Activity Directors Rock!

Activity Director CEU Workshops Online

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 17:20:00 +0000

All of our CE Workshops are on Sale till March ..

If you're interested in writing CE Workshops contact us at writeforus@activitydirector.net

Earn some extra money, its easier than you think!

New Activity Director CE Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:21:00 +0000

Activity Directors Network welcomes a New CE Author Dr. Alison Ward to our Online Classroom. Dr. Alison is a licensed clinical psychologist in Arizona. Dr. Ward’s professional Workshops provide a very in depth understanding of person-centered psychology and a Clinical perspective into Activities and Therapeutic Programs

Visit the Online Classroom at www.activitydirector.org for a listing of CE Workshops available.
pre-Approved by NCCAP, NCCDP, & CTRACTX

Nov 02, 2010
MEPAP 1 & 2 now in enrolling for December 7th class. Our Online Activity Director training meets the Federal 249 Regulations for State Qualified Activity Directors conducting actitity and therapeutic programs with the elderly 55+ and older.
Instructor : Kathleen Hughes

1.888.238.0444 Cheryl

a Simple Hug....

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:01:00 +0000

..as I watch an online documentary about a couple that adopted a young boy from an orphanage in a foreign country, I cant help but see the similarities to the residents we care for in our elder care communities. The documentary shows a young boy in his new home with all the normal comforts and security that caring parents can provide. He is withdrawn and uninterested, explains his new mom. She trys to provide insight as to his unhappiness, but says most of the time she feels helpless in her attempts to connect.
The documentary further shows an old experiment of a monkey, that lived entirely in captivity, only being fed well, with no companionship, he becomes frail and sickly. As the experiment continues the monkey is given the choice between eating and a stuffed animal, and the monkey would rather starve than be without a simple hug.

I think about all the hugs I gave my residents and children and grandchildren and mom and dad, my sister and brother and all the hugs I'll need when I get older and I am proud to be a part of the Activity Directors profession. Elder care has gone from an Asylum to a Coutry Club community in most of our residents life times. Our friends, our residents are not files and numbers anymore, they are parents, ma's and pa's , there Bobs and Carols Ted's and Alice's.. and you and I are part of making these changes happen.

We are entrusted to watch after peoples parents, their sisters and brothers and grandpas and grandmas, its a wonderfully fulfilling task. These days seem to be getting tougher as did they did in times gone by and as they will in the future.. and when the paperwork is done and the computers and pencils are still, we should walk our halls and see if anyone could use a hug, we should remember this job is about compassion, the only rule is to care, your motivation is love, a simple hug goes both ways...

peace, Pennie

HIPAA for Activity Directors

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:33:00 +0000

HIPAA for Activity Directors
By Chris Loga (ADN)

In the past year and half, one of the scariest words for activity directors has been… HIPAA! Throughout my travels, I have seen many of my colleagues shudder at the thought of a new set of rules and regulations.

Relax…

The good news is that HIPAA is not as scary as it has been made out to be. I have written this article specifically for activity directors and activity personnel. Since most of us are the makers of calendars, newsletters, banners, bulletin boards, etc., we need to know about the HIPAA policies.

The following article will hopefully ease your mind about HIPAA regulations. That way, you will be able to have your calendars, banners, bulletin boards and posters, while being in full compliance with all of the regulations.

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was enacted in 1996 to help the federal government regulate the transferability of health insurance and to empower the government to fight fraud and abuse in long term care.

So what does that have to do with Activities?

In addition to the issues of health insurance, HIPAA was initially designed to regulate “individually identifiable” health information that was transmitted electronically. Since then, the “Privacy Rule” that is defined by HIPAA has expanded that concept.
So basically, a large amount of information that is crucial to Nursing homes can now be covered under HIPAA(2). Since activities personnel deal with personal resident information, one of the areas for disclosure could be the activities department. In addition, the penalties for violating these rules are pretty steep ($100 to $25,000 per year, for each violation), so pay attention.

Is you facility a Covered Entity? You decide.

The only facilities that will need to adhere to HIPAA are called Covered Entities. Covered Entities are defined as the following: Health care providers, Health Plans and Health Care Clearinghouses and Business associates. Each of these groups is expected to follow the guidelines that are described in HIPAA. Those groups that do not fall under the “Covered entities” description may not have to follow HIPAA.

Here it is in English. There are four basic groups that need to worry about the HIPAA regulations; in this article I will only look at one, the health care provider.
In general a health care provider is a nursing home, rehab facility, hospital or any other facility that provides skilled or intensive care.

If you are not sure if your facility is a covered entity , please ask your administrator for clarification!

