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Only 2 people for a building that size?  And I thought I was short-staffed.  Good luck!!

But, have you tried getting them involved in a cause?  I had the same issue as you for a while and then I investigated local non-profits in my area and picked one with the help of my Residents to support.  We ended up choosing a local hospital that provides knitted hats to children born to underpriveleged parents and my Residents can't wait for "knitting day".  Many of them have taken it up in their rooms to pass the time, and a lot of my sub acute people find it very easy to become involved because they can work on things on their own time in rooms as well. 

I've also built a rapport with the therapy team in my building, and we have one or two "sub acute only" partnered activities, which makes the sub acute guys more comfortable since they're around others with similar goals. 

Hope either suggestion helps! 

While I understand what your ED is saying, does he realize it is a nursing home and the activities that typically take place in a nursing home take place b/c that is what the ppl want.  A lot of our short term stay folks like the wii, corn hole, cards, and exercises.  Most of the time we can sell it by explaining that we're trying to build their endurance and strength.   

Outside the box, with only 2 of you?!  LOL! I really dont have much to offer, the short term rehab are the people we normally deal with least.  Surveyors are more worried about the folks laying in bed and very very UN-a&o...  My ed wants more tlc for our short term as well to so here is what I do.  2x per week magazines/word puzzle books door to door.  Pet visits 1x per week, 1x per week I visit ALL of them so they know who i am and have the opportunity to ask for independent materials.   1 time per week offer something you cant get in a nursing home normally like twinkies or ding dongs, packaged, so no preparation, just hand them out with a smile. 

Doubt any of that will help you but one can always hope, good luck!

I see what you other guys are posting, in my case, most of my short term people in the building would rather walk thru fire than attend an oor program.  What good is it going to do to try to involve 3 or 4 that would actually show up, out of 30 who are short term?  They can come to regular board game activities.  I need that time for my mens clubs and my sensory groups, feels

like wasted time to entertain a short termer with "special" activities, they can mostly fend for themselves.

 Avalon, that cracked me up! So true though, I do the exact same type of things with my short term folks.  Book Cart, Magazines, Word Puzzles, Pet Visits,  refreshment cart, 1:1 easy activities that I can do quickly but also see them.  I do not even try groups anymore, except I am lucky that I have an assisted living component where I have Bingo etc., and if I get a really active person they can attend the ALF activities.  Most of my short term guys just want something they can do on their own in their rooms in between therapy and meals.  I really hate DONS etc. that have these very unrealistic expectations of what we can do for our patients.

:0D

I have looked at a couple of different travel DVD's......could you tell me which ones you prefer.  Sounds kind of fun and I am thinking I can build a few program's about the different places we will be watching.  Thanks!

I have the gammut of age groups as well, from age 40 to 98. I guess for the younger population I think about what is current... we just started playing "Farkle" (a dice game that is popular on Facebook, that I how I learned how to play)... they had SOOOOO much fun. Happy Hour is something that a younger person might like, Wii games (ours LOVE "The Price is Right" on Wii), they also LOVE trivia and we also play boggle (where I write all the available letters on a dry erase board). We do "dine-in's", and of course movies (but let the residents pick what movie). You could do a craft that is a bit more difficult, like make earrings (from the kits they sell our of oriental trading). Just a few thoughts because I know EXACTLY what you are talking about and going thru. Hope this might help.

I do the same thing with my short termers. Most of mine always want to just do their therapy and don't really want to be bothered to come to group activities. Mine usually have great friends and family support so there is never an issue with entertainment.

I let them know that the activities are available to them and that if they don't see something on the calendar their interested in please let me know. I offer everything I do to anyone else, but the choice is their's. Most of them just want to get well and get the heck out. :)

Like a previous poster suggested I too have teamed up with a local non-profit and we do things for them.  I've actually partnered with a program that collects used childrens clothes and gives them to homeless/very low income children.  The non-profit brings the bags of clothes here and my residents sort them, get rid of dirty/ones with holes or stains, and then put the same size/gender ones together in a bag.  We also get all the lost and found jackets from the local schools that the residents go through and sort and hang on hangers and bag them to be given out to homeless/migrant worker children.  Therapy helps with these by having their own sorting sessions with just therapy patients. Can all my residents do this? No?  Can those who can't sort tell me if a shirt I'm holding up is a keeper or not?  Yes.

One of my sister facilities just partnered with Woods Humane Society and they make dog biscuits once a week and sell them in their lobby.  The money then goes to cover the adoption fees of a "senior" dog (they call it Seniors Saving Seniors).  When a dog is saved there's a big bulletion board in the lobby with a picture of the dog and where s/he ended up going to.  It's really cute.

So many of US are stuck in the "my residents don't want change" mentallity that we don't realize that adding one program once a week isn't that big of a deal.  And it actually brings about a Quality of Life to our residents and takes them from always being care recievers to being a care giver every once in a while.  What's nice about what I do is that I know there's an activity two times a week that all supplies are taken care of.  I don't need to buy/prepare anything for it because the nonprofit supplies me with all the supplies and we provide the man power. :)

Hi Mel, Looks like you really do have some "out of the box" ideas  I would love to talk to you more.  Would you be able to share some other things you are doing in your community?

You can email be directly if you like.

Thanks

jagee@avalonhci.com

I work in an IL and one of the major ways our activities differ from those when I working in LTC or AL is that they have the feel of going to an organized event. For example, when we have concerts, we do a lot of promotion with flyers and invitations, give programs at the entrance, have a reception afterward, etc... so, it really makes it feel like going to a classy event instead of a typical "nursing home type shindig". If you are concentrating on your rehab residents, you might see where they come from, where they hung out before they came to see you for rehab and then see if you can replicate what they were doing prior to their stay with you.

It might be helpful to think that all of the short timers that come for rehab are potential long term care residents - they and their families/visitors are also checking out the community for potential placement in the future. That is a good place to get volunteers for longer term activities, and also pull resources and assistance from your marketing team to sell your life enhancement program to present and future customers.

Can you please send me the pictures and directions for both crafts? But it needs to go to my e-mail account at home- sinelnikov@juno.com Thanks!

Hi Hillview - May I also recieve photos/instructions for the no-sew quilts and rag wreath?  Please send to eunice.morck@cypressrha.ca.  Thanks!

We are in the process of making no sew quilts. Not big quilts but a 9 patch that they can hang on their walls in their rooms. We have one completely done and the resident is very proud of her work. No one can sew any longer, so, I have a volunteer who cuts my patterns out. I then cut a 9 inch square from poster board and covered it with a plain fabric or light colored fabric and use masking tape to secure to the back side of the poster board. Then we show the resident where the design goes and then help them get it clued and put in place.  When all 9 squares are done, we tape them together (3 on the top, 3 in the middle and 3 on the bottom) and hang it in their rooms with a sign stating made by Jane Doe and the act dept. for all to see.  We have butterfly quilts, little bonnet girl, a deer with a pine tree quilt started, and we are getting ready to do the old fashion block quilt design. Residents are really enjoying them. We are also making rag wreaths too.  My boss likes this idea very well and wants me to put all of them on display when we have our facility anniversary .  The rag wreaths are really cute and we have had several people to ask if we were going to sell them. Hope this idea helps. If anyone would like to see what they look like, send me your email address andI will forward a copy of it to you. I finally got me a new I phone so I can now do this. 

- hillview

Hill View, could you please send me your craft examples, either pictures or instructions.

Thanks, Julia........    jagee@avalonhci.com