Member Profile:

Susan

Activity Director From Nevada, United States


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


3507 Comment

Susan 23rd Nov 2018 Activity Director

Forum

I do not have a flyer but you can look online or you can use one that they have on: Golden Carers or you can use the free clipart they have for Christmas and just arrange them on the paper of the way you want here is the Golden Carers
https://www.goldencarers.com/christmas-poster-1/4867/
Here is something online that you may or may not have to pay for mayor may not be a pain in the neck but you decide
https://www.postermywall.com/index.php/g/holiday-season-collages/poster#6abc4afc39c4353ec8d4e701dcdb1cc7
Here is a place to find free Christma clip art
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/free-christmas-clip-art-1356282
Susan 22nd Nov 2018 Activity Director

Forum

This is a difficult but somewhat common problem
It is hard to redirect residents like this because they will forget what you told them and they will think they have to do what they have to do so my advice is to do a room search when they are not In the room
It's amazing what you'll find in residents rooms
In fact it's a good idea to help residents straighten out their room and you may be amazed at what you find
Susan 22nd Nov 2018 Activity Director

Forum

It's a good idea to post a weekly calendar in a common area so that the residents can see it
Here are some member ideas
https://www.goldencarers.com/comments/18925/


Here are some sample calendars from other activity directors
https://www.goldencarers.com/sample-activities-calendars/3881/
Susan 21st Nov 2018 Activity Director

20 Fabulous Day Trip Destinations for Seniors

Thank you so much those are also good ideas
Susan 19th Nov 2018 Activity Director

Forum

This is a challenge
Who is insisting that the short term residents be involved in activities??

Speaking from personal experience I was in short term rehab because I broke my hip and I was not in any mood to do activities I wanted to get better and get out of it and that's what I think many short term residents want

I don't know if you have entertainment but that is always something good for all residents also some short term residents might like to play bingo

Another idea is to bring them things they can do independently because They can't do that but can't get around that well

Just make sure your progress notes and care plan reflect their feelings about activities

This might help you too
https://www.goldencarers.com/comments/12873/
https://www.goldencarers.com/comments/13394/

These people might be your future volunteers
Susan 19th Nov 2018 Activity Director

Forum

I know world kindness day just passed but it got me to thinking about how residents and staff could be unkind and not even intentionally so if you sense that a resident feelings have been hurt it's a good idea to have an impromptu kindness group or you could even have it as part of another activity

Have a discussion about what it means to be kind and maybe read some kindness poem discuss them and maybe make up your own or have the residents help you make them up
https://www.goldencarers.com/kindness-poems/3851/

This not only will help residents think about being kind but it's a good creative activity as well
Susan 14th Nov 2018 Activity Director

What to Include in a Staff Meeting

I think the social worker should help you with this you don't want it to turn into a complaining session and you don't want to talk about specific residents
Who is asking for the meeting???
Do they want you to cover certain topics ???
Is this something you're doing before your annual survey so you can get all the issues that might be brought up at the survey out in the open ????
Is this something to promote your facility ????
Susan 9th Nov 2018 Activity Director

Forum

One thing you need to think about when you take people out is that Medicare and other insurance companies have strict rules about taking people out when they are on therapy
Make sure to check that out before you take anyone out on a trip
No one wants to lose their coverage
Susan 9th Nov 2018 Activity Director

Forum

here is a form Lyn was kind enough to share
https://www.goldencarers.com/images/20180510-media-release.docx
Susan 8th Nov 2018 Activity Director

Forum

We had a resident who did that
He was very prim and proper and liked wearing ties so we gave him a bunch of untided ties for him to tie for us
This will probably keep him busy for a little while
We could also untangle things like tangled up Christmas lights or string
You could also give him a painting project to do
Get him a big piece of wood let him sand it and then paint it
But Use washable paint because he could make a mess

It is getting close to Christmas maybe he could decorate a tree for you
Try some activities listed here
https://www.goldencarers.com/mens-business/3997/
Another idea is to find a male volunteer to do some one to one things with him
Help