Activity Calendar

[Pennie 26]

Do you use act calendars at your facility? If yes, why?

Have you been asked/told not to use a calendar at your facility?

Do residents prefer to do their own activities, will they?

Is this a facility P&P, State or Fed requirement?

Where does it state that in the regs. that there must be a calendar.

Is this a practice that we have been taught to do or use to just to cover ourselves?

Have we taught State about our calendars & made it easier for them to do their job by using our calendar as evidence against the facility or us?

My answer: I have always been asked by state for my calendars, 3 months back & prior one. They have used the Res. CP, act calendar & participation records for part of their survey process.

The job description for an AD usually has something in it about the monthly calendar.

I have seen it mentioned under the Survey Procedures & Probes 483.15 (f)(1) to review the act. cal.

But am interested on how all of you feel about this topic & any input you can add to this discussion

[ActivityProfessional 0]

Hello Pennie, I am hailing from the great state of Florida---still using a calendar. As the new changes in Activities are coming I am feeling the heat from many--some critics are encouraging more calendars for diverse groups in the facility( i.e., programs for the dementia section, small calendar for the younger population, calendar for the short stay resident....) I feel that the calendar approach we mostly use will evolve to help meet the needs of the facilty. Residents at my facility that are alert and generally active, prefer the calendar to plan their daily activity schedule. I use the calendar in IDT planning to help establish the activity pattern of some residents that prefer certain activities that may be ongoing at a time therapy is also going to take place---we work together to assist the resident to still be able to participate in his/her activity of choice. (One example of the effective use of the calendar). The calendar may actually help the surveyor see the activity program unfold successfully in your facility----or it could help point out that the program is failing to take place on time or there are activities that simply are not happening.

 

I believe that activities should also just happen----maybe some residents may decide that the weather is beautiful---let's do a picnic----make it happen. Someone may decide that News and Views is great---but today let's play Spades----make it happen. This adds spice to the activity program... spices up the day. Throw in an unexpected visit from a pet, do an informal music activitiy. As activitiy programs evolve---we will understand more the old saying "nothing is written in stone." Calendars may need to be more "open" to give lead way to creativity. I don't think most of my residents would do their own activities without some cueing, directions, nudges from me and my staff.

 

By the way, thanks for all the good advice/ help I have gotten from you and this site. Been an A.D. for 4 years and I am loving it more each day! Hopefully I will feel like this after State leaves. I am excited about what other activity professionals are thinking. Hang in there guys---we do make a difference in our facilities and our Residents' 'lives!

[vanguard 0]

I too have been asked by state for the last three months calendars When I make the monthly calendar I ask the residents what they want and go from there. A few programs are tried, some work some don't. I also have the calendar for the Dementia/Alhzeimer's Unit

All of our activies are subject to change if the residents want to do something different and yes we do make it happen. That's the joy of our job

[turtle 0]

I have also always been asked by the surveyors for my calendars from the current month and the previous three. We always discuss the calendar as a group of staff and residents. The calendar is based on what they want to do. As far as adapting to change in what they want on a routine basis, we just go with it. We always start the activity as stated on the calendar and it just evolves into whatever they want for that day. For example, today we had a humor activity scheduled that somehow turned into a reminscing session. By doing it this way, we cover both what the calendar states and what they want that day. We also schedule a Resident Choice activity 2-3x a month. This works well because they come in and we basically do whatever they want. Sometimes they vote to watch a movie or do something as a group, other days each table chooses to be doing something different. It seems to be a great way to get everyone involved. It works for us. We do have separate calendars for each unit and I am looking at breaking those down into more specific groups eventually. We are up for survey soon so I will let you know how it goes. We haven't had any trouble doing our calendar this way in the past.