THIS ISSUE June 24, 2004

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Maintenance Director / Assistant of the Year

Nominations for Maintenance Director or Assistant of the Year are due by December 31, 2004. The letters must be typed and postmarked no later than December 31, 2004. Letters must give compelling examples of how this employee supports the recreation department and improves the quality of life for your residents. You must include colored photos of your examples. The nomination letter should include: Nominee name and title, name of facility, address, phone number, email address, nominator name and title, two references from the facility. Winners will be announced on February 1st 2005. Letters and pictures will not be returned. The winner will receive $100.00 and a certificate. The winners name will be placed on www.activitytherapy.com web site and placed in the winter newsletter.

Please visit www.activitytherapy.com for more information.

Featured Article:
Are you ready for the dementia population?

There is a huge jump in incidents with dementia residents wandering out of their buildings. It is not enough that you have a locked unit. Doors do not always close and visitors do not always know who a wanderer is. It is amazing in this day, that facilities have not taken the strong active measures to prevent elopement. This means training, locked units, signs that are posted outside of locked units (Look who is behind you!). During general orientation, all new staff and volunteers should be alerted to any dementia resident with a potential for “flight”, wandering away from a unit. If you have documented a resident with a history of elopement, take active aggressive measures. Train your staff to document what the resident is wearing, place a current photo on the chart, account for your resident on the half hour. Check to make sure the wand guards are working at every shift. Batteries can stop functioning at any time. Many facilities still only check the wander guards monthly.

Activity Directors should be a part of the training sessions. The Activity Directors should be able to offer practical information for divers ional activities. When there is no planned group activity, staff should be offering divers ional activities.

Dietary should also be a part of the training sessions. They should be letting the staff know of the many options for nutrition. When a resident can no longer hold a fork, finger foods or food in pita breads could be offered. Dietary should explain what finger food is. Finger food is items that are cut up and easy to handle, such as chicken nuggets, carrots, and large cereals.

Many facilities have become compliant with allowing confused residents to push confused residents in wheelchairs. Train your staff to not allow this. There are incidents of residents being pushed down stairwells, broken fingers when the hands get caught in the spokes and all kinds of horrible incidents. Confused people should not be pushing confused people in wheelchairs. Day rooms cannot be left unsupervised. Once the activity has ended, the nursing assistants must rotate in the day room for divers ional activity and supervision. Day rooms that are left unattended are seeing increased incidents of falls, accidents and injuries. Confused residents must be supervised at all times.

Across the country, nursing homes have begun extensive training in dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association has done excellent job putting the word out about the increase to come in the senior population. We see it now, but the major first wave of baby boomers will be in the year 2011. Dementia will be the number one diagnosis in your facility. The Oscar report for last year shows a dramatic increase in dementia population in your facilities. Most facilities currently have 60 to 80% dementia. Yet we are not training our staff. We typically see activity staff trying to manage 45 to 60 dementia residents by themselves. Nursing Assistants have to be assigned to help the activity staff. They cannot run programs by themselves. How can activity staff be expected to run programs and deal with difficult behaviors by themselves. State surveyors who have strongly put the word out that “all staff” needs to be involved with activities will no longer tolerate this. If you have not taken the time to visit other facilities that have strong dementia programs and units, we encourage you to do so.

If you are looking for trainers please go to www.nccdp.org, which is the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners.

Low Functioning Activities

As the populations decline, the facilities should be offering activities to fit the needs of this populations. Many activity departments do a fantastic job with high functioning and dementia activities. But what happens when this population can no longer participate in any meaningful way in activities. Many of these residents are no longer provided with activities that will stimulate them. This is when they are at most risk to decline through lack of stimulation. Administration has to be willing to invest in alternative activities for this population. Many facilities have implemented Sensory rooms. Some are calling them Sensory rooms or spiritual rooms. It does not have to be expensive. If you have the funds, Flag House has Sensory equipment and starter kits can be purchased through www.activitytherapy.com For those facilities with limited funds, you can go to Target, Wall Mart or Spencer’s and purchase inexpensive sensory equipment. Fake fish tanks, cd soft music, projectors, aromatherapy machines, bubble tubes and all kinds of sensory products. For $1,000.00 you can create a dramatic and relaxing soothing environment for your very low functioning residents. For residents who only have their senses left, smell, hearing, vision and touch, these rooms are able to provide an activity that stimulates these remaining senses. While in the sensory room, staff should be providing tactile stimulation and hand massages. If you are looking for policies and procedures on using Sensory in a long-term care setting, you can purchase these at www.activitytherapy.com

