Trouble Areas

[pmk0224 0]

It seems like there is always an area that we have trouble with (questions) and can't seem to get any answers to.

1. Ex: I remember that when I started out my area was Care Plans. I just could not understand them and was unable to get the answer that I understood.

So is there a trouble area for you, that we all share and just don't realize it?

2. I did buy books on CP's but none of them seem to help me. I also bought books on In-room activities. I would love a book on Policy & Procedures.

3. My "Bible" is the MDS book, & I like the ones that help me with the required paperwork we have to do.

This is just a sample of how to answer te poll questions.

 

Bed Bound residents. I know that visiting helps but it seems I should be doing aprogram of some sort. We just recieved "Never 2 Late" so I am hoping this will help me to do more.

Pat

[Squeaky02 0]

QA definetly a concern. I not sure if my reports are correct. My DON says they are and I only report on one line of the QA. "Little or no activity" wow one line. what else am I suppose to have on this thing? Anyone?

[LisaT 0]

When reading though the trouble areas I found yours to be a very serious issue as well. The problem is that you will take the heat if the form is showing little participation. It is very important that your company hear you on this issue. Your activities are probably new and improved with the times and resident interests and the form is not.

 

I would try:

 

* Seeking the help of other Activity Directors in your company (if it is that big) I would suggest a meeting about the form. So all of you can present it to the company together. If you explain your frustration with the form in such a way that Administration sees you just want to keep the dept. in compliance they may understand that.

* There may be an Activity Director you know from a nearby company you can have meet with administration with you.

* Or try using one active resident in an example and show how much more they do for two week time period then the form represents.

* If Social Services were willing to help you argue this point that would also help them because their sections require them to write about activity involvement.

* Check around in the Company to see if any other department is using a form they had to create. Maybe Social Services, or Dietary.

* Other Activity Directors from the area could Email their forms to you so you could present it to the company. If you show your boss that other homes they respect create their own forms for activity, this may help.

 

If no one will hear your argument I would add a simple comment sheet on the back (you could even copy it to the back side of your form) as a place for the staff to put the date write in the extra things residents do such as, go to the beauty shop, go outside to the porch, talk on the phone, visit with family, or the special events you add in like Super bowl parties!

 

 

I have worked in 3 long term care homes and we have tracked participation in different ways and each way is fine as long as the surveyors can clearly read it. In one home we even highlighted the activity calendar to prove participation and this was also fine. Other homes are using different forms that staff created and Administration approved and they are part of the permanent medical record. The form I use right now matches what our company started with but I recreated it in a word table and changed the words. I added: Outdoor Activity, Men's Club, Sun Bonnet (which is our coffee shop), etc.

 

 

I hope you can resolve this in a way that makes you feel good about using your form and proves the hard work you have been up to.

 

 

 

 

:hammer: My trouble area would definatly be the daily activity log. Who participated in what. The company we are with require us to use a certain form. The only problem is, The form stinks!! It has all these items on it. But most of them are not applicable with my residents. There is absolutely no way to Personalize it. So half the time, it looks like they are not doing much. if anything at all. I tried a different form one time, and got in trouble because it wasn't a "company approved" form. I have also tried to explain this to company people. Do they care? no, they want the approved form and everything else be.. well you know. Sometimes I feel like I'm slamming into a brick wall. (of course that could very well be what their heads are made of!) :-D Any ideas would be soo greatly appreciated.

[Stefz02 0]

I completely agree with the issues with 1:1's. Its extremely difficult to get everything done with so many 1:1's. I have the same problem at my facility with residents being in bed all day long, even after cna's were asked to have them up for a certain activity. I like the idea of documenting whether the resident was out of bed or exactly what they were doing during the event. I am still working as an aide while I work towards my certification and will definitely suggest that to my director.

[Tomisgreat 0]

I find it difficult to provide support for bed-bound residents. Our policy is that no students or volunteers can be in a resident's room unattended so it is very difficult to do anything other than one-on-one's done by myself.

 

I'm actually excited now doing the participation charting after reading about a new format right here on this site. I use my calendar and highlighting system, and it is so easy, and tells more about how a resident spends their day!

 

 

Hello-can you tell me where the new format is. I am struggling with my calendar and system and keep seem to find good resources. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!!

[reneachilds 0]

I believe it would work well to have to AD in Nursing Homes. One that is required to do paperwork and meetings and one to implement activities. I have found through my classes that some AD's love the paperwork side and some love being on the floor. I guess it has to do with your strengths as an AD. It would be nice to be hired knowing that you are going to do most of one or the other. I know I would be happy with one or the other but not both at the same time. It seems extremely difficult to complete both task.

 

Overall, it seems that it is the resident whom ultimately lose out.

