Michael

Good Morning Everyone,

Starting February 7th, I will be an Activities Director Assistant at an Assisted/Memory Care Facility!!! I have already been an Activities Director at an Independent Living Facility. However, this is my first time working with individuals that need extra assistance. I am beyond excited/nervous. Also, there isn't an Activities Director hired yet for this place, so maybe if no one is employed within a couple of weeks or less, I might be put into the position!! I have a lot of ideas, but I could always use more advice. I told the Executive Director about Arm Chair Travels, and he thinks that is an excellent idea!!!
I feel like I will be able to use this site more often because it seems a lot of the information is geared towards assisted living facilities.
But please any advice I would love and appreciate thank you!

Having this be an Independent Living Community, there are no CNAs on staff.
As I mention, we do chair yoga Tuesday, Friday, and now starting on Wednesday and have an activity planned right after the workout.
For example, after chair yoga, we do origami :). We have one resident here that knows how to do it. However, she can't speak English very well, so I have to watch what she is doing and show everyone else. Today we learned how to make a boat & box!
And I have given up on a couple of residents trying to communicate with them to do activities. But then they see other people do it and mention why they weren't invited.
It is always going to be a challenging line of work.
I have a monthly calendar I give them and a weekly bulletin board showing what is happening during the week.

Sherry,
I have asked the front desk concierges to remind the residents when they see them about the activities going on. There is one in particular that is very friendly, but she only talks about her own personal life instead of encouraging the residents to participate and she works Monday-Friday in the mornings!
There is so much that I can do to remind them, especially when we have organizations of long-term health care to come in to do a presentation and they don't show up. Then the resident finds out that there was a presentation which then I receive the negative backlash of why they were not informed(mind you I tell them all when I see them multiple times so that way they can remember).

I just would like to say thank you to everyone for your amazing & thoughtful ideas.
My apologies for not responding back sooner, has been a hectic couple of days.
We have been showing improvement in residents' participation in activities.
Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday at 10 am we do chair yoga, and as of now, I have 7 residents that participate.
Wednesday at 3pm I have a Book Club meeting with myself and 4 wonderful ladies. We are reading The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. I highly recommend this book to any senior group or organization that has a book club.
Also, I have started having two restaurant outings during the month, and one fun outing.
Just yesterday we went to an Art Gallery and was given a tour, also one of our resident's works of art was in the Gala!
I am always asking my residents for new ideas of what they would like to do, and what can be improved to make ease of lifestyle for them.
I should also mention that the facility I work at has only 22 residents as of now we are a fairly new building as of Fall of 2019.

Good Morning,

I am in desperate need of advice. It has been since the end of April that I started my Activities Director position. And as much as I have wanted this and dream for it, it is not what I aspected.
I planned different activities crafts, bingo, puzzles, trivia, happy hour, chair yoga, billiards, book club, and so much more. However, only 2 or no one shows up for any or all of the activities. I have my newsletter that tells them, made a bulletin board to remind them what is going on, even talk to them individually to come to the activities. But with the effort I put into it, and there is no progress from it. With this, I have been on pins & needles with my manager because he is noticing that nothing is happening and demanding me to do something about it.
They have talked about going to different outings, which I have suggested to them places, but no one has said when we are going to this place or anything in that ballpark.
Even with crafts, I come up with different crafts we do, but no one shows up. Next week I am doing Painting with a Twist with them, but I can see that no one or just 2-3 people will only show up.
There are two residents here that are sort of active and give me advice. However, the advice is extremely demanding. That I have to plan my entire year of what activities I should do with the residents or what places we can go out to eat. Telling me, I need a planner that shows weeks & months, a desk calendar, and a wall calendar that shows 365 days of the whole year.
Even though this is the 3rd senior community I have worked for, and I really adore being around this population to help them out, it is stressful nonetheless.
If anyone has any advice or a free online course that I could take to further better myself, I would be more than happy to take it.
Thank you

Hello Everyone. I want to start a Women's Auxiliary at my facility for my residents. I know I could base on the page of the "Red Hat Society". The idea of a scrapbook is incredible. I have two ladies that work on our garden and help me plan events and ideas for the other residents. I have mentioned to them before to start up an Auxiliary, and I could help to start it up. Also, my mother is an Auxiliary member as well. But if anyone on here has any ideas on how to get the ball rolling, please let me know! I greatly appreciate any ideas.
Thank you!

I am having a roadblock with what dish to serve during our ArmChair Travel to Australia this month. The kitchen staff has told me it has to be something quick and easy to make and won't take a lot of time. I've been looking up different types of dishes that are served in Australia, but all are an hour or more to make.
If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!
Thank you!
-Michael
Activities Director

I should of mention before being an Activities Director I was one of the concierges in our facility. So, I know all the residents extremely well :).
Yesterday we had an Ice Cream Social for the Birthday's in the month of April. We had an excellent turn out! We only have less than 20 residents in our facility and 3/4ths of them showed up yesterday!! The last Activities Director maybe only got half or less to come to any events.
I just would like to make this my own as well!!
I talk to our Chef that works here and he wants to do a Crepe Demo for the travel, and give a little history background about the Crepe. I think that is a wonderful idea.
Thank you so much for the the congrats too :)!

Hello, my name is Michael I am the new Activities Director at Symphony Circle Active Living. It's an independent living facility for the elderly. The previous Activity Director took part in the residents during Armchair Travels the last Friday of the Month from 2:30-4 during our happy hour time. I am trying to fit all of the information in that time slot, while also trying to create my own PowerPoint Presentation. Any suggestion on short videos that could be recommended. This upcoming Friday we are going to France.
Also, any ideas on craft ideas or any suggestions of what I can do for my residents.
I'm new at this position and going in blind with coming up with my own ideas of what we could do.
Thank you :)

Is there anywhere on here I can get a veterans appreciation certificate for my residents?