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Activity Professionals Week


gina

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Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone is thinking about plans for National Activity Professional Week? National Activity Professional's Week is

January 23-28, 2005.

The theme is a Historic Past and a Promising Future.

I would love to hear what everyone is doin'.....

Have fun! Gina ;-)

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  • 4 weeks later...

I hate to say it, but we don't even recognize it. My opinion on the week and the other "Hallmark holidays" is to show appreciation every day to my staff. We do have a celebration in older americans month, which is May. And we do many activities during that.

 

 

Chris

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Guest Guest_Sandy

I always have a difficult time with this since I am the only member of Activity staff at my ALF. I feel like I'm tooting my own horn!

I just read an article in Creative Forecasting suggesting telling residents about your past and I think I may just do something with this idea. It couold be made into a fun game.

Sandy

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  • 2 weeks later...

I read a poem somewhere about "the activity gal/guy at my door". If I recall correctly, it was written about how each day the elderly see you at their door asking them to participate in activities, and in a humerous way, that we are not the "bad guy" making them come out to do things. It was a cute little poem, but I can't seem to remember where I read it or find it in any of my activity magazines. Does anyone recall any poem like this? Do you have any links to it or any direction for me? Thanks in advance! :-D :-D

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Guest Megan Hill

I found the poem in the January 2003 volume of "Creative Forecasting." Since I do not normally visit this site, email me a t mhill@heritagegreenAL.com if you want me to send it to you.

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I got a very large request for this poem, so I thought that I may as well post it!

 

Activity Pest - by Suzanne Williams

Why do they come to my door and ask, "Do you want to play Bingo?"

No, I'll pass!

Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?

Now leave quietly, without a peep!

 

Who is back the very next day?

"Would you like a manicure?" I say,

"Okay."

Or I tell her, "Maybe I will on another day."

 

Ah! She's gone - there is quiet - all right!

Now, its just me and The Price is Right.

 

Knock, knock! Can you guess?

Yep! She's bacl - the Activity Pest!

"We're having a party. Please won't you come?"

"If I go this time, will you leave me alone?"

 

She tries to get me in the mood

And bribes me with a little food.

So I tag along - to this party I go.

There are people dancing, and what do you know?

I'm talking and eating and enjoying the show!

 

I guess theses activities aren't so bad.

In fact, the party helped me forget feeling sad.

 

So, if you get a knock on your door

And it is the Pest, try not to ignore.

Believe it or not, her intensions are right:

To get us out of our rooms

And into the spotlight.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi just wondering what everyone else has planned for this week? We are having a apperication party with co-workers, and residnets. We are a very small dept. Only me and my asst. so to end the week I am taking her out to lunch, and I got her a few gifts from postive promotions. Happy Activity Professional Week to All!!! :-)

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Hi, Denise! :-)

 

Sadly for me :cry: (and probably many AD's), Activity Professionals Week is one of those events that just silently slips by with no special recognition. It seems that everyone else gets some kind of recognition for their discipline's week; but AD's, for the most part, don't. I've often wondered why that happens. Sometimes it really gets under my skin...but I keep on working.

 

I think the problem lies in the AD's. We are great horn tooters for the facility, residents, staff, families. We're the ones who are on top of things and come up with ideas to celebrate for others' recognitions. But when it comes to our little department...we just feel uncomfortable putting the trumpet to our lips and blowing our own fanfare. Also, January is a really gloomy month for most of us. We're the Activity Department. We're fun and games...the goodtime, party people of the facility. I think we should be recognized during National Nursing Home Week when everybody is happy and we are swamped with special activities. At that time we are at our busiest best. What a great time that would be to receive appreciation from the rest of the facility. Dream on! :pint:

 

Any how, to you and to all of our fellow AD's, HAPPY ACTIVITY PROFESSIONALS WEEK. Know this, if the residents had to depend upon the rest of the staff for activities, they would be totally bored. We are life givers...we are the fizzy in the 7-up...we are the sparkle in the resident's day... and we can be proud of that. We are truly needed and appreciated. (Yeah, team...rah! rah! rah!!!!) :hammer:

 

Happy AD'ing,

 

Linda Lucas, AD ;-)

The Activity Director's Office

http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

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:-) Hi Denise, My Administrator sent my assistant and I out to Lunch and also gave us a certificate, shirt and pouch w/ company logo. Last year I was by myself and they had me a lunch at work. You have to let them know that your week is just as important as Nurses Week, cause we take alot of stress and work off of everybody. Keep up the work. You deserve it.

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Guest Guest_Kathy

The best thing that we did this year was to hang up the poster from Positive Promotions announcing National Activity Professionals Week. That's all we had to do!!!!!!! I highly recommnd it! And we just received the Social Workers one so we are going to place it on their door nect week!!!!! Search out Positive Promotions and sign up for their catalog! The posters are FREE!

