New Position Remorse

[aRBeRec 0]

I was an Asst. Director of Recreation for 2 years and decided to go for a Director postition. Well now I'm a director for all of 5 weeks and I'm ready to jump ship. I'm short staffed and unable to do my job because I am performing the duties of activity aids. I'm not allowed to hire anyone and have been trying try make do with what I have but no matter how I cut it, I cannot improve this department if I don't have enough staff to run programming.

 

What can I do? I don't want to quit, I'd like to turn this department around but how?

[BillinDayton 0]

I've heard this same scenario over and over again in my area...

 

How was the department running before you came onboard? If you have limited resources you're going to really need to be organised. What goals has your boss given you, and what time frames? If this is a "chain" you might reach out to sister facilities activity directors and see if they're able to make some suggestions.

 

I'm sure there's plenty of long term AD's who can weigh in for you and offer their suggestions as well.

 

Hindsight being 20/20, its probably important to ask several question during the interview process about things like staffing, programming expectations and the goals the company has for its activities department. Did you ask these type questions, if so, what kind of answers did you get?

 

 

Good luck!

 

[aRBeRec 0]

I've heard this same scenario over and over again in my area...

 

How was the department running before you came onboard? If you have limited resources you're going to really need to be organised. What goals has your boss given you, and what time frames? If this is a "chain" you might reach out to sister facilities activity directors and see if they're able to make some suggestions.

 

I'm sure there's plenty of long term AD's who can weigh in for you and offer their suggestions as well.

 

Hindsight being 20/20, its probably important to ask several question during the interview process about things like staffing, programming expectations and the goals the company has for its activities department. Did you ask these type questions, if so, what kind of answers did you get?

Good luck!

 

 

 

Well I'm sure I could have asked more detailed questions during the interview process, yet I did ask about staffing and did not get an accurate answer. I was told I would have 8, what I was not told is that one of the eight would be leaving before I got here and another one is leaving next week. I get to replace one of them with a part-timer.

 

I have talked to an AD at a sister facility and he told me, the last AD put up with the same stuff. But had no suggestions. I found some of the previous AD's proposals for more staff and all got shot down. The department is in bad shape, activities are not up to my standards but it's hard to train staff to my standards when I'm running programs on one unit and they're each on another. Sigh. I keep telling myself to give it time, but I'm losing steam fast and begining to want out of the profession.

[BillinDayton 0]

The department is in bad shape, activities are not up to my standards but it's hard to train staff to my standards when I'm running programs on one unit and they're each on another. Sigh. I keep telling myself to give it time, but I'm losing steam fast and begining to want out of the profession.

 

The particular job you have may be bad but its a great profession, don't lose sight of that...

 

A few suggestions:

 

1) Go back through the last several years worth of state surveys. Catalog the deficiencies activities recieved. See how many of them are related to manpower issues. If scores have been sub-standard and there's been shortages in the dept. for the same time period, well, that's a pretty compelling argument to make your case...basically establish a cause and effect type thing.

 

2) Scheduling is going to be key. Meet with your key assistants and develop a plan that covers your programming needs but frees you or other staff up to allow for admin time. There's not likely going to be any quick fixes but this could improve things...

 

3) Volunteers? Is there a volunteer coodinator on the premises? (I know, its you, right?) Well, handing off some appropriate activites might also help out...

 

 

Good luck!

Edited January 17, 2008 by BillinDayton

[Kanela 0]

I was an Asst. Director of Recreation for 2 years and decided to go for a Director postition. Well now I'm a director for all of 5 weeks and I'm ready to jump ship. I'm short staffed and unable to do my job because I am performing the duties of activity aids. I'm not allowed to hire anyone and have been trying try make do with what I have but no matter how I cut it, I cannot improve this department if I don't have enough staff to run programming.

 

What can I do? I don't want to quit, I'd like to turn this department around but how?

 

Hello,

Welcome to our world...where with the little resources, we become the nurse, social worker, chaplain, friend, and advocate for our residents.

We all want to run our department as best as we possibly can. Unfortunately, it does take team work. Maybe just maybe the other departments can help? Afterall, the Activity Department is where the other workers come too when they need help with a resident. You should be honest with your Administrator...and also the other disciplinary team. With the new f-tags....other departments should take on responsibilities too. Getting reliable volunteers is a good idea, but good volunteers are very hard to come by in this day and age. There is no "I" in the word, TEAM. It takes does team work . Another idea is to start educating your co workers in the responsibilities of keeping your residents busy too. It is as much their responsibility as it is yours. Compromising takes time and efforts, all worth while when survey time comes around.

 

Aloha,

Kanela

[Kellbell68 0]

Hi there!

I hope things have improved some since you last posted.

I am in the exact same position. I have basically no help right now, and although I have hired two assistants (one full time and one part time) it is absolutely impossible to get everything done from day to day.

 

We have a rehab until and it is all I can do to get the initial assessments done (we have new admits almost daily), get the annual & quarterly assessments done, do the activities, plan next month's calandar, get our monthly newsletter in the mail on time, etc, etc, etc... it's never ending, but I have decided not to give up... it has to get better, right?

 

One thing I have been doing is asking for help. I normally don't do a lot of this, but lately I have just had to. We're due for State to come in for our suvey any time now, and realizing there is no way I'm going to get it all done, I have asked our Administrator for help from other departments.

For example, next week I'm going to an Activity Conference for 2 days and they are going to pull some of the girls from housekeeping to help with activities.

