2009 A Time for Positive Change

Happy New Year!

A few updates for you. 

The College of Marin Exercise Certification Trainer class was cancelled. However, I am planning on teaching this training as a workshop series in Summer, 2009. Email me with any questions you may have.

Survey Updates

Some of the issues we are seeing in the past six months of activity department surveys:

• Providing outings away from the facility

• Paying attention to the special language barrier issues that impact residents whose primary language is not English. Purchase newspapers in Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Spanish. Or download some of these from the internet. Have family members bring in familiar music on cd or tapes. Be sure that there is a communication board showing basic needs in both english and other languages.

• Following through with the specific interventions mentioned in the care plan. Keep back up information and documentation of one to one visits.

• In Skilled Nursing Facilities, many of the deficiencies have been Scope & Severity= D.

• Culture Change is an expected and good standard to meet in all long term care settings. How well are you meeting this challenge? Remember to inservice staff often so that everyone on the team understands the significance and importance of quality of life issues provided through meaningful leisure opportunities and interventions.

Each one of us makes a powerful difference in the lives of older adults. Good luck in achieving new and positive changes in this new year.

Betsy