 

We got cards from the residents, a free lunch and a ton of praise this week and all we did differently was hang the poster!!!

 

 

MAGIC!

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Guest Guest

Well - we celebrated this week at our facility by having our building full of Dept of Health Surveyors! ;-) We survived the week - No activity-related deficiencies.... I'm treating my staff to pizza tomorrow for lunch & have made them homemade cards to show them my appreciation for all their hard work. Sadly, d/t our visitors this week, the rest of the facility has sort of forgotten! :oops:

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YAHOO!!!!!!!!!

 

Hi, AD's :-D

 

The residents, volunteers and staff pulled a suprise party for my department during the afternoon ice cream social. Flowers, balloons, cake and certificates were given to everyone in the department (3 of us). :-D :-D :-D What a wonderful and welcomed suprise. No more moping around for me!!!!! :hammer: Somebody loves us. :pint:

 

Have a great Activity Professionals Week!!!

 

Linda Lucas, AD ;-)

The Activity Director's Office

http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

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Hi All,

I am wondering if anyone knows this -- Is Activity Professionals Week always the same week or is it like a certain week in Jan. etc.. I can't seem to find any info. on this? Thanks for any help P

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  • 9 months later...

I know it's not JAnuray yet, but I like to plan AHEAD. Does anyone have ideas on what to do for NAtional Activty Professional week? Where I work we have 3 sites and I want to acknowlage our Activity Dept. One idea was having a potluck at one of the sites. BUT what else could I do.....certificates, something engraved, WHAT??????

THANKS

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Last year we got t-shirts, I work for Beverly Healthcare and they have great promotional items to choose from. Dietary bought the mix to make Margaretas and made the virgin variety and had frozen pizza with chips and salsa. There are only two of us in activities so I haven't decided what to do this year. I usually do a bulletin board with a poem or something.

 

A Tribute to Activity

Professionals!

 

Thank You!

 

Thank you for all that you do to improve

the quality of life for those who matter the

most, your residents! They appreciate it!

 

Thank you for all your creativity.

The residents are thankful.

 

Thank you for the extra effort you

put into each day.

 

Thank you for helping out in the dining

rooms for meal programs. They need

you! The nursing staff does appreciate it!

 

Thank you for all the special trips and

community events. They love being a part

of the community.

 

Thank you for all the effort you put into

your volunteer program, it definitely does

not happen

without you!

 

Thank you for smiling even

when you don't feel like it.

 

Thank you for spending time with those

residents who can not come out of their

rooms. They especially appreciate the

pet visits.

 

Thank you for a great survey. It takes your

entire team and

a dynamic program.

 

Thank you for giving all of your self.

 

Thank you for filling the resident's days

with meaningful activities.

 

Thank you for pushing so hard to get

extra special programs approved. The

extra effort paid off!

 

Thank you for all the extra hours you put

into planning and implementing

elaborate events. It was appreciated!

 

Thank you for attending seminars and

association meetings, even when

sometimes you have to use

vacation days.

 

Thank you for supporting other activity

professionals.

 

Thank you for taking a chance and trying

something new.

 

Thank you for dressing up for all those

holidays.

 

Thank you for all the hugs and love you

give to them.

 

Thank you for developing all the

children's programs.

 

Thank you for all the spiritual programs,

because it means more to them at this

point in their life.

 

But most of all Thank You for dedicating

your life to this very special profession,

Activity Professionals! We can't imagine

any facility without you!

 

by: Sandra Stimson, Executive Director

Alternative Solutions

in Long Term Care

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Oh, MY GOSH!!!

Loved the site www.activitystuff.com!!!!!!!

 

I forwarded it to my boss and my husband!!!!! Check out the site folks!

 

Diana

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest cadrian

I really liked the activity stuff website! Are there anymore out there?

 

Carol - Yuma, Arizona

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Guest Tinki

The only problem with Naap's stuff is it all says NAAP on it instead of activity director.

Karen

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Hi, Cadrian :-)

 

Here's another great Activity Director apparel and gift store on the net: http://www.cafepress.com/theadoshop . This shop is owned and operated by The Activity Director's Office. It features the original artwork of Robert Lucas (my hubby) and it is exclusively Activity Director and Volunteer merchandise. Check it out.

 

Best wishes,

 

Linda Lucas, AD

http://www.theactivitydirectorsoffice.com

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Hi, gang! :-)

 

Last year we created certificates of appreciation for our activity staff. We included Sandra Stimson's poem, "Thank You", a tribute Activity Professionals (see mamaweg's message of Nov. 10 above). Also the department members received baskets of flowers and a facility wide recognition party (staff, volunteers, residents). ( 8-) The secret is to put the bug in your administrator's ear early in January and plan your own recognition party with your volunteers and residents. Works great everytime!)

 

Good Luck, ;-)

 

Linda Lucas, AD

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