LisaT

Try creating some consistent activities that appeal to the staff. Favorite team tailgate parties, ice cream sundaes, making french fries on a consistent day or time will bring them out. If staff assist residents to and from they can have a treat too. Flea Markets, or games where staff can buy something or win something might help and show them how much fun activities can be. Know the staff the best you can to use it to create things they enjoy. If they have pets...have a pet show...If they have children...bring your child to work (enlist their teenagers for help) If they make crafts have a craft show that they can display their crafts. If you play bingo allow the staff bringing the residents to have a card for a chance to win, (ask a resident to watch their card) When you catch a staff member helping out catch a photo of it and post it up. If you are allowed make announcements and put up thank yous to the depts. that help do that. Volunteers have been difficult to retain. Our best volunteers are retained through consistent praise and interaction with the director. It is hard to find the time for all of the things that need to be done. If you find one thing that works do it over and over and over until everyone can rely on it and the staff and volunteers will automatically know when to show up and how to help.

Our Surveyors in Pa are big on decorations. We had to take things down if they were blocking an exit sign, too childish, on resident doors, or decorations that do not match. I even had to scrub a few doors with leftover tape on them from Christmas wrap that was tapped up. It is a dignity issue. " Would you want those white tape marks on your door at home" . I did not even notice them in my daily running about. That is all I know because they did not say much else to us. I have found whatever the residents are talking about in Resident Council with Surveyors are the things that will be looked into. So resolve resident issues there quickly and to their satisfaction when you can.

When reading though the trouble areas I found yours to be a very serious issue as well. The problem is that you will take the heat if the form is showing little participation. It is very important that your company hear you on this issue. Your activities are probably new and improved with the times and resident interests and the form is not. I would try: * Seeking the help of other Activity Directors in your company (if it is that big) I would suggest a meeting about the form. So all of you can present it to the company together. If you explain your frustration with the form in such a way that Administration sees you just want to keep the dept. in compliance they may understand that. * There may be an Activity Director you know from a nearby company you can have meet with administration with you. * Or try using one active resident in an example and show how much more they do for two week time period then the form represents. * If Social Services were willing to help you argue this point that would also help them because their sections require them to write about activity involvement. * Check around in the Company to see if any other department is using a form they had to create. Maybe Social Services, or Dietary. * Other Activity Directors from the area could Email their forms to you so you could present it to the company. If you show your boss that other homes they respect create their own forms for activity, this may help. If no one will hear your argument I would add a simple comment sheet on the back (you could even copy it to the back side of your form) as a place for the staff to put the date write in the extra things residents do such as, go to the beauty shop, go outside to the porch, talk on the phone, visit with family, or the special events you add in like Super bowl parties! I have worked in 3 long term care homes and we have tracked participation in different ways and each way is fine as long as the surveyors can clearly read it. In one home we even highlighted the activity calendar to prove participation and this was also fine. Other homes are using different forms that staff created and Administration approved and they are part of the permanent medical record. The form I use right now matches what our company started with but I recreated it in a word table and changed the words. I added: Outdoor Activity, Men's Club, Sun Bonnet (which is our coffee shop), etc. I hope you can resolve this in a way that makes you feel good about using your form and proves the hard work you have been up to.

If he likes animals a pet visit will redirect his thoughts and also keep him calm. If your facility has a dog you could offer him to care for the dog. I don't know what kind of sensory would be appropriate without meeting him but I would try soothing relaxing, water, soap, and lotion for his hands. Maybe books on tape wearing head phones would help to keep him focused on what he is listening too. Strolls outdoors when the weather is good can also help solve agitation. If he likes to keep his hands busy maybe he would put labels on envelopes or sort thought nuts and bolts putting them into small containers.

We began to give the men coffee and doughnuts at a certain time each week. The are also beginning their Men's workshop. The plan is to offer projects for them to work on. They are currently using a primer to paint ceiling tiles which will be finished by fine artists for over the bed scenes. We are going to do some basic staining and sanding projects. We had a local naturalist come in who provided the "target fishing" with real poles with weights attached for casting. That was fun. We gave away money for the best casts and that helped. The football parties are a hit and we hope to try the mentioned poker, beer , and pretzel night that sounds like it will work for some guys.

<br /><br /><br /> I would not code that if she responds to music, staff reading to her, spiritual vists, pet therapy. Sometimes a family member doesn't spend the time they need to with the resident to realize what they are responding to. If the family is right then you need to code it as such, but I would investigate into it further with your staff and other departments for a true picture of the resident.

I am in Pa and we only have to do interviews for Admission 5 day, Annual, and Significant Change.

Hi Andrea. Congratulations on your promotion. You will love your job. Here's what we are doing in June, hope this helps. We are going to a local restaurant to Eat. We are having a Father's day BBQ. The men invite their families to come join them. A local farm will bring in their mini horses for a visit. Our children's committee is planning a pet show for children to parade their pets and be judged for prizes. We have a locked alzheimers unit as well they will enjoy outside walks and games. They have a new large golf set to play with for spring. We cook for sensory. I just found a recipe for pinacolada parfaits. You use plain yogurt, add pineapple, and toasted coconut for a sweet treat. The alzheimers patients are good at cutting up canned fruit with plastic knives. They will cut up the pineapple and add it to their parfaits. I hope you have a fun June.

Our resident volunteers hand out snacks, set tables, fold laundry, pass out clothing protectors before meals, they help prepare for large events, read at a local daycare, pass out bingo chips and cards, take the pets around to the bed bound patients, one resident sings to the other units entertainment style. Another resident even types thank yous to volunteers that I can print out and send. I hope these ideas help you. You do not need to orient them formally they can contribute to the life of the home without becoming a formal volunteer. Just make sure it is on a care plan that they enjoy helping out and the specific job they help with. Address it in your progress notes too. If they are helping with food or children take the necessary precautions and wash their hands. As I go along I am learning that the more residents are able to contribute the more successful and content they feel over all.