential for injury, I'd think. (And I mean the yellow stretchy bands that are very light resistance.) Glossy magazines with a lot of pictures? Like gardening or cooking magazines, to bring back memories? I'm not sure what level of functioning this is for.

Deviled eggs can be made green (by putting green food coloring in with the yolk mixture.) Though I will warn you, some people will be put off by it! Also, mini cupcakes with green frosting. And don't forget green punch!

Wow, Philco, you poor thing! You should definitely have an assistant, at least someone to be there when you are not, and I'd even think with 80 people that you'd have two people working at the same time sometimes. How do you meet everyone's needs? What happens on the weekends?

This can be tricky ... so many aides feel that they are indeed too busy (which sometimes is true) and they will balk at your request for help. BUT, I've found the best way is just to be matter of fact about it. Like today, we had bingo down in the Skilled Unit, and since we only have 4 Assisted Living residents (we are a relatively new facility), when I ran into the AL nurse coming back from her lunch break and she asked me what we had going on that afternoon, I told her there was bingo downstairs at 2pm, and that all four residents usually play so she could just bring them down at 2. She's not normally working on that floor, so she just accepted it as what was done, and brought everyone down and 2 and picked them up at 3. It was lovely. So I guess my advice is to give them a fair warning, and be specific about what you want. I may not be the best one to give advice, since this is my first time being an AD and I've only been at it for 2 years, with a very small population, so I have no idea what it's like to face a large population that needs moving. But anyway, just go to them after lunch to remind them about the activity, and say, "Can you bring Mr. X and Mrs. Y down then?" Then go to another aide, and tell then two specific people, etc. If you know what residents they are assigned to, that might make it easier too. Make sure you thank them copiously if and when they do it, and if it's an activity like bingo where you've got some candy on hand, offer them some to be friendly. Also, don't forget to tell them who NOT to bring - I have two residents that are never allowed to come to bingo, because it totally bewilders them and they talk constantly the whole time, ruining it for everyone. So you could word it like, "Oh, Bingo's in an hour. You don't have to bring Mrs. Smith, because she is disruptive, but could you please bring Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Jones?" That way, they might feel like they are getting out of doing something by not having to bring someone. Just some suggestions.

How many Bed Facility are you? 52 (20 skilled, 20 AL, 12 memory care) Do you currently have any unfilled/open beds? YES! 12 in memory care (yes, it's empty), 16 in AL (almost empty) and 2 in Skilled. How many hours per week does your activity staff work (total)? 56, including me. I'm an hourly AD, and I get 40 (sometimes + if there is a lot going on.) In theory I have an assistant who works 16 hours a week to cover my two days off (Thu and Fri) but she retired and we are yet to hire a new one! So the resident services director from Independent Living is pinch hitting by covering my AM activities for AL, we have a dog therapy lady on Friday and the exercise teacher from IL comes over and does something with Skilled on Thursday mornings to cover that. Afternoons are bingo on Thu and games of Fri, supposedly done by the nursing staff... How long does the last activity staff stay? That would be me, and it varies...when I take AL out for dinner I've been working until 8:30 pm, but most days I leave at 5:30 or so. There are evening activities every night at 7:00 that are supposed to be done by the PCA's...but you know how that goes What are your hours scheduled for weekends? 9:30-5:30 (me) both days Is your Activity Director full-time or how many hours worked (not included in above)? Yes, I'm full time, 40 hours.

No, it is not required, but if it helps you plan activities that are appropriate for them, you might do one. I do not do care plans for my AL residents.

I use my own personal camera at work, because it's teeny tiny and I can slip it in my pocket so as to have it handy! It has a video function, and I've recorded video at our musical entertainment activities before. It's nice because I can upload it easily to share. I have a lot of younger resident's family members as friends on Facebook, and I can put the pics and videos on there, setting them so that only they can see them. The video quality is of course not as sharp as a camcorder, but I can take it everywhere easily. We do have a camcorder for the facility, but it is mostly used to film inservices to show later. I've never used it.

We play 6 times a week. Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday are at 2 in the afternoon (so I need to be heading there in a few minutes!) and we now have evening bingo at 7pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, run by the PCA that works on Assisted Living. Activities runs the other ones (I do Sat, Sun, Tue while my assistant does Thu.) We have it so much because we have a lot of bingo lovers. I have some low functioning targeted activities later in the afternoon for those that aren't cognizant enough to play bingo. The therapy dog comes at 4 on Tue and Thu, and we do hand massages on the weekends. I also give candy as prizes. 2 pieces per win, and I keep sugar free stuff too for our diabetics.

Wow, this is all such good info! My boss is really trying to get me to have more volunteers, but I feel so frustrated, since it's not like a job you can put an ad out for! I have tried contacted schools and churches with very little results. I can get school bands to come out here and play, but those kind of events are MORE stressful for me because of trying to make sure everything goes smoothly - I'm wishing for the kind of volunteers who will do stuff with the residents directly, and it either gives me an extra pair of hands at an activity, or gives me a blessed free moment to get other things done! I will definitely use some of these strategies. I am really interested in that newsletter. Is there any way you could send me a copy of one so I can see it for myself? Thanks!

