Profile
Niki
Activity Director
From
Iowa,
United States
I have been in the activity department for 5 &1/2 years and just recently became an Activity Director about a month ago!
Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Greetings!
Wondering if any of you have experience with using digital signage in your facility? If you have it, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you don't, think of those TV/Computer screen m...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
20 Creative Ways to Hydrate the Elderly in Senior Care
Wow, these suggestions are just great! Hydration is SO important, and anything we can do to encourage water intake is fantastic. Thank you!
Answer
Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
15 Exercise Program Alternatives for Senior Care
Great ideas! Thank you so much!
I work in an Assisted Living Facility, so my tenants are able to move on their own or with a walker/cane.
I've had success with:
1. Hallway exercises (trad...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
15 Goals for Your Activity Program
Wow! This article is very helpful. I agree: goals can be a wonderful way to refresh your activity program.
In my limited experience, I have found that it is helpful to have a person with whom yo...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Zoe Cordwell's youtube channel has some wonderful seated chair zumba with both old and new tunes!
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
A friend of mine who formerly coached college and high school basketball was more than happy to work with some of my tenants when they wanted a "pool" for basketball tournaments. Perhaps you could as...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Wish I lived in Sydney (for many reasons, actually) so I could use this great list!
Another suggestion is to send an email invitation to schools, churches, community clubs, etc. at the "beginning"...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Jomar, what do you mean by "Activity Recording"? I'd love to offer suggestions, but I'm not sure I understand what you're asking! :)
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Laurie, Morgan, and Solange all have amazing ideas, and I second them!
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Hello everyone! I am interested in setting up a trolley or cart with which to offer my Assisted Living Tenants a kind of convenience store where they can purchase snacks, laundry detergent, postage s...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Documentaries
Great idea!
I also use Netflix and TEDTalks as a resource for documentaries and educational clips.
During the winter months, I do "Thursdays with Ted": we watch an interesting/inspiring TEDTalk...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Ugh, migraines are the WORST. Sorry you're suffering.
I try and keep my morning activities "regular" and easy for other staff to assist in case I end up in a meeting, on the phone, etc. Chair exerc...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Thanks for all of your suggestions, Dori, Cathy, Nikole, and Renee! It is so amazing to be a part of Golden Carers--I feel like I have hundreds of "co-workers" who can help me brainstorm great ideas....
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Hi Michele and Morgan! I have a joke for you to tell your nuns: "What do you call a sleepwalking nun?"
-a roamin' Catholic
:) Hope this brings a smile or two.
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Laughing Together - Five Activities to Get Residents Smiling
These ideas are wonderful! I'll be using a few of them at our "Laughter is the Best Medicine" program next month!
I recently did a bulletin board with riddles: I typed them in a large-size font a...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Just wanted to share an amazing exercise find with all of you (and maybe I'm late to the party with this): Zoe Cordwell doing chair Zumba!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdHFxAeC_Ys&t=66s
T...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Wow! So fun! I'd love to participate in this. Do you have room for some folks from Iowa, USA?
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Alphabet Game
oh, this is GREAT--kind of like "Scattergories"!!! Thanks so much for sharing!
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Share your Poems
I'm late to the party, here, but Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets. Most older Americans will recognize "Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening" or "The Mending Wall," and since Frost wrote...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
hi Mary, I don't know about the laws where you live, but I successfully used http://activitydirectorcertification.com/ to complete my 75-hour class for Activity Certification in Iowa. Maybe start the...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
These are fantastic ideas!
Depending on your crowd, you could also show them photographs of current events or nature. Some news websites have sections called "The Week in Photos" or "Award-winning...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
These are all great ideas!
Our local hospital, hospice, and mental health facilities offer "outreach" speakers who will come and visit with us about a variety of topics: advanced directives and car...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
OOOOH, I love celebrating birthdays!
I posted this idea before, but it's a fun one that works for groups of all sizes and abilities: Do an acrostic poem! Write the birthday boy/girl's name vertic...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Yes, I found my training to be incredibly helpful. "Hands-on" training was especially important: reading a textbook or article is fine, but putting it into practice makes all the difference.
Topi...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Oh my goodness! I will happily participate in this!
Nori Hadley
Arlin Falck Assisted Living
911 Ridgewood Dr.
Decorah, Iowa 52101
USA
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Renee, thank you for the suggestion! I think you're right--I need to enlist other staff to help me make the rounds before a guest arrives.
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Regarding weekends, could you enlist some volunteers? Would your facility allow you some flexibility in scheduling your hours so you COULD work one weekend a month? The administration of your facil...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
I agree with Renee and Solange's comments: it really depends on your group, and what events they "depend" on.
Aside from my regularly-scheduled events (Bingo, Thirsty Thursday, etc.), I try to sch...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Choose Your Own Adventure Books
Oh, this is great! I LOVED "choose your own adventure" books as a kid! I'll have to look for some to purchase for our facility.
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
How to host an Olympic Games Theme Day
These are such wonderful ideas! Thank you so much.
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
How to Run Group Exercise Sessions for the Elderly
Wow, this article and the suggestions in the comments are great! Thanks so much!
I "borrowed" an idea from an activity supply catalog and adapted it for our tenants: On a lightweight and large ch...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
8 Ways to Celebrate Birthdays in Senior Care Homes
I'm a fan of doing MONTHLY parties, as well. If all tenants know that we're celebrating LOTS of birthdays, I'm apt to get a better turn-out.
I get wrist corsages (easier to put on and take off) fo...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Wondering how others deal with chronic tardiness?
I'm the Activity Director for an Assisted Living facility, which means that our tenants are ambulatory and capable of managing their own schedules....
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Wow, such great ideas and suggestions!
My 2 cents: I alternate between weekly "Tuesday Treats" and "Thirsty Thursdays" (depending on my schedule for the month), and offer wine, beer, Irish Cream (...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Thanks for your kind words, Solange! I'm so glad to be a part of this amazing community on Golden Carers!
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
Welcome! Golden Carers is the PERFECT place to start! So many great suggestions, ideas, and resources. Using "pre-planned" activity calendars can be a good starting point--then you can adjust them...
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Niki
Activity Director
Activity Director
OMG, i LOVE the Olympics and plan to celebrate them for the duration!
Let me start my post by saying two things:
1. I am the Activity Director for an Assisted Living facility, but we are attached...
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Geeta Limbu
Senior Carer
“
I can't thank Golden Carers enough for all the ideas and tips being launched regularly. I am so glad I became a member of this site and can bring smiles and joy to my clients. Now more laughter and giggles will spread in the AIR!!
“