Diana 0 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 Just to throw this out there - if you had a choice of what else you would be if you weren't an activity director at this point in your life, what career choice would you go with? I have been thinking about teaching, but have been doing this for a long time - transition would be hard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mashonda 0 Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 I too have been thinking about teaching for quite some time now. I've also thought of going back to Human Resources. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_AggieTiff Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 It took me a long time to find Senior Activities as a career. I did this on a volunteer basis for a long time but never thought I could make a career out of it. The Activity Director at the Nursing Home I volunteered for was never there....or at least I never saw her. Maybe they did not have one? Whatever...my grandmother and her friends were bored and I took over and we had a great time. I was in college at the time so this was mostly on the weekends, holidays, and in the summer and school breaks. My grandmother was my best friend and I really would rather be around her than anyone else so I enjoyed it. Anyway.... I worked as an Actress, governess, sub teacher, pre school teacher and for my family as an event planner and marketer....(still do the event planning and marketing for my families business but more as an obligation and a way to stay connected to the business)....Activities is where I belong. I have never been happier and stress free (well not completly but some days no stress and some days a little). I get to do what I like and make a fool of myself and no one judges me. Where else can a peson who has no singing talent....couldnt carry a tune in the nicest of handbags... say "come on lets have a sing a long" and everyone gets excited? In our Alzheimers neighborhood one lady stand up and claps everytime I walk into the room....but she does not remember where her room is... I love standing ovations. LOL. I met a nice gentleman who I have been dating and he made it known that when and if he ever gets married he wants a stay at home wife.... I got a stomache thinking that I might fall in love with him and he ask me to leave my work. We are no where near that point and might never get there....but just thinking about it made me ill. So I guess to answer your question.... it has to be activities for me. I might change my mind at some point but I am where God wants me to be at this time in my life. Tiff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diana 0 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 I know what you are saying about being in the place that God wants you right now! I still feel like right now, God needs me here, but my daughter is 2 years old now and I want to be able to be there for her on vacations and holidays, and teaching is the way to go. So I have roughly 2-3 years to plan my next stage of life. My current boss is all for me furthering my education and if it leads me to teaching, he is okay with that! As long as I don't go to another Nursing HOme! Diana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_AggieTiff Report Share Posted June 12, 2006 I know several in our field who either were teachers or went on to teach. I think both are natural progressions for eachother. Both very noble fields. I agree that what is right for each stage of life is just that...right. We all love our residents and work but family must come first. Afterall....for the most part our residents are very family oriented and would understand. Tiff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_Pennie Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 I have been involved in act. for lots of years. In fact I am probably older than most of you who get on this site. So I can tell you that when I was working as a AD for many years I had 1 to many burned out periods. Which made me step back & make a decision for my family & me. I took sometime off, regrouped & worked as a Constulatant for several years. I really loved this. However if you aren't with a big corp it tough to get a steady paycheck. Meanwhile I had always been doing this website, when I started it there were none or very few out there for us. I played with the ideal of becoming OT or having some sort of Thearpy Type Career. I still really like this ideal but afraid its late in my life to start a career. Then with lots of encouragement from my husband, Pam Sanders later Karen Conelly & all of you we started our members site. This is a really hugh job, takes lots of time, many sleepless nights but it is so worth it. Working with all of you & sharing my knowledge (& that off the others on the site) makes it the right thing for me. I especially am proud that my youngest daught has joined up with us part-time as well as her boyfriend full-time to get the members site even better for you. I am not putting this up for PR. I just wanted to share in this question.forum asked by Tiff. I could never be a teacher! Locked up in a room with a bunch of smart mouthed teens (ha-ha) I would loved for others to tell how they have gotten to this point or where they think they maybe in about 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_Karen Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Hey ya'll I have always been in some sort of activities. I have worked at recreation centers and day cares and loved those jobs as well. They are very similar! I started out my college career in the teaching program but found TR and very glad I did. Another job that I think many activity directors would be good at is the marketing aspect of LTC. You have the background the personality, you know how to talk to people, and a nature born saleperson (especially if you believe in what you are selling). Just my input! Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_AggieTiff Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 Marketing is something we all do on a daily basis.l..and to some pretty hard sales. LOL. I am the Marketing Director of my family's international Administrative Consulting Company. I love it but I have been doing it for so long that it is like second nature to me. I also do a lot of event planning for the small business that use our services. I think most of us would make great marketers...I thought about that when we were looking for a new marketer...but what a headache!!!! I love the fact that my day is fun....and really I do not have much stress in being an AD.... I do it with my family's business to keep my piece of control there and as an obligation....but other than that marketing is very stressful. Having that on yourshoulders is not worth the money you would get in raise and commision...LOL. Now event planning is one of my real loves....if that is all I had to do I would not complain a bit!!!! That is a very competive business, to start up on your own, however. I guess as ADs we get to do it all!!!! Lets see...as ADs we are... Activity Directors Best Friends Teachers Pet trainers Event Planners Marketers (market the activities and the building...everyone has to external market and give tours and go to the different health fairs and volunteer recruiting, etc) Bus Drivers Accountants councelors maids gardeners play directors singers musicians (even if we really can not play anything) poets decorators painters publishers graphic designers cooks and so much more..... We are so qualified to do so many things.....we ROCK!!!!! Tiff :hammer: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest_Karen Report Share Posted June 22, 2006 You are sooooo right Tiff!!!! Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
act4life 0 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Thank u Tiff u said it all. If I wasn't a AD I would like to be a Sec.Ser.Dir / Assist I feel that they both go hand-in-hand I was a C.N.A for over 10 years in activities know for 6 years I love what I do but feel like I need to do more with helping others that is new to show that we all work together and we our like a family. I would love to go to others places and help with the activity department that is my goal in the next 2 years. :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klbradt 0 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 (edited) I would be a home stager o wait I am a home stager too! I have my own home staging/redesign business on the side. Hopefully I can make a full time business with it. I'm in the burned out period with activities. Maybe later, after taking some time off, I'll want to get back into activities, maybe! Edited August 1, 2006 by klbradt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 klbradt - Becoming a Home Stager is an idea I've been toying with for a couple of years. Please email me privately if you're willing to share your experience on how to get started, etc. I need something part-time to supplement my 15 hr/wk. job with my husband's family's business. I looked for quite a while for a part-time activities position, but most of the p/t positions are in skilled nursing and they seem to just be hiring only CNA's in my area to fill the Act. Asst. openings (I have a BA, ADPC). Most AL's only have one full-time AD. So, I'm looking for other interesting options. suespencer258@yahoo.com Thanks, Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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