About Susan:
Susan Berg is a freelance writer, retired healthcare professional, retired Activity Director and current writer for several senior care e-magazines with more than 20 years of experience working with Senior Citizens and eight years experience writing for a number of publications. She is the author of a book for those with dementia and their caregivers. Susan has two blogs about activities for seniors and information vital to all wanting to know about dementia. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and North Shore Community College.
Senior Citizens
Susan is an expert on senior citizen issues. She is currently a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant(COTA). In this role, she has worked with senior citizens. Susan is an expert on adapting and modifying activities so that seniors can participate in them. She spent twenty years as an Activity Director in nursing homes. She devised, planned, coordinated, and facilitated stimulating activity programming. Also she designed a program for homebound senior citizens. Currently, Susan shares her knowledge about senior activities on one of her blogs.
Dementia
Susan is also an expert on dementia and related issues. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner(CPD). She has participated in numerous workshops, seminars and alike where she has gained much knowledge. Her work as an Activity Director and COTA has given her much knowledge and experience in relating to individuals with dementia. Susan is passionate about sharing her knowledge. She is hopeful that people will do what they can to prevent or at least slow down dementia in themselves or loved ones. Susan has shared many tips on how to prevent dementia or slow it down on her other blog.
Feel free to visit and comment at either of Susan’s blogs at
http://activitiesdirector.blogspot.com
http://dementiaviews.blogspot.com
28 Activities
3585 Comment
24th Jun 2017
Activity Director
24th Jun 2017
Activity Director
https://www.goldencarers.com/how-to-start-a-leisure-lifestyle-program-for-aged-care/3844/
Cut and paste these ideas as well as some of your current activities that are not well attended and some ideas for new activities
As I said make the form visually appealing and easy to fill out
Help those who might have some deficits
Susan
24th Jun 2017
Activity Director
Perhaps this person has not been evaluated in a long time and need some therapy
If therapy has no suggestions ask nursing
As a last resort you can use a pillow on the affected side to help prop up person but as I said this is a last resort and ask permission to do this
I hope this helps
Susan
24th Jun 2017
Activity Director
I would start by asking the residts at resident Council what they think of activities that you are doing now what they would like you to add and any other ideas they may have
You may also want to send a letter to family members or give them a form at a care plan meeting asking for their suggestions
To devise a form Think about the different types of activities that you do and think about what you do in each category
Then prepare and easy to follow easy to fill out large print form that you can give to resident and family members
Encourage residents and family members to fill out the forms
Be sure to give them enough time
Perhaps you can help some of those have difficulty writing or seeing
Then compile the results and see what you come up always good to have if certain residents complain about certain things you can I always show these forms
I will see if I can find a form online and get back to you later
I hope this helps
Susan
21st Jun 2017
Activity Director
Start by contacting all the public schools in the area and ask if they're interested know maybe they can come once or twice
You could contact some nursery school sometime down children may come out
Next you can contact the churches they have youth group and they might be interested also
You could also contact scout groups they may want to come up because the children have to badges
You may start by doing A penpal activity or with this day and age you could do a Facebook or face time or Skype as long as you have a big screen TV that everyone could see
I hope this helps
Susan
18th Jun 2017
Activity Director
Have you tried any of these?
https://www.goldencarers.com/games/
If this is not what you had in mind, post another comment with the specifics.
Keep up the great work
Susan
17th Jun 2017
Activity Director
See if you can get her a name tag or make one for her that says volunteer activity assistant
Also make sure she wants to help you in someway even if it's only for one day a week maybe at the musical entertainment
Make sure you write in her notes that she wanted to help you that she really is not happy being in her room isolating herself so that if the surveyor should happen to ask her about this and she says that you made her do it or that she really doesn't want to there is documentation stating otherwise
Let me know if you need more ideas I have many and I am happy to help
Susan
17th Jun 2017
Activity Director
https://www.goldencarers.com/fathers-day-quiz/3296/ trivia make it easier if you need to like his first name is...
https://www.goldencarers.com/activities-for-men/5042/
https://www.goldencarers.com/paper-planes-reminiscing-game/3618/
https://www.goldencarers.com/beer-skittles-games-for-fathers-day/4001/
https://www.goldencarers.com/ideas-for-mens-activities-on-fathers-day/3624/
https://www.goldencarers.com/mens-group-/3498/
https://www.goldencarers.com/my-fathers-profession-game/3300/
I hope this helps
If you need easier trivia leave another comment
Susan
17th Jun 2017
Activity Director
I don't know if you have
enough time to do this
In fact I'm writing an article about it because Father's Day is in September in Australia
We always have a tie one on party for Father's Day
What you probably won't be able to do is get ties for the residents to wear
I always distributed ties to each and every resident going to party and then gave out prizes for different categories we had a sing-along we did Father's Day trivia and of course we had a delicious treat to eat so maybe next year for that ties but you can still do Father's Day trivia you can tell everyone about why they would make a good father or you can have them tell you and the others about their fathers what made their fathers great etc
Just make everyone there feel good so say some nice things about each and every resident make sure to cheer everyone on
I hope this helps
Susan
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What to Include in a Staff Meeting