 

Karen :cry:

I agree with your post. It is very hard to do and be everything in your dept.

[amandam 1]

A reply for the activity log... I use a census sheet and write the daily act down in the center and use diff color highlighters and make a mark threw the rest name, then put them in folders at the e.o.m. this comply with state regs also :-)

[Tonnasp14 0]

Hello my name is Tonya Puentes and I have read everyone's post and I do agree with all of you and you have helped with guys activities. Those are my biggest problem one to get them out of their rooms. Or they may walk around the building and not want to come to exercise because they have already walked, or have been on the bikes that are in the Fitness room. So I can't really argue the point when they have but they will do things like that on there own and not in a group. I think that if I don't take a lunch and do work at home that I will get everything done that I am suppose to, right like that is going to happen.  Oh yes I take the MEPAP1 right now so guess that I wont be doing that. Lol. Well ideas are always welcome and I thank you all for all of the information.

 

Tonya

[amandam 1]

I just held a black jack tournament. Had chips and dip along w na beer the guys loved it!!!

[LindseyC0220 0]

My trouble areas is time! I feel like I have so much to do and so little time!!!

I'm the activities director but I also help out with everything else, I help the kitchen serve lunch, the cnas with their stuff, I load and unload the buses each day. Some days I can barely find time to sit down and focus on paperwork.

[kim1 0]

My problem areas would be finding time for all the 1-1 visits that I want to do!  And when I do interact with a resident on my 1-1 list, in the halls or at meals or something, half the time I do not get it documented.  We also desperately need volunteers!

[KristenWilliams 0]

Our problem is the bariatric residents. 1/4 of our population falls in that category and it's hard to encourage them to attend group acts. They have a ton of interests on the admission assessment and then it falls back on us when they have a careplan and they haven't attended anything that they said they wanted to. They tell their families that they aren't offered. Which is not true at all. We offer and they tell us to basically go to hell or have every excuse as to why they can't get up for it. It's very frustration because some families don't realize the truth.

[activities25 0]

My most troubled area is getting the nursing staff to keep up with the daily participation activity logs when they are conducting the activities!

[cindytown 0]

 

Definetly Men's Activities. Since the population is so small, and men have a "particular way about them" I need guidance with approach and followthrough.

Mens Activities... this is an area that was hard for me... I figured out over the years that it wasnt the activity, men are simple... (Jeff Foxworthy said "men are simple, just give em a beer, and something naked. and they're happy") they dont want to play bingo they want to build a new bingo table, they want to be useful, to work, to be thanked and praised. They have lost they're position in the world, and just like youth, they want it back... badly.. if only for a second. I always approached my men residents as my doers, my work force, my "get er done" guys

I didnt stop by their rooms to ask if they wanted to play bingo, I asked them to help find something for the next activity, or help prepare the room for a meeting ... guys like nothing better than to help a lady in distress... my male residents were eventully always out and about looking for ways to help. Bird houses to hang, ballon wreaths to make... once they were out and among one another the Domino Competions started the football parties, NASCAR, projects etc.. they wrote their own activity plans....

 

have fun :hammer:

 

Pennie, well said, men are simple.  Give them a purpose and a praise and they are happy campers !  They have likely lost most of their identity as husbands and providers, giving them the feeling to be needed can bring some of that back.

[chaplaindeb 0]

I need help with decorations.  I'm just bad at decorating. I have lived in my house for 11 years and still don't have curtains in my bedroom because I just CAN'T do it.   My ED says he wants me to decorate but he doesn't know what he wants. Half the time when I put up decorations he takes them down because they're "not right." But he doesn't know how they're not right or what he'd rather see.  It is frustrating and budget-busting to decorate 2/3 times for everything because I get it wrong. He liked my Memorial Day decorations so now we're going to celebrate every patriotic holiday no matter how insignificant.  He is an utterly fantastic ED and he should not have to worry about decorations.  I'd like some resources for how to decorate.

[johnsondozen 0]

Glad to see I'm not the only one struggling to keep our men busy.  I recently got a new gentleman on my floor and his attention span is like 3 minutes.  I can't step away at all to help someone else before he is done and trying to wheel himself down the hall.  He is definitely going to be my challenge!

[katyposey 0]

Men's activities, I currently have 3 men with completely different interests in memory care. I provide a lot of 1-1 for their specific interests but I'm always getting asked by people what I provide for "men's group" currently nothing that appeals to the three of them collectively as a men's only group. 

[jmcskulin056 0]

mens activities are very hard to  come up with i did have a super bowl activity but in most cases getting the men involved is very difficult sometimes men do get involved in bingo but that is mostly all i try to come up with more ideas geared for men but have a difficult time