Personal Health Information-The nitty gritty of HIPAA

In terms of HIPAA, the information that they are worried about is called “Personal Health Information” or PHI. It can be best described as: any information that identifies an individual, that is received or created by a facility that contains information about the past, present or future physical or mental health of an individual. PHI can also include information on payment for medical services-however, I am intentionally staying away from that topic in this article.
This information is normally found in medical charts and billing files, however, it can be found in bulletin boards, Photo’s, Calendars and Birthday Cards, Activity Rooms and Common Areas and Activity Progress Notes. It is the highlighted areas that I will address in this article specifically.
All other information that I do not address, should be covered by your facility, in its “Privacy Policy”.
Each facility should have its own policy that is given to the resident on admission and to the staff who work at the facility. It is also not a bad idea for the activity department to follow a higher standard in regard to privacy, since we usually deal with the residents on a personal level, including but not limited to: family issues, special requests from the resident, newsletter articles, etc.

Please note: it is the responsibility of every employee to keep resident information confidential with regard to every aspect listed above. It is also the responsibility of each employee to know what types of information are covered under the HIPAA policy and under facilities’ privacy policy. Please educate yourself to the specific information in those policies in addition to using this as an education tool!

Now that all of the legal stuff is out of the way…

Now, you are sure that your facility is a covered entity and you know the definition of PHI. There are several ways to keep your department and residents safe with HIPAA regulations. This is especially true when you realize that there are different ways to change medical information that are allowed under HIPAA regulations. First, lets look at the instances in which it is OK to reveal PHI.

Generally, the facility may provide PHI to family members, friends and clergy, such as:

1) The residents’ name and room number
2) The general condition of the resident-(e.g.- Ms. Smith is having a good day today, she went to Bible Study on her own. Not: Ms. Smith is feeling good because we gave her a double dose of medicine.)
3) The residents’ religious affiliation.

In the following examples, we will look at some ways, in which it is not allowed to disclose medical information

1) As you walk down the hall you hear 2 staff members- “I saw Mr. Jones last night and his delusions were really bad!” Besides being gossip, this is also disclosure of PHI and a violation of HIPAA.
2) As you are entering Care Plan information on your computer, you are called away; you leave the computer on with the information on the screen, Once again a violation, since anyone can come by and look at the computer.
3) You are expecting a fax from a hospital about an incoming resident; you do not pick up the fax until the day after. Once again, who can see the information? Remember, there are several ways to violate HIPAA regulations.

So let’s recap…we know that there are several ways to reveal information about residents, but what about information that we use everyday in our activity plans, bulletin boards and other publications?

Well, let’s take it piece by piece.

1) Photo’s – most facilities have a standard form in which the resident gives permission to take their pictures and is kept in the chart. This allows us to use a basic picture for whatever we need. However, if you put the resident’s name with that picture, you will be violation HIPAA. If you need to use a name (on a bulletin board for example) all you really need to do is ask the resident for permission and document it!
2) Calendars and Birthday cards- The best way to avoid the HIPAA regulations with regard to Birthday cards and calendars is simple. PHI can be de-identified by removing the birth year from any information. For example: Happy Birthday to Joe Smith -6/15! There is no other medical information that should be used on a calendar anyway so simply remove (diagnoses, dementia items, etc.) from the calendar.
3) Bulletin Boards and Miscellaneous- In almost every case with PHI if you take the proper steps to ask permission, you can prevent any confusion. If you have pictures, avoid putting names with them. If you must, get explicit permission and document. If you avoid using PHI with regard to residents you are in the clear.
4) Activity Rooms and Common areas- It is fine and dandy to use pictures of residents in your common areas. Please remember that no medical information can accompany the pictures. Do not identify residents by room or unit, especially if that resident resides on a memory/dementia care unit.
5) Activity and Progress Notes- All progress notes should be in the individual chart of the resident. If there is documentation outside of the chart, it needs to be shredded or placed into the chart itself. Pure and Simple…

In general, HIPAA is nothing to be afraid of for any Activity Director. The regulation was enacted to prevent privacy issues for residents of Nursing and Skilled care. If your activity department uses common sense to prevent improper disclosures you should be fine. Please feel free to use this article as a reference tool and double check with your administrator for individual questions.

2 New Activity Director CEU Workshops Online!

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 22:53:00 +0000

Activity Directors!!

We have just added 2 NEW ONLINE CEU WORKSHOPS!

