doublehelix

I have exit seekers too, as do all of us I would guess. One fellow I have helps me deliver the mail, take notes for me at meetings, delivers the newspapers etc. Of course he isn't really delivering anything or taking notes but HE believes he is for five or ten minutes and that makes all the difference when your trying to get him back to his area. Staff make a big deal of his "delivery", wave at him and greet him as we go by and it always seems to calm him down and tire him out. We have some that are yellers, some that demand to go to the bathroom as your bringing them out of the lavatory and some that hit the doors Evey night as it gets dark thinking they gotta go home. Diversions like a hot cup of coffee while they wait for the bus, soothing music via headphones or getting out the old home photo album seems to help with them-- for a few minutes anyway.

I have a sheet with all the res names next to their room number and a code sheet with all activity engagements from independent activities to ss /1:1. All activity staff fill out this sheet every day for activities they did, observed other staff doing, enabled or observed residents doing independently etc. , all volunteers and spiritual care staff do a sheet too. Everyone turns them into the receptionist who inputs the codes into the computer and then prints them out at the end of t he month. It shows what every resident did that month, if their activity increased or decreased or if their choices changed.

How low level are we talking? Are the majority no longer able to initiate meaningful movement? I am the activity director in a ninety bed facility. The majority of my clients are mid to high functioning but the small percent that aren't tend to be difficult to program for. Balloon ball is the number one success. Punch balls work really good because they don't pop as easy. We get good movement, laughter and increased self esteem from all the cheers and encouragement they get from staff. We do groups with mixed functional levels like balloon volley ball, paddle ball and parachute toss and we play 1:1 around the facility. Music is another one. 1:1 while holding their hand, sing alongs with lots of the oldies and spiritual songs and mixed functional groups where peers can assist and encourage the others. The third successful one is person specific. We use pictures of when they were young adults or former tools they once used or crafts they once did, sewing projects etc and visit 1:1. For some we made personal boxes of memorabilia. We have two activity staff, myself and my assistant. On Monday and Friday around 3:30 in the afternoon when people begin to sundown we each have a 1:1 cart with books, magazines, easy puzzles, newspapers and sensory tools for tactile, olfactory etc., and we go out to visit those people who can't or won't come out into the facility community and our very low functioning residents who can't enjoy larger group activities. Hope this helps some.