princess 0 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 I work M-F at a Skilled Nursing Facility and no one covers the weekends they have one volunteer who comes in on Saturday morning to call Bingo. Thats all. I come in on Monday morning and no one wants to do any thing or I realy have to push the residents to do anything. They are just not interested. :-? This is getting old real fast. :-( Also the resident interest forms in their charts don't help me much at all. :roll: I want to offer programs that they will be interested in attending but I don't have enough info on their past leisure interests. :roll: How do I get this info? Thanks to anyone who can help me on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennie 26 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 Hi, Sounds like the res. have gone going w/o activities for quite awhile &/or a activity calendar was posted with act. on it that never happened. If res. went to the trouble to go to a act. and it was not going on, after a few times they just quit coming. Unmotivated res. are hard to get out, active and part of life again. You can always tell a home that has excellent act. because they (res) are out and always asking what's next. It will take you time to get them to trust you and to get them involved. Have you not been there long? You need to find the 1 or 2 res that seem to be out and who are visiting other res. knows what's going on. Talk to them about poss. act. suggestions. Also have a few of your own to tell them about, be excited. Enlist their help. Let them be a part of the act. somehow. Once you have them pumped up they will help spread the word and you will get a few more res. But chances are they will only be there to check it out, make sure they aren't missing anything. So if poss. show them they are missing out on the fun. encourage them to join in, don't push to hard. When you are not in an act. go to res. rooms and chat. Don't bring up act. talk to them about yourself ask questions about their families etc.. This will take some time but soon you will notice res. coming out to your act. because they feel they know you and like you. Also talk to any family members you see ask them questions about their relative. About not being there on the weekend, this should not be happening. I don't what state your in but in Texas we are required to have act. 7 days a week! On Sunday you must provide some type of church services. Look at your state regs. and your company policy, see what it says. Besides the weekend is when most family members visit, if there is nothing going on this could effect the census. I mean if you facility is dead and the one down the street is busy, alive with acts. then that's where I would put my loved one. You need to get some volunteers to help out by doing some act. They can be from the community, family members even some res. Call your local churches and get them to speak with their congression see if some of them won't come it. You may think about working some on the weekend. You could work 4 on Sat and 4 on Sunday, or 8 on either one of them, take a weekday. How many res. do you have? Ask about getting some part-time help. You know if you have a good weekend act program families start to talk and the census will start to go up. It will be known that is because of your dept. families, new admissions will make sure of this. What better way to get extra staff, volunteers and more monie ;-) Hold off the frustration, I know it's hard but it will work out if you give the res. enough time. You know Bingo, Parties, Music the basic type act. are usually winners until you get to know what they really want. best of luck P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbie 0 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 To gain more information about those within your care, I find that besides reading case notes I do the super slueth, and that is by ringing or writing to family members, I try to piece the information together and build up a profile. This is if I am unable to get information from the resident due to cognitive disabilities. by giving residents little tasks in assisting you is the best way to get them interested in activities, you find that most people need to be needed and by your enthusiasm and encouragement and also genuine grattitude exhibited you will find those within your care feeling more comfortable with you and will join. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllucas 0 Report Share Posted November 9, 2004 Hi, Bobbie! :-D You and Pennie have hit the nail on the head. It seems to me there will be times when attendance is down (e.g. the day after a big celebration like the Christmas party; days when it is rainy and everyone is feeling it in their arthritic joints; when there is flu in the building and the nurses are fighting a losing battle with vomit and b.m.; when there has been a significant change in a resident). However, a properly run activity program staffed by caring and motivated AD's and volunteers (this is a huge factor), and with the positive assistance of the nursing staff (sometimes this can be a battle), will always generate attendance. Princess, I've often been told by consultants that if you have at least 10% of the total census in attendance at your activity...you have a successful activity. It is our personal desire to see attendance figures approach the 80% to 90% range. But that is totaly unrealistic. So shoot for 10% and rejoice when an activity exceeds that number. You go, girl! Linda Lucas, AD ;-) http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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