*Activities for Limited English Speaking Residents- 8 CEUs $59.95

Activity Directors must be more creative when dealing with residents who have difficulty with the English language. It is common for people who have lived in America for many years and speak English fluently to lose the language as they show signs of dementia. Also, there is a growing population of individuals who have never learned the language or have moved to America recently and find themselves surrounded by strangers with whom they cannot communicate with. It is the Activity Director's job to seek out and discover activities to enrich the lives of those they serve; no matter the language barrier. This course will teach you to find your inner-creativity and offer activities that do not require English to be successful. Every resident, English speaking or not, will benefit from this course material.

Workshop Objectives:
- Understand barriers that residents and staff face when there is a communication problem.
- Be able to analyze which sources the Activity director has and which are needed.
- Find Activities and programs that benefit and enrich the lives of residents.
- Learn what steps to take in order to utilize the community resources.
- Have a clear understanding of the Activity Director's role when dealing with non-English speaking residents.

AND

*Motivate Yourself- 4 CEUs $24.95
Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on - it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep moving forward. This workshop with help you work on how to become better motivated.

Workshop Objectives:
- Understand the importance of self motivation.
- Understand different techniques of motivation.
- Understanding ways to avoid burn out in your job.

Certificates of Completion available within 1 HOUR of completion! No driving, no inconveinence, no wait time, no problem! Visit
www.activitydirector.org and check it out:

Visit our Online Classroom at ActivityDirector.org for more info.. see you there!

1.888.238.0444

How to get started as an Activities Director - AD Message Boards

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:08:00 +0000

Read the latest posts from the Activity Directors Network Message Board

---------------------

How to get started as an Activities Director - AD Message Boards

Starting the "I" Careplan Program - AD Message Boards

---

Recommended Reading

Senior Citizen Living: Making Your Years GOLDEN

One Hundred Fifty Ideas for Activities With Senior Adults

150 Ideas for Activities with Senior Adults

CTRACTX.org Activity Director and Theraputic Recreation Certification in Texas Since 1996

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:49:00 +0000

Are you an Activity Director in Texas?
Do you need your Certification in Long Term Care, Assisted Living, Adult Daycare, Residential Care or Home Health?

Our Texas Basic and Texas Advanced Online Courses start this Tues. June 15th.. call Cheryl 888.238.0444
:: http://www.activitydirector.org ::

CTRACTX.org

In 1995, Dr. Tague, Dr. Jackie Vaughan, Randy Waters (then President of the Texas Recreation and Parks Society’s Therapeutic Recreation Branch) and several other interested professionals in the field began conduct conversations and gathering information regarding the interests of their colleagues in developing a certification program in Texas.
History of CTRAC Texas

In 1996, the TRAPS Therapeutic Recreation Branch (TRB) at a board meeting voted to provide supportive funds to establish a certification plan in Texas that would provide three levels of certification: the therapeutic recreation specialist level, the therapeutic recreation associate level and an activity director in long term care level.

We have developed a reciprocal agreement with the state of California. All of our TRS certificate holders are also considered certified in California, and vice versa. Already one Texas certificate holder has taken advantage of this agreement. To date, three people holding California certificates have taken advantage of this agreement as have two Texas certificate holders in California. In California, there is a practice act. Anyone who presents himself/herself as a TRS must be certified by the California credentialing board.

The Activity Directors Network hosts classes for CTRAC Texas and its Instructors. CTRAC Board Member and Director of Education, Dorothea Coleman-Brewer, conducts Online Classes Every 3rd Tuesday at http://www.activitydirector.org. Contact Cheryl at 888.238.0444 for details

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:31:00 +0000

May is the month for Mom..

National Nursing Home Week, National Nursing Week all coming in May..
on the funside .. we have * Bread Pudding Recipe Exchange Week .. * National Taffy Day.. * National Backyard Games Week.. * National Smile, * National Family and *Older Americans Days.. plenty of outdoorsy, social, family events to be planned.

Our -- May Newsletter -- is now live Online!
--
visit the Activity Director Forums at http://www.activitydirector.net/forum
click the Online Newsletter link on the top of the page.
~~~~~Online News~~~~~~~~
Direct Link : http://www.activitydirectorsnetwork.com/phplive/c.php?k=1.17.15
-- if this link does not work when clicked, simple cut-n-paste the http address into your browser bar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- check this activity out.. what do you think?

Adopt-a-Mom

Description: Adopt a Mom for Mother's Day (May 9, 2010) and help someone in community!

Instructions:
This program would be great to start on Mother's Day.
If you get great responses then you could adopt a mom monthly, quarterly or yearly.

Contact your local church to see if there are any single Moms that might need some support.
Have the residents do a craft sale or bake sale to make some money to donate to the Mom.
Have a food drive for the Mom.
Have the residents baby-sit for the Mom to give her a break.
Get donations from the community; grocery stores, children stores, restaurants, and other local business people.
Get an article in the paper to let your community know what you are doing to get more support! Make it a Mystery Mom..
--

