Who Drives The Bus In Your Faciltiy

[Amber_DJ 0]

I also share the duties of bus driving. It states in my job decription that I would be doing this, but my concern is how to stay organized for those day's that I have to drive and be gone all day and come back to activities that are not getting done while I'm gone? Any suggestions on how to get caught up with activities without pushing the residents to much?

 

Thanks Amber/AD

[Guest Tinki]

Please don't forget to vote, I want to submit this statistical poll into the Activity Director's Quarterly!

 

Karen

[Guest maint-dept.]

Hello all,

I'm not an AD in my building. I do the Maint. My AD is the worst so I look here for ideas to give to her. In our building she drives 95% of the time. If you have other buildings in the area call them and ask what they do for the bus. My AD will try and get anyone to take them out-It sure is sad......goodluck

[sarahlovesav 0]

The people that drive the van in my community are the maintenance man and I!

[Guest Guest]

I have heard from a few people that the maint. director shares driving responsibilities. Ours is always so busy that it would strain his day worse than mine to drive.

 

In response to the poster who asked about having activities while you are out driving.... In my case, the care managers were supposed to lead the activities or if a Dept head had agreed, they would lead. If they got busy the activity would suffer. There were times I would come back to find a craft project not even opened. I understand some things have to take priority but it still got my goat. I would spend so much time prepareing the day thay I would be here late the night before a busy driving day just geting everything ready so all they had to do was pick up the materials and have fun. I then changed the activities on the days the bus might have to go out for Dr appts to something very easy, like a movie or remember when game....or bingo. That helped a bit and left the more hands on activities to me when I was in the building. The best thing to do when others might be leading an activitiy is to keep it very simple so they do not fear the activitiy....remember som people just are not made for activities...maybe they are shy or have a language barrier...or something.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Tiff

[Guest KathyAA]

I am so happy that I do NOT have a van! Activities trips are limited due to the budget. AND they had to arrange transportation for themselves. My more alert residents can call and make arrangements to go out with family and friends. We will arrange transportation for families tor their loved ones to meet them somewhere and the activities dept is always telling families that they can take their

loved ones out. We have van companies that bill Medicaid direct for transportation to and from Doc appointments and will take us out 1x a month to an event!

 

Spend the money somewhere else that would benenfit more people than a van!

[Guest Marjorie Olah]

I work in an assisted living facility, but I have also worked in a Nursing Home. I had been asked to take residents to a few appointments when working in the Nursing Home. I knew this was not my responsibility but being part of a team is chipping in when necessary. I also drove the residents when on outings with the help of other staff. If you are that stressed, get more organized and do not neglect to take breaks, that's what I use to do but no longer. It was in my job decription in fact i had to obtain a CDL in order to drive the bus. Being an X school bus driver I actually look forward to driving the residents, it gets me out of the facility.

[Guest New in the game]

I too have to drive the bus. I am the activity director of a smaller facility. The bus scares me to death, but if I don't drive it they won't get out.

[Guest Jenni Seaman]

I my facility the Activites Department does all of the transportation. I have a full time Transportation Assistant who does all the driving and then is able to fill the times between with 1:1 visits, special projects, and event planning. This has worked out very well for us. As the Activity Director I also end up doing some transports, but my Admin prefers me not to because of the wage cost for sending me and not an assistant. Hope this helps.

[Mandyatscr 0]

We share our 14 passenger bus with 3 other facilities and it is used only for activity related outings. The doctors come to the SNF for the routine or sick visits 3 times or more per week. If the resident has to go to a speacilist the ward clerk arranges transportation for them, wheel chair van or ambulance. We have a driver that drives for all the facilities. We normally take the facility pick up truck along with the bus, to haul wheel chairs and other items that we will need. Me and two of my staff members are authorized to drive any company veichile including the bus.

[lllucas 0]

Until this last year the lift-bus was driven by anyone who was directed to do so or wanted to do so (i.e. staff, volunteers, family members). It is large but not so large anyone needs a special license. :-(

 

Now it is only driven by assigned staff members. I think it all comes down to insurance. Believe me, that makes it difficult for evening outings when only a couple of residents go somewhere. :hammer:

 

Adapt and overcome.... ;-)

[pvmpenny 0]

My activity department is responsible for all local & out of town appointments, hospital runs, new residents

I have a part time activity person that helps me. I have a volunteer that comes 4 times a month with the county bus and takes us for our out of building activities. Is very hard to schedule activities around the appointments. So far so good! Our SSD is not able to help at this time. In our building it is required to be a CNA & Preferred CMA for runs. And I am both so it looks like it will be awhile for help my way. The CNA's , & hands off help while out of building. My Administrator & DON have even done my activities for me . We are a rural nursing home not many other means for transport.