I think if the higher functioning people insist on attending, they'll figure out rather quickly that it's below their level. I find that with my activities. I have art for my skilled nursing residents, and there is this one gentleman in Assisted living who will always jump in a group if he sees it going on. After being bored by the very low skill activity, he left and didn't come to that again. It's better than having nurses bringing low functioning people into higher functioning activities and parking them there! At least the higher functioning people will figure it out. And who knows? They might enjoy the slower pace for once. I love the idea of having them help call or even be a "watcher" to sit beside someone who has slow reflexes. I have a few post stroke who are like that - I'll call a number, and I'm already calling the next one, and I see their hand start to move to the last one! But if I don't keep calling quickly, the other residents get bored and restless. So I try to put people who are always wanting to help next to those people, because they'll catch on that the person is having trouble, and they'll point out or cover up numbers for them. That way the game can keep a quick pace.

Depending on their cognitive level, a good explanation is that "these are the new apartments that opened." I'm using that excuse with one of our residents who has really made the full change (started in independent living, then went to assisted, and is now in clinical pending transfer to memory care.) I take her on walks over there to see their garden, and she is really impressed with it. If you paint it like that, they think they are getting a better deal. Course, it doesn't work if the building is ratty and the carpet is worn...but it's an idea. It really works for me because our Memory care is not open right now - it's as new as the whole building, about 3 years old, but it was only open for a period of 4 months with one resident. After she passed away, we decided not to open it again unless we had at least 3 candidates, and for the first time (thanks to a great new marketing director) we have three people in line for it. So it's like ghost town over there - but the resident was really impressed with it. I totally agree with taking the resident along with you to activities on the unit they might be moving. I regularly hold my bingo for both AL and Skilled on the Skilled unit, so that the AL residents have a reason to visit there several times a week. It keeps them in touch with the place, and makes it a lot easier when they move down.

I just wanted to share a great idea that my coworker came up with. I'm struggling to get the 3-11 CNA's to do evening activities with the residents - we're a small facility, and there's only me and my assistant who covers my two days off every week. I work every weekend, and I do stay late some evenings (usually every Monday) but I need a little help covering the evenings. My admin always insisted that I put evening activities on the calendar, like "Movie and Popcorn." I bought boxes of microwave popcorn, and we have an extensive DVD library, but the movies are not getting played, and the CNA's are not filling out the attendance sheets. The problem is that it's different staff all the time, and it gets forgotten. I'm kind of overwhelmed trying to manage everything that I already do, and I'm not really a "boss type" person in that I'm not comfortable with telling these people what to do. Well, anyway, my coworker suggested I get a big, beautiful box (I'm using a large shiny red Christmas gift box that's like a very sturdy oversized shoebox.) I wrote "Evening Activity" all over it, and it's going to be kept in a very conspicuous location at the nurse's station. Each day before I leave, I will place the supplies for the evening activity; for example, a specific DVD, a pack of popcorn, as well as the attendance log AND a pen (so there are no excuses.) We'll be implementing this next month. I'll let you guys know how it goes! I am really stoked, because I really think this is going to work.

Wow, I didn't realize they were really so bad. That is bad! Well, you can always put in an anonymous complaint or something to get some attention drawn to the problem. Are they just not putting anything on the calendar, or do they put things and not do them? (Or the infamous, - glance around the floor, "Nope, nobody wants to play bingo!" and scuffle off before anyone says anything!) Because if they are putting things on the calendar and not actually doing them, you can and should report that. It's not fair to the residents. You sound like a great employee. I wish you would come work at my facility! Ha, I actually need a part time activities assistant. Are you in coastal Georgia?

