What to do when on vacation?

[maggiew 0]

Hello All!

 

First let me say that in our facility, I am the Activity Director. I have no assistants and no daily volunteers, yes, it's just me  

Now, I am going on vacation for a week very soon and I am not sure what to put on the calendar as far as activities for them to do? Does anyone have any ideas? Maybe something pretty basic that I don't have to worry about while I'm away. 

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and help!!

 

-Maggie

[cgbrown1977 0]

Hi Maggie, I just saw this so you have probably already taken your vacation...I too am the only person in my dept. Vacation week I try to get other managers to at the least do one activity like bingo or an ice cream social. If you can get a couple of managers to do ibe activity and fill in with movies and lake word search puzzles they can work on together. Have someone set out paints and paper one day...or crayons and print out pics to color in.

[elainelewis 0]

Hi Maggie,

Could you ask a volunteer to run a couple of programs alsong with some of the staff?

[activities25 0]

Hello! I am like you, in my facility I am the only Social Worker, Discharge Planner & Activity Director.  When I go on vacation, the nursing staff and CNA's are responsible for carrying out the daily activities, However, when I know that I will be out a head of time, I do make sure I meet with the Director of Nursing to go over what  activities the nursing staff can do while I am gone and make sure I put that on the Monthly Activity Calendar for those days that I am off.  I also make sure that I do as much of my paperwork as possible  for the MDS assessments and progress notes ahead of time.  Usually the Assistant Director of nursing while complete any MDS assessments for my when I am gone and the Billing Specialist takes care of any Medicare Denial Letters that need to be issued while I am away! Hope this helps!

[Pennie 26]

You could also have a resident that is very reliable do a couple of the activites, example Bingo, take names of resident that attend any activis.  Ask them to set up for the Church Services etc. I would also place this in the newsletter (as well as the bulletin boards)  the month prior to your vacation that you need volunteers, ie family members, chuchr groups etc. to come in and do activies. Find out what they can do and when. Then if supplies are needed you can make a cart/basket or something with the suplies in it. Place it in your office for them so all they need to do is grab it and go. (Be sure you have them take names of residents in attendance). If your office is locked be sure that you have a key left with staff member/ station or resident.that can let them in to get the supplies needed.

[HeatherThomas 0]

I'm new to my facility so I'm still figuring out how things work but I was off one day last week and was pleasantly surprised to find that the staff pitched in and ran activities in my absence. Such a relief to feel like I can take a day off and not be worried that my residents will be bored or unaware of planned programs. I thanked the staff up and down when I got back and they seemed to look confused at what the "big deal" was.... it wasn't like this at my other job so I feel blessed. 

 

I think that if the expectation is set that all staff are responsible for resident activities and then the staff are shown that what they do is appreciated, it will work. Good Luck! We need some staff culture change in this area.