 

Also, if you have helpful family members, ask them to call Bingo, help round up residents, etc. Some of our family members are my saving grace. We have a 'hiring' process Volunteers have to go through, so that makes it a little tougher at our place.

 

Another very important part of my job is keeping in very close contact with the other department heads. We have 2 previous ADs in our building, so I will ask them for help, I attend our morning stand-up meeting, I talk with our Administrator when I'm frustrated (we chat often:) ), I keep in extremely close contact with our Social Worker, because she & I have similar goals, I attend all Care Plan meetings if at all possible (built-in one on ones!), I offer more activities the residents can initiate on their own (card games, reminiscing 1:1s, etc.) and I try to go into work every day with a fresh perspective.

 

This is not easy. I don't think even a fully-staffed activity department would be easy. I think you will be okay. I think pulling your site surveys to see what your facility's deficiencies have been over the past few years may make a difference for you. Maybe if the 'higher-ups' realize a pattern, they will be more willing to help you out.

 

Email me anytime if you want to vent:)

Kelly

[aRBeRec 0]

Hi there!

I hope things have improved some since you last posted.

I am in the exact same position. I have basically no help right now, and although I have hired two assistants (one full time and one part time) it is absolutely impossible to get everything done from day to day.

 

We have a rehab until and it is all I can do to get the initial assessments done (we have new admits almost daily), get the annual & quarterly assessments done, do the activities, plan next month's calandar, get our monthly newsletter in the mail on time, etc, etc, etc... it's never ending, but I have decided not to give up... it has to get better, right?

 

One thing I have been doing is asking for help. I normally don't do a lot of this, but lately I have just had to. We're due for State to come in for our suvey any time now, and realizing there is no way I'm going to get it all done, I have asked our Administrator for help from other departments.

For example, next week I'm going to an Activity Conference for 2 days and they are going to pull some of the girls from housekeeping to help with activities.

 

Also, if you have helpful family members, ask them to call Bingo, help round up residents, etc. Some of our family members are my saving grace. We have a 'hiring' process Volunteers have to go through, so that makes it a little tougher at our place.

 

Another very important part of my job is keeping in very close contact with the other department heads. We have 2 previous ADs in our building, so I will ask them for help, I attend our morning stand-up meeting, I talk with our Administrator when I'm frustrated (we chat often:) ), I keep in extremely close contact with our Social Worker, because she & I have similar goals, I attend all Care Plan meetings if at all possible (built-in one on ones!), I offer more activities the residents can initiate on their own (card games, reminiscing 1:1s, etc.) and I try to go into work every day with a fresh perspective.

 

This is not easy. I don't think even a fully-staffed activity department would be easy. I think you will be okay. I think pulling your site surveys to see what your facility's deficiencies have been over the past few years may make a difference for you. Maybe if the 'higher-ups' realize a pattern, they will be more willing to help you out.

 

Email me anytime if you want to vent:)

Kelly

 

Unfortunately, things have not improved. Corprate and Admin say they'll support me but when I say what I need I get "We'll see" and never get back to me. I don't have time to keep asking for help because I have so many other things to do... I know it's just venting... I think I'm going to look for a new job.

[jassina 0]

I feel your pain. I was the Activity Director for 8 months last year, and ended up resigning due to exactly the same reason you are stating. I was so short-staffed. I can't give you the right answer, but I can tell you what happened to me. Initially, I went to the Human Resources department and begged for staff. On numerous occassions, I was promised that they would advertise open positions. However, that was done so maybe once or twice to appease me. I then went to the Administrator on numerous occasions, sent emails, had meetings and found that I was basically being ignored. I was told that is "how the healthcare profession is, get used to being short-staffed".

I then went to the "Employee Relations " hotline, met with executive vice-president of the corporation. After this I was demoted to an "aide" with my director salary. At which point they made my life miserable.

On Christmas Eve of 2007, I was forced to resign. They "allowed" me to collect unemployment, gave me 2 weeks severance pay, and told me to leave.

I did. I am happier now. I am seeking new employment, whether it be in the field or not. I am volunteering part-time at a nursing home. Looking back, I should have filed some type of labor action on the facility while I was still employed there.

In short, I think you should take steps to push the issue, however, do it with legal authorities who have oversight. Otherwise, the facility will try to push you out.

How about Equal Opportunity or the Federal Labor Relations? Get some more information, before you act.

Hope this helps..I know it is not optimistic, but it is, at least, real.

Good Luck,

Jessica

[crafferty 0]

I was an Asst. Director of Recreation for 2 years and decided to go for a Director postition. Well now I'm a director for all of 5 weeks and I'm ready to jump ship. I'm short staffed and unable to do my job because I am performing the duties of activity aids. I'm not allowed to hire anyone and have been trying try make do with what I have but no matter how I cut it, I cannot improve this department if I don't have enough staff to run programming.

 

What can I do? I don't want to quit, I'd like to turn this department around but how?

 

Are you able to recruit volunteers to give you a hand? Sometimes the more able residents have skills they are willing to share, sometimes colleges in the area can provide short term vols to help out. Just a quick thought, hang in there!!! CJR

[aRBeRec 0]

Thank you all for your help. things have gotten a bit better since the Administrator was replaced. I feel the change in Administrator has remotivated me, because I finnaly feel like my issues are not being ingnored. I am getting more support and I have recruted some volunteers. Things are looking up!