It takes a lot of energy to be an Activity Professional. You need the ability to focus on others, to give an unending stream of positivity, encouragement, support, and care. This can be challenging in the best of times, so what does it feel like in the worst of times? I would not trade where […]
Recently I realized maybe we are putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. Here’s why. What I’ve seen is that when we focus on interests, groups happen naturally without jumping to the group first. For instance, say someone who lives in the community where you work loves … horses…. No pun intended, just […]
If you have ever used a tow rope on a bunny hill while skiing then you are very familiar with the fine line of being jolted and tugged once you grab on and the moment when the rope is moving faster than you can manage at the time, sliding between your gloved hands causing a […]
I am a proponent of doing more to help people engage with their surroundings. I’ve seen this done brilliantly in some homes and love passing it on. Since we can’t be with all residents all day, I like to take on the challenge of providing stimulation naturally with items that people encounter. Items that are […]
For me Christmas starts soon after Halloween. The holidays flow so quickly into one another, I have seen porches donned with pumpkins carved weeks earlier next to cornucopias overflowing in abundance, all of which were draped in twinkling holiday lights. In the weeks between October 31st and December 25th, there is a flurry of activity […]
First off I’d like to welcome you to a work environment that is as unique as you are. As you may have noticed already, things in a memory care unit are unlike any other place in the world. It is chaotic and busy, constantly buzzing with activity and yet riddled with moments of frustration and […]
One of my very favorite things about fall is hearing the crunch of the leaves. You too? One of my favorite fall memories is sharing that crackling crunchy sound with the people who lived in the nursing home where I worked. You too? Have you ever gone outside and UNRAKED the leaves? Yep, what I […]
For the last 19th months we have seen and experienced things that make us take a look back and reflect on the seriousness and the loss that a world wide pandemic has on our lives. We have all suffered great loss due to covid-19! I don’t mean to make light of any of those losses […]
I was recently invited to attend a few care plan conferences for residents who reside on the Memory Care Unit of a nearby facility. Although the residents declined the invitation to attend, families were present to gain any type of insight possible. During a particular meeting a wife (lets call her Mary) brought in her […]
Do those words sound familiar? I have used them countless times as I went room to room to invite folks to the activity that was being planned and soon to be happening. The activity may have been something we did often, or it could have been something unique and new to our facility and Activity […]
