WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO BESIDES ACTIVITIES?

[cpnc 0]

MY QUESTIONS ARE:

 

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO BESIDES ACTIVITIES?

AT MY BUILDING WE DO DINING ROOM DUTY FOR 2 MEALS, ROOM CHECKS 2 DAYS A WEEK (EXCEPT WHEN THE WINDOW IS OPEN FOR STATE THEN IT IS EVERY DAY) SERVE ON RISK MANAGEMENT ONE DAY A WEEK THAT CAN LAST ANYWHERE TO 2-3 HOURS, QA TEAM (CURRENTLY DOING CHART AUDITS FOR ABBREVIATIONS IN CHARTS MOSTLY FOR NURSING CHARTING)AND OF COURSE CARE PLANS WITH FAMILIES WHEN EVER! OH, THE NURSING STAFF IS NON SUPPORTIVE.

 

THE OTHER QUESTION IS; DOES YOUR ACTIVITY STAFF WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK, EVENINGS AND SOME NIGHTS ?

 

JUST WANTED TO COMPARE NOTES. I AM AT 120 BED LONG TERM CARE FACILITY WITH A VERY ACTIVE RE-HAB UNIT.

 

THANKS FOR SHARING.

[Pennie 26]

Hi,

An average day/wk/month at our facility goes something like this:

every morning at 9 am dept head meeting last 30 mins to 1 hr

QA meeting 1 x monthly last 1 1/2 to 2 hrs but we get a free lunch

1 x mthly dept head meeting 45 mins to 1 hr

Unit/Room Checks 2 x wkly

Check other depts 1 x wkly (we get a list of other depts we have to check on, it changes mthly)

CP's every Tues, Wed, Thur last 2 to 4 hrs a day

CP's sometime on friday if had changes or lots of admits

Orientation these vary monthly to how many but they take about 1 hour each time

Of course I have yet to do any of my work: Charting (writting CP's, documentation etc), calendars, newsletters, res council, shopping etc.. My dept works 7 days a week & luckly we have some wonderful volunteers who come in & do activites in the evening 3 times a week. Of course there is always exceptions to the rules, sometimes we have to cover evening events, plan outings on weekends, cover sick staff etc.

This is a slight overview of a day & the life of an AD in LTC. This is subject to change (which I mean be added to) at any given moment. But I would not be happy sitting behind a desk doing the samething day in & day out.

[trixiedg 0]

I just love this website! I can't stay off of it. So full of useful info. Now to answer the question "What do I do". I am the AD for a 60 bed facility, since Nov '06. I have one assistant. I am also the social services director, for 12 years now, and the admissions coordinator. My schedule is much like the previous post. We have to make morning rounds daily which takes 30 minutes or so. We sometimes have to pitch in and help when they are working short on the hall because of call ins. Morning meetings are at 9:00am and last 30 mins or more depending on what we found on rounds and how fired up our Adm. is. We have care plan meetings once a week. After care plans, we have other weekly meetings such as restorative, falls, those on psychotropic drugs, weight meetings, etc. QA once a month, horray for the free lunch! Then there are the trips to get supplies for activities and shop for the elders. It seems they always know when I've just returned from shopping because someone will always bring me a list of what they need. I also have to make appointments for eye and dental appointments and arrange for transportation or take them myself. We all know how long you can sit in a doctors office. We are in a very rural area, so availability of different doctors is limited which means longer travel time. Just about the time I get started on my progress notes or other paperwork, I have a phone call from a hospital about a potential admit or a family waiting to tour the facility or needing info, then run to the other end of the facility to get the fax the hospital just sent me. I also have two very talkative office mates. Then there are the RAPs and care plans that we have in the computer. You know THE computer. The ONE you have to share with everyone else, especially the talkative one that pecks instead of types. (I really do love my office mate, wouldn't trade her for a thing in the world, not a thing she doesn't know) I used to do all of the MDS scheduling, case mix, medicare tracking, putting MDS's in the computer and submitting them to the state then running the QI report, and still do this from time to time. Then there is the admissions paperwork 2-3 hours per family, get the room ready for the admit, inventory belongings, interview the admit and/or family upon admit, etc. I am sure that is not all but for crying out loud, isn't that enough. I really do love my job. Don't know of a thing I'd rather do!

