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Hi Cathy,

I share your concern. Nurse assistants have training in health care not in Leisure & Lifestyle. It is rather disappointing that management think it is all right to give the shifts to Cert. IV staff.

You did the right thing offering an education session; pity they ignored you. Unfortunately, until legislation takes the profession seriously there is not much one can do.

Solange

Hi Cathy, this is a difficult one. It really depends on the care staff themselves whether they have the right aptitude for lifestyle. Sounds as though they are told to do activities however they do not know what this means. I had a similar thing happen, but the approach I took was to look at some of the carers and gave a list to the boss of which people would do well in activities. I basically had to work one on one with people, give them a few simple activities that they can do, write instructions and have them undertake these activities with me. I found that colleagues were scared of doing the wrong thing. From there a few people that I thought would have the aptitude did not, and hence they were not given shifts in lifestyle. However a few did, I now have 4 really fabulous care staff members who are given lifestyle shifts now and are fabulous, it has taken 1 year though of hand holding. 3 are now undertaking their lifestyle cert. We had accreditation last year and I just documented what we were doing. The accreditors seemed fine with the explanation we are hoping to broaden the skills of people who show strong relationship building with residents. Can you speak to your boss about taking on 2 people at a time? Training them, getting them comfortable in this new position? Good luck with it, it can be frustrating as it takes time for these lovely people to realise lifestyle is not task orientated, they need to build relationships. It can work, but I am afraid, it takes time - they need investment of your time.