These rooms are excellent for your NPO population as well. It is a great alternative to take your residents when food is being served. Many facilities also use these rooms for pain management, depression, stress management and end of life care. You can incorrorporate this room into your employee stress programs as well. It offers another place to go besides the employee break room. If you lack space for a room, you can turn the back of your dining room into a Sensory/ Sensory room.

For your room bound or bed bound residents, many of these products can be placed on a cart and wheeled into your residents room and offer a wonderful sensory activity.

Upcoming Seminars:

Train the Trainer: Alzheimer’s and Dementia
This seminar is for In-service directors or professional trainers. 8-Hour Alzheimer’s and Dementia Presentation.

October 9th in New Jersey. The course will offer all the overheads, handouts, video and textbooks. As this course is only offered twice a year, we recommend that you register early for this excellent course. Once completed, the trainer will be certified by the NCCDP as a trainer and a Certified Dementia Practitioner. Please go to www.nccdp.org for registration and information. Seating is limited so we recommend registering early for this comprehensive training program.

Certified Dementia Practitioners CDP. Are you certified? If you are certified or licensed in a health care profession and have completed a comprehensive training in Dementia by an approved NCCDP instructor , you are eligible to apply for certification. Please visit www.nccdp.org
Check www.nccdp.org for a course near you.

The next 8-hour dementia-training seminar will be held:
at Silver ridge Health Care Center
Las Vegas, Nevada on July 14, 2004
Contact ritaspak@vspak.verizon.net or go to www.nccdp.org for information.

New Jersey Seminars please visit www.activitytherapy.com We have many seminars that are either 4,5 and 7 ceu approved for social workers, activity professionals and administrators. All NJ social workers now need 5 ethic cues, which we offer.

Activity Assistants Certification: If you are working in the activity field and do not have certification, it is recommended that you take the next step. For New Jersey, the next class is being offered in September and the information is at www.activitytherapy.com click on courses and 90 hour NJ. If you are outside of NJ and are looking for an instructor, please visit www.nccap.org.

All activity assistants are not required to have certification but it is strongly recommended that you have this very important certification that states that you are not only qualified to do the job but certified.

Great Activity Idea for the Summer

For July or August plan a flower or garden show. This is a fun and easy idea. Collect Perrier Green Water Bottles. Place white linen tablecloths on tables that surround the perimeter of the room. Ask your local florist to provide one of each flower they have in their shop with the name of the flower on a white card. This should cost about 100.00. Place one flower in each green bottle and put the card in front of each flower. Have a table available for staff to bring in a bouquet of their favorite flowers from their gardens. Offer another table and place plants from your building and staff offices on the table. Have classical music playing or hire a harpist. You could serve fancy deserts for this event. Invite local garden clubs to participate in this event. Bring your residents in and have them identify each flower. For your high functioning residents, provide a list of the flowers and have them find each one. The maintenance department could participate in this event and build a water garden for you. It is easy to do and most cities have a Home Depot or Lowe’s that offer plastic liners at low cost. You could take this opportunity to look at your outside courtyards. The maintenance director at Cedar Oaks Care Center in South Plainfield, NJ, took a courtyard and added gazebos, riverbeds, water features and plants to create an outdoor oasis. It added extra shade, stimulating and relaxing environment. In addition, he now has a beautiful Dementia Garden because he has a circular sidewalk, fenced in garden and lots of places to sit. Hats off to Mr. Gary Bogdanowitz, Maintenance Director and to the Administrator Mr. Wiesel for supporting this project and Lori Stober for the hands on work she put into this project.

If you are unable to visit your local garden show at the arboretum, holding your own garden show is a gorgeous, classy and fun event that is easy to do and will provide an event that is sure to keep them talking.