[Guest Guest_Timi]

I too drive the bus. Not only on Activities but for doctor visits. To drive our bus you must have a CDL guess who is the only one who has that certification ME. So I am out of the building alot.

[Guest Guest]

As an Executive Director for a retirement community I have a different perspective. I think it is absolutely the responsibility of the Activity Director to provide transportation services. The activity program relies heavily on transportation as you well know. I have seen that most activity dir. like to get out of the building and spend time with the residents. There are times when our maintenance director will help with some transportation when the AD is unavailable. If your concern is not being in the building that is what volunteers and asst. are for to help perform duties on site while you are out.

[Guest DJ]

Interestion discussion regarding outings to transporting.

I know that federal and state surveyors are looking at activities closely.

 

Some concerns to consider and think about and hope they help.

How many residents do you have?

What type of home Skilled, Assisted, Special Unit

How many activities do you do a day?

How much time do you have to do documentation?

Size of van/bus and state regulation for CDL.

The new F Tags meaning that all staff be involved in activities.

 

Suggestions

Ck for local goverment services to help transport. Social Services should be able to do this.

Have family take resident that is able to go by car.

With gas prices going up and down limit outings.

Drs appts & medical runs are done by nursing usually an restorative aide.

New residents are transportation by ambulance,nursing and social service.

Get a volunteer driver.

[Guest Guest_Jan]

Tiffany, I too drive our 14 passenger bus. We used to have a 20 passenger bus and it required me to have a special drivers license which the home paid for the cost of the differance of a regular license. I work in a 66 bed facility and we just purchased the new bus in June, we are averaging about 125 miles a week on outings and rides. My activity assistant also drives the bus. I do feel fortunate to have these facilities available to us. We don't get paid extra for driving. Hope this helps.

 

 

Jan

Iowa

[Guest portland]

:-o :-o

To Tiffany, I know you love your job just as I do. But you need to find another facility that will appreciate you as a Activity Director. I have never heard of such a thing as a Activity Director having the responsibility to being the driver of a facility. Don't you have a Facility Services Department or Transportation Department? If not you should, because you cant' do your job if your out and about spending your day transporting residents to appointments. We have a transportation department and one person is in charge of several drivers. These driver also drive for my department and help me with the residents on activity outings, they are a great help and I appreciate every thing they do. I'm sorry that your facility is taking advantage of you to save a buck and short changing your residents of the quality of life that you can offer them. There are other facilities that know what a activity directors job is all about. I wish you blessings on either encourageing your facility to make the correct changes or that you will move on to bigger and better things.

Portland

[Vikki 0]

I was wondering how many people here have a bus at their facilities and how many of you are one of the drivers?

 

Since our bus is right at 16 passengers I didn't have to get a CDL to drive it and just went through a training course.

 

I have to admit that at first I was pretty nervous about driving it, but it's so funny how this has become one of my favorite parts of the job! We have the overhead P.A. system on it, and one of our new traditions has become impersonating a flight captain at the beginning of any of our outings. The residents get a kick out of it because several of the men at our community are retired naval or commercial airline pilots.

 

Anyhow, I was curious to find out how many others out there are also driving the bus and wanted to know if you enjoyed this part of the job. Also, what kinds of things do you do on joyrides, do you have on-board sing-alongs and do you play any games while on the road? One of our favorite games has become "Actor Alphabet" or another alphabet game. We start off with the letter "A" and go through the alphabet trying to name favorite actors whose names begin with each letter. We also do the same thing with foods or names of towns.

[chrsityv 0]

I am trying to see if this is something other activity directors do. In my community this responsibility is mine and it takes me out of the building several times a week. If it is a normal activity director responsibility...ok, I will deal with it in my own way....but I know that most in my area have other drivers that do this and the Activity Director only drives on Activity Outings. I know that these appts are neccessary and I am not questioning that. The question is if it is the Activity Director's responsiblity.

 

Please let me know what your experience is in this regard.

 

Thanks,

 

Tiffany

 

PS I know I asked this before but it was in a post slightly related. I would like to get more input.

[chrsityv 0]

In our facility (187 bed) we have a driver/drivers scheduled from morning to night. He/she is from the maintenance department. The only time that the Activity staff drive is if there is a Neighborhood outing. We are fortunate to have to lift vans so one is always available for us to go on our outings.