Simply Wonderful

My counterpart at another facility lent me a few ideas, one of which is the concept of a simple painting involving a background shape and one color for the patients to focus on. On top of this, they paint on printed pictures of their choice for something achievable but attractive. My favorite so far has been their green painted trees with birds of choice.

Bingo Prizes

Bingo can be a challenge in a psychiatric geriatric hospital. I give a bowl of cereal to each player to use as chips on their Bingo card to play. Easy clean up, and not a big deal if they accidentally eat the "chips".

Prizes can be even more of a challenge. Prizes represent success, inclusion, and a reward. However, I cannot spend too much money on prizes. The items must be safe for all patients. The nurses don't want me to offer too much candy due to glucose readings, and I also have to offer something for those who are on special diets.

On a regular basis, I use soft stuffed animals, mini candies, and stickers as prizes. I have also begun to print out things to offer the patients so they can get more than one prize per activity rather than just giving everyone who participated in some way a prize and not honoring those who were able to follow along and had an especially lucky day. An example of this was for "Clover All Over Day"- I printed shamrocks with unique sayings on them and let the patients choose one as a prize everytime they got BINGO. Another example would be to print paper trolls and let them choose one each time they won.

Margarit-na

For Margarita Day we introduced ourselves and our favorite cocktails, discussed the genesis of Margaritas, played a word guess where the clue was a type of spirit, and finally made mocktail margaritas with salt rimmed cups.

Whistle Pigs

February 2nd was a day I learned everything there is to learn about Groundhogs. I am still rattling off facts about these large ground squirrels. We looked at pictures during the Holiday discussion, watched Phil's prediction on YouTube (we are lucky enough to have smart TV's with many applications), and made simple woodchuck desserts for snack.

Groundhog Day pudding cups

Yad Sdrawkcab

On Backwards Day we did the opposite of our normal schedule. I encouraged them to eat their dessert before their entree. We made a chalkboard full of words from the letters in "Backwards Day" (difficult to do with only A's). And I wore my outfit turned around. On purpose this time.

Up Helly Aa

Viking Helmet muffins

For this annual Scottish festival celebrating the vikings, I dressed in plaid. We listened to Celtic gospel during devotions. At the end of the day, we decorated muffins with a vanilla wafer and two cashews to look like viking helmets. The patients at our hospital are not high functioning, but this was a treat most of them could achieve.

Snow Flake

 

My partner's job transferred him, so I had to leave my old position in the capable hands of the woman I trained to fill in for me while I was on maternity leave. It was a very smooth transition since she was still covering for me during my leave.

Now I'm in a new state and I took my time to find a great position here as the Activity Director of a psychiatric geriatric facility. It is unique; the patients are constantly rotating, I don't do weekends or nights, and I am the only activity staff in my building. My job is clear cut,  the hours work with our daycare, and the paperwork is so reasonable. 

I have ample time to plan the six goal-oriented activities expected of me each day. The system I have used thus far is to pick a special theme for each day and tailor the activities to it. In January, for example, we had a Snowflake Day. Staff dressed in white, blue, or silver. We looked at a picture of a family walking through the snow as a discussion starter. And as an art project we cut holes in tortillas and decorated them with sprinkles. It is safe to say I am loving my new job!