A Guide for Activity Coordinators working in Senior Care. Ask your clients for feedback regarding your Program and how to improve it. Survey template included.
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A Guide for Activity Coordinators working in Senior Care.

Activity Programs are central to Quality of Care

There are a number of characteristics that prospective residents and families will look at to get a feeling for the quality of care provided at a long term care facility. These include:

  • the environment
  • services offered
  • living quarters
  • appearance and demeanour of current residents

and of course…

  • the Leisure / Activities Program

Lack of engagement is a common problem

Sometimes Activity Programs can become stale due to routine. Residents may lack interest and enthusiasm for the activities on offer. Don't be hard on yourself, this can happen to anyone in any type of business!

A lack of engagement in activities is a common problem Activity Coordinators face. This may be due to a number of factors:

  • Clients may attend activities out of habit
  • Clients may gather in the recreation area because it is the place to be not out of interest for the activities on offer
  • Clients may be bored with activities (even if they do not express this to you)
  • Too much importance is being placed on certain activities leaving others to wane
  • Staff conducting activities may lack enthusiasm
  • Common behavioural disturbances in clients (such as apathy) could be a contributing factor

Surveys can help you quickly gather important feedback

Activity Coordinators should consider conducting a survey of residents to seek feedback on the Activities Program annually or bi-annually.

Surveys can be extensive or concise depending on the data that is sought. In this instance, I am providing an example of a small survey that can be examined in record time (see below - Activity Program Survey). A more comprehensive survey is also provided (see below - Resident Lifestyle Survey).

Ponder over your Activity Program. Ask yourself if the activities on offer are still relevant to the needs of clients. It may be time for a makeover!

Conduct a survey and ask your clients for feedback regarding your Program and how to improve it. Some clients won't be able to take the survey on their own, so place a message in your newsletter to make relatives aware of the survey and assist their lover-ones with it.

We'd love to hear your feedback!
Have you run a survey in the past? Were you able to gather useful data from it?

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Comments   Post a Comment

Rosa 26th Aug 2019 Recreation Therapist
Hello everyone. Our organization recently provided our clients to a water amusement park trip. I was asked to develop a questionnaire for the clients to fill out about their experience on the trip. I’m drawing a blank on question to ask. Can someone please give some ideas?

Thank in advance
Susan 27th Aug 2019 Activity Director
Hi Rosa
Ask about what they enjoyed about planning the trip
The bus ride or transportation over there to the park
Their favorite activities at the park
The fun they had with their friends
Did they meet new friends
Did they have anything to eat what was their favorite
Did they see any children
What did they think the children were doing and what did the children have fun doing

I am sure if you think about the trip and each part of it that you can figure out more questions to ask if this is not enough

Let me know if you need more help
Thomas Chidubem 10th Aug 2019
I likely to understanding this work well.
Thanks..
Talita 12th Aug 2019
Thanks Thomas
Doreen 12th Mar 2019 Senior Ministry Director
I would love a copy of the Activity Survey but need it in a PDF form. Is that possible?
Talita 17th Mar 2019
Hi Doreen, it is provided as a word document so that you can edit it to include your facility name and any specific questions you would like to include.

You can open the word document and make any changes you require and then save it as a pdf document. (File > Save As > and then select type 'pdf').

Let me know if you have any questions!
Karen Martinsen 3rd Feb 2019
What survey do you use to have the patients in a Swing Bed setting, evaluate how I am doing with the Activities program? I'd also like feedback from staff to get their ideas.

Thanks so much! Karen in Sitka, Alaska
Valarie 3rd Oct 2018
Just joined 2 days ago. I am loving all the information. Just recently took over the activities department at the facility I work for so I will take any advice and help I can get.
Talita 8th Oct 2018
Congratulations on your new position Valarie, and all the very best! You will find a lot of resources you can use here and lots of support from others if you have any questions. x
Amanda 22nd Aug 2018 Activities Director
So excited to use this survey as the new Activities Director at our facility
Talita 26th Aug 2018
Thanks for your feedback Amanda, love to hear how it goes! Congratulations on your new position and all the very best! x
Tonya 5th Feb 2018
Thank you the feedback survey was very helpful!
Jana Johnston 12th Jan 2018
I am currently in my fourth week of Activity Therapy On-line course. I absolutely love the surveys provided. I will definitely use these in my Practicum Survey Assignment. Love the fact of an informative and useful ideas get emailed everyday !! Thank You Ma'am !
Kathleen M Ruder 30th Aug 2017
Would love help
Celia 3rd Aug 2017 Activities
A VERY BIG Thank you to Susan & all who helped with providing the activity/residents survey forms.Both excellent and will be of benefit to our residents and planning of our activities.Much appreciated.Keep up the good work.
Suzie Don Leonard 19th Jul 2017
thank you!
we are in the process of preparing our annual survey of our respite clients and their carers and these templates have generated further thinking and provided lots more ideas and options.
Much appreciated!
Talita 23rd Jul 2017
That's so good to hear! Thanks for your feedback Suzie.
Geraldine 3rd May 2017 Care
Hi
Can someone show me how to record an activity session
Ger
Lalaine 29th Mar 2017 Life Style Officer
This is great! it gives me lots of ideas and information. Thank you for creating and helping us. Everything are here, I wish it will give us more so we can improve our activities cater for elderly.
Thank you
Talita 3rd Apr 2017
Thanks so much for your feedback Lalaine
Marsha 29th Dec 2016 Recreational activity officer
Thank you for that most helpful .
Talita 1st Jan 2017
Thanks for your feedback Marsha!
Mariann 1st Oct 2016 Recreation Director
Wow !!!! Big help... Thank you
Talita 3rd Oct 2016
Thanks for the feedback Mariann!
Talita 23rd Aug 2016
Thank you Wendy!
Wendy 22nd Aug 2016 Student
Just joined and I am loving, the information is so helpful thank-you.
Darla 16th Aug 2016 Recreation Therapy Manager (former Activity Coordinator)
The Recreation Therapy program (Gerontology) is recently introduced in our facility. Your suggestion of survey and evaluation of programs is on track with offering the best choices in leisure. Our residents and clients deserve the very best activity and recreation choices that we can offer, and the information you have provided today is very useful and helpful.
Talita 23rd Aug 2016
Thanks Darla!
kirsten 16th Aug 2016 Activities Coordinator
This is awesome. Thank you so much for refreshing my memory.
Talita 16th Aug 2016
Thanks Kirsten!
Alison 16th Aug 2016 Lifestyle Volunteers Manager
We do annual surveys of our programs and resident satisfaction survey which includes all aspects of living in care. However i do like the resident lifestyle survey shown here which is placed into the accreditation outcomes too.
Talita 16th Aug 2016
Thanks for your feedback Alison.
Julie 18th Feb 2017 recreation
Alison,
Could I get a copy of your annual survey for residents? And yes I would include the lifestyle survey it is very good!
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