It's great that you care so much about the residents. I've always been taught that activities are the responsibility of the whole facility. Obviously, that doesn't mean you should neglect your own job to do theirs; the actual "activities" dept should be organizing and supplying everything, and doing the bulk of the activities. If you want to impress your superiors, I would offer to do some small activities yourself. Like, "Would it be okay if we could bring everyone in the living room right after lunch, and I'll put in a DVD and paint all their nails while we watch it?" That's the kind of activity that even if you have to get pulled away to do your CNA work, it still keeps going, and you can come back in and start up the nail painting again. Or offer to bake cookies (the easy break and bake kind) at a certain time every week. You can pop those in the oven and set the timer. Once it's tradition, even housekeeping would know to take the cookies out if you got stuck in a residents' room. Those kinds of things will really endear you to not only the management and activities dept, but to the residents as well. And if a time comes when they need another activity staff, you'd be a shoe in for it. As for the supplies, you request them from activities. Same goes for anything else you might want - popcorn, certain board games, etc. Everyone will really appreciate that you are looking out for the residents. I'll tell you though, from the AD side of it, I hear the same complaint about myself that I "never do anything with the residents," (which is so far from the truth) so I tend to have the benefit of the doubt for other AD's. There is so much we are expected to do in a day; meetings with other staff, meetings with family, making newsletters (which can be a full time job because just as soon as you get it done, everything falls apart and you have to change everything around!), trying to get and manage volunteers, researching new activities, ordering supplies and orchestrating big events, documentation of activities, and many other small things that all add up, in addition to the actual activities! I know that the residents are the most important, and if I could be on that floor with them all the time, I would. But all that other stuff has to be done, and it's just me and my assistant who comes in on my two days off a week, and very rarely if I have a huge activity planned. So, remember that since you are so busy, you may not be seeing all the things they do with the residents. You can't even go by the calendar board; it may seem empty for your skilled residents, but if they are lower functioning your AD may be doing a lot of 1:1 things with people in their rooms. You can't really schedule those things, so they aren't reflected on the calendar. Also, do they ever include your higher functioning skilled residents in AL activities? I have two skilled residents that do everything skilled does AND everything AL does in addition, like lunch outings, daily walking club, and parties for AL. It just aggravates me when a staff member that knows nothing about what I do gets "bothered" by a wandering resident, and brings them to my office when I'm trying to do one of the 20 things I have piled up, and whines, "Mrs. So and so is borrrred. Can't you find something for them to do?" My response, which I have to bite back, is "Can't YOU find something for them to do?" Activities cannot possibly be there to field every single restless moment a resident might have. We do our best to provide a well balanced menu of programs, but there are going to be times in between when someone is bored. That's when you crack open the activity cabinet and set them up with a puzzle, or a movie, or folding towels- whatever suits that particular person. It only takes a couple of minutes to set up an independent activity for a resident; the same amount of time it takes these people to find me and pawn the "problem" off on me. Also, most residents don't need to be stimulated constantly. It can actually be more detrimental, as it wears them out. I had a former DON who nagged me to have a nonstop activity calendar, because "Then they SLEEP HARD." (and therefore it's easier for nursing, right?) But do we really want to exhaust these poor people? It's a fine line.

I worked around this by having activities immediately before and after lunch - like exercise at 11am and bingo at 1pm. It's not the best solution, because it crams everything together instead of spreading out the fun stuff, but it does work if you've exhausted all other avenues. Your ED sounds pretty stubborn - and it is totally true that activities are a very necessary part of their well being. They need to respect that, but I can also empathize with overworked CNAs. So, for example, on Tuesdays, I do Aromatherapy Hand Massages and Nail Painting at 9am. There is usually a small group already up and in the living room (by the way, we are a person centered care facility, so they get up at 5am if they want, or 2pm, or not at all. That makes it even more challenging!) I can do the activity as a sort of group thing with them, then move on to room to room and do it 1:1 with the people that haven't gotten up, but are awake. At 11am, I have walking club that my ambulatory residents join in on. (there is nothing in between because we have care plans every Tuesday at 10am.) Then they have lunch at 12pm. The CNA's usually park everybody in the living room after that, where I can come "harvest" people from for Bingo at 2pm. I also do a quick activity some afternoons right before I leave, right before they are all gathering for dinner at 5:15. I'll do something at 4:30 in the living room, like some balloon volleyball exercise or a travel DVD to perk them up. Also, you have to try to continue to communicate with your CNA's. It's hard, and I'm sure they try to lay the same guilt trip on you that I've had laid on me, "You get to play all day, but we're working our butts off and you're asking US for more?" The simple answer is YES. I'm sorry, but yes. How I finally got around the problem was that I made friends with the CNA's. I tried to help them out whenever possible with the things that I could help out with. I do the makeup for the ladies in the morning, which takes the pressure off of them to try to make these ladies fabulous (they have very exacting standards, some of them!) I've been known to answer call lights when I'm at the nurse's station doing charting. (Of course, if it's anything I can't do, I'll restart the light so someone else will answer it.) Often times it's just that someone wants their water refilled, or they're struggling with a button. I make sure that the CNA's notice I've done those things, without being overly obnoxious about it. Like, I'll make a joke, "Oh, silly Mr. So and so, when I answered his call light, he told me I was as beautiful as ever! The flatterer!" That way, I can tell them that I helped them out without acting like I'm demanding recognition for it. Also, if you do any baking activities, make sure to make as much as is feasible, and push them on the staff. Also, if you have a tea party or other food party, give all your leftovers to the CNA's. Your popularity will go up A LOT if you feed them. It will cost you a little more, but it is worth it to have allies. Every day is not perfect, and I still struggle with CNA's with attitude, but it is MUCH better than when I started here. I forgot one more thing; if none of that works, you can also consider directly bribing them. I heard of an AD who gave tokens to the CNAs, one for each resident they brought to an activity. 5 residents, 5 tokens. She had a list in the nurse's station of items they could buy with the tokens, like a bottle of coke for 5 tokens, etc. It was hard on her budget, but attendance went up dramatically. (Of course, then you'll have the separate problem of them bringing in people who aren't right for the activity - practically comatose people in geri chairs to Crossword Puzzles, or confused, loudly talkative people to Bingo.) Good luck!