Do you have a secured unit? What do you have for signage? Do you have an activity room? Do you have neighborhoods? Do you have outside patio? Do you have a dining room? Do you have common areas? How is your lighting? Do you have a shower room/spa?

… Just Like HOME

For older (all) people the psychosocial environment has a particularly potent effect on behavior and function

 physical and emotional comfort  protect their dignity  pride and self respect  accept their stage of dementia  support capabilities  functional improvement  compensate for losses  keep family informed

For Residents & Programs Activity grading Behavior Cognitive rating

Social (talk to them) Enthusiastic (smile & have fun) Respectful (listen) Vibrant (good timing) Intelligent (wise decisions) Courteous (manners) Engaged (talk to them)

When working in unison, occupancy, referrals, branding and resident satisfaction can all be impacted in a positive way, Activity programming can bring the community to life, define the culture of the facility and stand out from others down the street. Michael McCann, MS McKnight’s February Issue

Meaningful activities are the foundation of dementia care because they help residents maintain their functional abilities and will enhance quality of life. Meaningful activities focus on taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell. As long as these senses remain residents will require stimulation. Activities should tap into the residents physical and mental abilities. A well rounded activity department provides familiarity and stability that assist residents.

 Activity is defined as a “state of action” doing a specific action.  Activity surrounds us 24 hours a day/ A well developed program can make the difference between facilities being a warehouse or a center for living.  Activities/recreation is often considered the anchor of life.

 Keep everything as simple as possible – simple pleasures  Give only simple tasks to perform-repetition is a must  Be gentle-will never forget how you make them feel  Give simple instructions one at a time – explain, explain  Ignore things the resident does to annoy you  Remain calm and pleasant  Maintain your sense of Humor  Praise the resident for their participation

 Expect answers to your questions to be accurate  Get irritated when they ask the same question over & over  Expect instructions/directions to be carried out perfectly  Take the residents behavior personally  Scold them or argue with them