[Vanessa 0]

I am an AD for a 44 bed dementia unit in LTC. I am a COTA so I do a lot of tasks that utilize those skills. I plan all the activities and have two program assistants who carry out a good portion of them. Our activity staff works 365 days a year. We also do evening activities and campus-wide events which includes our independent residents. I direct the volunteers assigned to my unit - unit orientation, program set-up, basic and ongoing unit training and troubleshooting. I oversee (along with the rest of our leadership team) the front-line staff on the unit including program assistants, CNAs, nurses, and housekeeping. I have a leadership team meeting once a week, QA once a month (boo - no free lunch!), I do the ADL, REP and activity sections of the MDS along with associated RAPS and progress notes, chart audits, positioning, rehab dining for two meals a day, and assigning of all equipment for the residents. I am responsible for all unit photography - med book pictures, chart pictures, wound pictures, positioning pictures, how-to pictures (example: putting on/taking off a prosthesis). I do room and resident audits. I audit other areas of our campus. I tour prospective residents and their families. I am on a ton of teams: Falls, psychosocial wellbeing, new employee orientation, KOPE, QA, leadership, unit work team, and I'm sure I am forgetting a few. I am pulled in on an as-needed basis for other department teams. I attend careplanning weekly. I pretty much do whatever is needed - toilet residents, make beds, clean-up spills, work with resident and family issues, etc. My work week is supposed to be 40 hours, but never has been. But I love my residents and I love my job. I have a lot of freedom to try new things and implement new programs. >Vanessa

[Vikki 0]

I do some of the same: meetings, direct care, care plan meetings, manager on duty, drive doctor appointments sometimes, etc. We also have monthly training sessions that each manager leads in addition to in-services on different topics. I coordinate and implement the volunteer programs as well.

[Mandyatscr 0]

Besides activities my week is like this

 

Monday- Friday mini UR meeting/falls committee: 9 am for about 15 mins to 45 mins

 

Tuesday- QI starting at 2 usually an hour and a half, Care plans if we have a lot due that month

 

Thursdays- Care Plans- Starting at 2 and ending usually by 4 depending on how many families are coming

 

2 Tuesdays a month- Deptartment head, about 2.5 hours in the morning

 

Monthly- Decorate the facility

 

Staff here 7 days a week except holidays. Monday, Wed and Thursday from 730 am until 8pm. Tuesday and Fridays 730 a-5p, weekends 8 a - 430p. 2 of my staff helps with meals 2 times per day.

[lindak 0]

MY QUESTIONS ARE:

 

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO BESIDES ACTIVITIES?

AT MY BUILDING WE DO DINING ROOM DUTY FOR 2 MEALS, ROOM CHECKS 2 DAYS A WEEK (EXCEPT WHEN THE WINDOW IS OPEN FOR STATE THEN IT IS EVERY DAY) SERVE ON RISK MANAGEMENT ONE DAY A WEEK THAT CAN LAST ANYWHERE TO 2-3 HOURS, QA TEAM (CURRENTLY DOING CHART AUDITS FOR ABBREVIATIONS IN CHARTS MOSTLY FOR NURSING CHARTING)AND OF COURSE CARE PLANS WITH FAMILIES WHEN EVER! OH, THE NURSING STAFF IS NON SUPPORTIVE.

 

THE OTHER QUESTION IS; DOES YOUR ACTIVITY STAFF WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK, EVENINGS AND SOME NIGHTS ?

 

JUST WANTED TO COMPARE NOTES. I AM AT 120 BED LONG TERM CARE FACILITY WITH A VERY ACTIVE RE-HAB UNIT.

 

THANKS FOR SHARING.

Hi,

I am having a hard time finding a job in texas in activities as a assistant, but only want to work part time, any idea's

[Hope 0]

MY QUESTIONS ARE:

 

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO BESIDES ACTIVITIES?

