Create Joy and Festivity – for isolated people – during the Holidays I teach a session with this title. In the next four articles I am going to break those holidays down and offer and apply a Creating Joy Framework I’ve had fun developing. Don’t Plan! First, don’t plan! Isn’t that ironic. We get paid […]
I must admit that when I am stressed out I gravitate to reading my horoscope. Sounds odd, I know, but somehow I am looking for universal guidance, celestial answers to what is really causing my anxiety, pseudo-psychological answers to my never ending questions. When life has hit a plateau, I back off of the endless […]
A recent moment of utter vulnerability led me to a deeper understanding of the need to address emotional pain. Without going through the gory details of the proceeding moments, I recently found myself on my knees, doubled over on the floor, crying so uncontrollably that I was hyperventilating and dry heaving. ( I know, gross, […]
The Eden Alternative developed what are called the seven Domains of Well-being®. CMS actually included the Eden Domains of Well-being in the “new” (2016) regulations. And, of all places, at the Activities tag! F679 Activities. INTENT §483.24(c) To ensure that facilities implement an ongoing resident centered activities program that incorporates the resident’s interests, hobbies and […]
I have never been a fan of putting “Activities are subject to change” on my activity calendar. I do understand why it is necessary and at times unavoidable . Even the best laid plans can change up, cancel out or just down right fail. When planning our activities we all want our programs to be […]
Independent Living and Life Plan communities have long been pushing the idea of “radical hospitality”, where residents experience the environment and customer services akin to a high-end hotel or cruise ship. Residents are waited on hand and foot, nothing is too much trouble, and there’s a 24-hr concierge available to respond to every need or […]
The Eden Alternative developed what are called the seven Domains of Well-being®. CMS actually included the Eden Domains of Well-being in the “new” (2016) regulations. And, of all places, at the Activities tag! F679 Activities. INTENT §483.24(c) To ensure that facilities implement an ongoing resident centered activities program that incorporates the resident’s interests, hobbies and […]
Sharks. They have lived on Earth over 400 million years and became the staring nightmares of popular movie, television shows and summer reading lists for over 50 years. While the opening scenes of the movie “Jaws” may be the first thing most people think of when hearing the word ‘Shark!’, here are some facts and a […]
It seems to me that we Activity Professionals have a unique vantage point on the condition of the world, quality of life, and human behavior in general. So, when I read about research in other fields, I get all excited about the obvious tie-ins to our work. A few months ago I wrote an article […]
One of the main reasons we should focus more on the social environment that we create for persons living with dementia is the 3rd of the six main core instincts that we operate from: our willingness and ability to respond to threats. This is probably one of the most common cave-man-ish visuals you have held […]