~~~~~~Online News~~~~~~~
Direct Link : http://www.activitydirectorsnetwork.com/phplive/c.php?k=1.17.15
-- if this link does not work when clicked, simple cut-n-paste the http address into your browser bar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are you an Activity Director in Texas?
Do you need your Certification in Long Term Care, Assisted Living, Adult Daycare or Home Health?
Our Texas Basic and Texas Advanced Online Courses start this Tues. April 20th.. call Cheryl 888.238.0444
:: http://www.activitydirector.org ::
View the Activity Director certification requirements at :
** CTRAC The Consortium for Therapeutic Recreation and Activity Director Certification - www.CTRACTX.org

We have 2 CEU Workshops on Sale this Month
--
~~~~~~Online Classroom~~~~~~~
Direct Link : Online Classroom - http://www.activitydirector.org
-- if this link does not work when clicked, simple cut-n-paste the http address into your browser bar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** 1st - -- "are you ready for the New Guidelines f248-f249"
brush up on the Guidelines for Federal Tags f248-f249
248 refers to the duties and functions of the Activity Director
249 refers to the requirements and qualifications for Activity Directors
Included are the latest updates and revisions from CMS Medicare and Medicaid
On Sale! $59.95 Online Workshop 8 CEU hours
--
** 2nd - "Calendar Evaluation & Facility Population Assessment (FPA)"
Step by Step Calendar Activities balanced using your Facility Population Percentages.
Keep your Activity Program in compliance with a few simple steps.
Click n Print forms and illustrated examples to follow along. Reprint over and over.
On Sale! $39.95 Online Workshop 6 CEU hours
--

Online CEU Workshops Activity Directors Residential Care - AD Message Boards

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:28:00 +0000

Online CEU Workshops Activity Directors Residential Care - AD Message Boards

Visit the Activity Director Online Classroom at http://http//www.ActivityDirector.org for information on becoming Activity Director Certified or Qualified and avoid State Survey deficencies.

Keep your Certification current by attending the Online CEU Workshops available below.

CEU WORKSHOPS ARE ON SALE!
Sale Ends March 15th, 2010
"Course Name -"CEU's "Price
------------------------
Aromatherapy Assistant 4ceu - $49.95
Gaggle of Games 8ceu - $84.50
How to Have a Successful Bus Trip 8ceu - $79.95

--Activity Director Online Classroom at http://www.activitydirector.org/--

On Sale till March 15th
-----------------------
Gender Specific Planning- Men Mania - SALE! 4ceu - $19.95
Liven Up Your Exercise Program - SALE! 6ceu - $39.95
Fantastic Fundraising - SALE! 6ceu - $39.95
-----------------------

Marketing Your Activity Programs! 4ceu - $39.95
Integrating Wii Into Your Senior Program - 3ceu - $29.95
Calendar Evaluation & Pop Assessment 6ceu - $59.95
New Guidelines FTAG 248-249 8ceu - $79.95
Activity Analysis - How it Works 8ceu - $79.95
Alzheimer Awareness 8ceu - $79.95
Newsletters - The How to Workshop 4ceu - $39.95
Supplementing Budget Through Fundraising 4ceu - $39.95
Understanding the Basics of Dementia 8ceu - $79.95
Hospice: Creating Differences for the Patient 2ceu - $24.99
Care Plan: Culture Change 8ceu - $79.95
The Trick to Getting Your Staff Motivated 2ceu - $24.50
Recruitment & Selection of Quality Volunteers 8ceu - $79.95

--Activity Director Online Classroom at http://http//www.ActivityDirector.org--

Printable St. Patricks Day & Valentines Games Collection

Price: 19.95

Retail Price: 24.95

PVG010707

Printable GamesAtoZ

Our entire collection of over 50 printable games is included in this collection! Print as many copies of as many games as you want. Start printing as soon as you order.

This blog has moved

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:02:00 +0000

This blog is now located at http://activitydirectorsnetwork.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://activitydirectorsnetwork.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Assisted Living Federation of America - News

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:34:00 +0000

Assisted Living Federation of America - News

MEPAP Course for Activity Directors

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Activity Directors Online Classroom

Activity Directors Network hosts an Online Course on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday every Month.

Our NCCAP approved Modular Education Program for Activity Professionals is accepted by all US States requiring persons to complete an Accredited Activity Director Training Program to become state qualified to conduct activities with the elderly.

“Our MEPAP Courses are exactly what your looking for..!”

According to the federal government Activity Directors in Long Term Care, Assisted Living and Adult DayCare are required to be “Qualified” to conduct activities with the elderly.

------------------------------

Activity Directors Online Classroom

F249
§483.15(f)(2) The activities program must be directed by a qualified professional who--

(i) Is a qualified therapeutic recreation specialist or an activities professional who--

(A) Is licensed or registered, if applicable, by the State in which practicing; and
(B) Is eligible for certification as a therapeutic recreation specialist or as an activities professional by a recognized accrediting body on or after October 1, 1990; or