AT MY BUILDING WE DO DINING ROOM DUTY FOR 2 MEALS, ROOM CHECKS 2 DAYS A WEEK (EXCEPT WHEN THE WINDOW IS OPEN FOR STATE THEN IT IS EVERY DAY) SERVE ON RISK MANAGEMENT ONE DAY A WEEK THAT CAN LAST ANYWHERE TO 2-3 HOURS, QA TEAM (CURRENTLY DOING CHART AUDITS FOR ABBREVIATIONS IN CHARTS MOSTLY FOR NURSING CHARTING)AND OF COURSE CARE PLANS WITH FAMILIES WHEN EVER! OH, THE NURSING STAFF IS NON SUPPORTIVE.

 

THE OTHER QUESTION IS; DOES YOUR ACTIVITY STAFF WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK, EVENINGS AND SOME NIGHTS ?

 

JUST WANTED TO COMPARE NOTES. I AM AT 120 BED LONG TERM CARE FACILITY WITH A VERY ACTIVE RE-HAB UNIT.

 

THANKS FOR SHARING.

 

 

Weekly Meetings:Monday - Friday 1/3 to 1 hr standup meeting Tues Careplans, weight, grand rounds Thurs Marketing, Grand rounds

Monthly meetings: QA - quarterly have docs invited with a meal; other months just dept mgrs.; Resident Council; Meals on Wheels

Every Mon-Fri, I transport Residents from 10am activity to their DR table-my "activity room" is the DR - and then get those from the lobby , put on shirt protectors, pass trays - then I can go get mail, pass it, and do some charting while I answer phone - office person at lunch and secretary comes in later (hey, at least we have one again now!). Try to get a half hour lunch in so I can get back in time for afternoon large group - lots of stopping to assist residents in ways that they don't want to "bother" anyone else cause they're busy Since nobody really claims our courtyard, during nice weather, it is assumed to be an activity, though we only go out there during the few nice days (not too cold, not too hot or humid) in spring and fall; my residents love to watch me work and ask me to go get them something or they have to use bathroom and believe me, there is no calling for someone to come get them, I simply have to leave to do it. One part time staff; she does the Sat. for 1-1/2 hour and one night wk-volunteer does the other night and Sun p.m. or else it's a movie if no volunteers accept that week. Phone calls, scheduling parties, newsletters, calendars, printing, overseeing resident volunteers that put them together, lots of DR chores tend to get thrown my way. All the above is just what I have to do so I get to do what I want to do, which is to love my friends who live here.

[chrystal 0]

At lunch which is at 12:00 pm...I would fold the bibs and put them out on the table...I serve the residents some coffee and serve their trays out to them....I also every morning at 10 am I serve them their snacks out along with something to drink...There are some days I would have them sit outside on the front porch and have ice tea with them and chat for a while....I take picture's of them with my camera and have them developed for the family....On Saturday's is called movie and a surprise...They love popcorn and a movie and I would make them something from my home and we would eat it 2 hours after lunch...I would bring a movie with me from my home also...Sometimes on Saturday's I would do hair and nails...I buy my own fingernail polish...Although there some days I would do nails during the week...It all depends each and every day...I also write for the Pope County Care Center News for my local paper The Hearald every week...Well, that is all I can tell you what I do besides doing actvities...Thanks, Chrystal Hoyle

[Sara 0]

I'm an AD for a 47-bed facility, although we usually have about 2/3 of that filled. I also do medical records for the facility.

 

Off the job -- I'm an independent beauty consultant

[heavenstar 0]

I work in a HUD subsidized apartment complex with 370 residents. They are all independent, so I definitely do not have the same issues, but in addition to the activities, I am in charge of the meal program (planning meals, ordering food, serving sometimes, and of course, handling the complaints) The computers in the office and computer center are a big part of my job- so I am always trying to find classes teaching me to diagnose computer problems and tearing them apart and fixing them and also I am supposed to be an expert at finding programs and files others lose! I also teach computer classes to my residents- everything from how to use a mouse to digital photography and graphic designing. In addition to doing all the graphics, photo shopping, banners, signs, etc for the office. When the secretary is out, I have to take over the desk and phones. Most of my job is doing office work instead of activities, but the activities I do get to do make up for everything!