cindytexan

Hi, I'm looking for a form that has a check off list for the annual assessment update. If anyone knows of or uses one of these forms please let me know. Thanks Cindy

If anyone heres of a training seminar for AD's in the Houston area please let me know. (About the MDS 3.0)

I would be very upset if that happened in my facility. My bingo cards are cardboard shutter cards, and they cost about $70.00 for 25 cards. Most of my Residents have thier name on thier cards and play with the same cards every time we play. Nursing would be buying me some new cards.

I was taught in school that every Resident had to have an activity calander posted in the rooms at eye level. As far as I know this is a State reg. My Administrator had the staff go around and remove all of the calanders in residents rooms, because "Coorporate" doesn't want tape, staples, or push pins in the walls because it is a fire hazard. She refuses to buy cork boards or frames for the rooms. My question is how do you display your calanders in your resident's rooms? Does anyone know if this is actually a reg? Any feedback will be appreciated. Thanks, Cindy

What a great idea! I went online and ordered the butterfly kit today. You really got me going and I had to order an incubator too. We're going to grow butterflies, and hatch baby chicks too! Thanks for the idea. Cindy

I'm having hollywood week, and the last day were having an awards ceremony. I'm looking for awards to give the residents. So for I've come up with Best Smile Most Helpful Best Dressed Best Couple Funniest Nicest Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks, Cindy

I'm the only Activity staff in the building. I don't have time to do Nursing's job. It's been my experience that if you take on something that nursing usually does it will become your job permantly. They will staff less people and your stuck.

Does anyone know the regulations on how long you have to keep your Activity participation records and in-room logs? I've been told one year to seven years. I've never been asked by state or anyone else for any but for the last three months. I don't know about yall but my storage space is limited, and I'm running out of room! Any info would be appreciated. Thanks Cindy

Our company is thinking about rebuilding one wing of our building to start a community based alternative living. Has anyone had any experience with this? I wonder what kind of regulations you have to go by? Do you do mds's on these residents.

I have been told by my DON that you have to have a doctor's order for each Resident that want's to participate. The Resident should have the right to have a little wine or whatever they enjoy every once in a while. We are preached too that "this is their home" all the time, but how often are your Resident's allowed to actually act like they are at home?

I need to find a website to order decorations for a round the world tour. Starting with Paris, Africa & Egypt. I have an account with Oriental Trading & M&N Worldwide. I need something more extensive & more expensive. My cooperate office gave me $3000.00 to spend on this, but I have to order somewhere that sends invoices. I'd appreciate any ideas. Thanks' Cindy

Thank You Pennie. They exited last night at 6:30. I didn't get any tags in Activities! They were looking realy hard at in-room visitation.I really thought they were going to get me. In the last couple of months I have been working on my in-room program, I have added pet pals and talking books and I really think that helped a lot. They hit Dietary and nursing pretty hard. They followed everyone in the building for 4 days. Watched every meal pass. They did a white glove test on the chairs in the beauty shop and found some hair, so house keeping got tagged for that. We had 14 deficiencies total. Our cooperate office was very pleased. They said most federal surveys get 30 to 80 tags and usually an I.J. Our Residents are very happy and clean and none of them had any bad complaints. In fact they were very offended by some questions that were asked. They got very protective of us. Anyway I'm so glad it's o0ver. It's been a long week.

We've had the State & CMS (The Feds), in our building for two days now. We were expecting our full book but this is ridiculous. It's sooo stressful. We are under a microscope. I need a hug!

What's an Activity Staff? Just kidding, I work in a facility with 75 or so Resident's. I'm the only one in my department. I don't think there are any Regs in Texas on how many staff member's per Resident ratio. If I'm wrong I'd sure like to know.

Boy Mary Anne you must have a heck of a budget!

Our building was written for not having our Resident Council behind closed doors. I don't have an activity room so we had to start using the therapy gym. Therapy isn't always happy about this, but their getting used to the idea.

We just finished our Snoozelon room last month. We bought some of our lights at Spencer's in the mall. They have different kind's of projectors for the stars on the walls & ceiling. I also went on line & ordered some DVD's Of Beaches and aquariums. You can get CD's at Wal-mart with calming music. My problem is that our cooperate office want's us to come up with ideas to make money off the room. Everything is always about money.

Sorry haven't been there in a while. Try usgovinfo.about.com you can fax in your request. It's a little faster.

You can go to the white house.gov web site & ask for a greeting from President Obama. It takes a few weeks but it's worth it. It's a certificate that's suitable to frame. It's usually a big hit.

Amanda, I am also in Texas and our "Mock" survey team just exited yesterday. My Resident's names are all through the Resident Council minutes. Believe me when I tell you they went over the minutes very thoroughly! They never mentioned not using the Resident's names. What they did tell me was to make a separate folder for the current months Resident Council minutes to give to the State instead of handing them the whole book, and if they want more to have it available for them. They also came down on some of the other Dept Heads for not responding to Resident Council.(including my Administrator) Ha! Ha! We had responses by the end of the day.

Amanda, I care plan every Resident. My MDS coordinator has care plans in the computer for every department. When we meet for care plans she will ask me what I would like for Activities. If she doesn't have one in the computer that I need she will put one in. We then personalize the care plan to fit the Resident's needs or strengths. If an activity care plan is not done I do get written for not having one. I don't know if Florida has the same Regs, but our consultants fly in from Florida to do our mock survey.

I thought when I run out of countries I would tour the United States. Vegas, New York, Hollywood etc. Hey after 6 & 1/2 years working here, this got me Employee of the month.

I've started an on going Activity that is a big hit and is getting a lot of attention from the Residents, community, and our cooperate office. With help from two of our Dept. Head Nurses We have "visited" Mexico, Australia & are in the process of getting ready for Asia at this time. We "Visit" a different country every 3 months & it lasts for one week. We decorate for each country, play bingo themed for that country, play a movie based on that country, have themed arts & crafts, and end the week with a party with foods & entertainment (Australia was challenging for entertainment). The next week in arts & crafts Residents work on their scrap books by adding art work pictures & stickers of all the Activities. Hats for each country is a must. it gets the Residents really involved. They wear them for every activity that week. It can get expensive so we spread out the expense by ordering decorations & supplies monthly instead of all at once.

When we have festivals we use snacks for prizes. This is a big hit with the Residents. We use A bag of chips, pudding cups, peanut butter crackers, soda's etc...

Ella, if your Resident is attending bingo, parties, special events, watching TV and reading the paper every day, your doing your job. It's a nursing problem not yours if the Resident is trying to leave the building. We are "Activity Directors" not Baby sitters. Nursing has a way of trying to turn us into the latter so that they don't have to bother with the problem Resident. Cindy