(ii) Has 2 years of experience in a social or recreational program within the last 5 years, 1 of which was full-time in a patient activities program in a health care setting; or

(iii) Is a qualified occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant; or

(iv) Has completed a training course approved by the State.

INTENT: (F249) §483.15(f)(2) Activities Director The intent of this regulation is to ensure that the activities program is directed by a qualified professional.

DEFINITIONS “Recognized accrediting body” refers to those organizations that certify, register, or license therapeutic recreation specialists, activity professionals, or occupational therapists.

Activity Directors Online Classroom

Federal Tag F249 “Qualified” Activity Director - DETERMINATION OF COMPLIANCE

Synopsis of Regulation (F249)

This requirement stipulates that the facility’s program of activities be directed by a qualified professional. Criteria for Compliance The facility is in compliance with this requirement if they:

:: Have employed a qualified professional to provide direction in the development and implementation of activities in accordance with resident needs and goals, and the director:

Has completed or delegated the completion of the activities component of the comprehensive assessment;
Contributed or directed the contribution to the comprehensive care plan of activity goals and approaches that are individualized to match the skills, abilities, and interests/preferences of each resident;
Has monitored and evaluated the resident’s response to activities and
revised the approaches as appropriate; and
Has developed, implemented, supervised and evaluated the activities program.

If not, cite at F249. Noncompliance for F249 Tag F249 is a tag that is absolute, which means the facility must have a qualified activities professional to direct the provision of activities to the residents. Thus, it is cited if the facility is non-compliant with the regulation, whether or not there have been any negative outcomes to residents.
Noncompliance for F249 may include (but is not limited to) one or more of the following, including:
• Lack of a qualified activity director; or
• Lack of providing direction for the provision of an activity program;

---------------------------------------

ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR RESPONSIBILITIES An activity director is responsible for directing the development, implementation, supervision and ongoing evaluation of the activities program. This includes the completion and/or directing/delegating the completion of the activities component of the comprehensive assessment; and contributing to and/or directing/delegating the contribution to the comprehensive care plan goals and approaches that are individualized to match the skills, abilities, and interests/preferences of each resident. Directing the activity program includes scheduling of activities, both individual and groups, implementing and/or delegating the implementation of the programs, monitoring the response and/or reviewing/evaluating the response to the programs to determine if the activities meet the assessed needs of the resident, and making revisions as necessary.

NOTE: Review the qualifications of the activities director if there are concerns with the facility’s compliance with the activities requirement at §483.15(f)(1), F248, or if there are concerns with the direction of the activity programs.
A person is a qualified professional under this regulatory tag if they meet any one of the qualifications listed under 483.15(f)(2).

Activity Directors Online Classroom

LiveJournal Tags: activity director,mepap,ctrac,nccap.org,nccap,activity director certification,certified activity director

Emeritus Senior Living Now Hiring Activity Professionals

noreply@blogger.com (Miguel Sarasa) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Emeritus Senior Living, are committed to making a real difference in the lives of their residents. They work together as a family to promote their health, independence, and social interactions in a safe, supportive environment. And we believe that our dedication to respect and compassion helps make our residents’ lives better. We’re currently seeking exceptional people who share our vision and commitment to seniors. If you think you’d make a great addition to our Emeritus family, we'd love to meet you.

Help us embody our promise to our residents and their families: “Our Family is Committed to Yours.”

For Current Activity Director job openings visit \

http://www.emerituscareers.com/careers/activities-director-jobs

NCCAP Track 5!

noreply@blogger.com (Miguel Sarasa) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Just a reminder to all Activity Professionals who have completed a state approved course between 1991 and 2001..
You may qualify to become a credentialed activity professional with the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals - NCCAP..

Track 5 offers ADs an opportunity to become Certified.. If you have completed a State Approved course and can meet the requirements below you could qualify for NCCAP AD Certification...

ACTIVITY DIRECTOR CERTIFIED (ADC) TRACK 5

NCCAP

Offers ADC Track 5 for individuals that completed a less than 90 hrs basic activity course between

1991 and 2001

ADC TRACK 5

Requirements must include the following

High School Diploma(must be on file)
Basic Activity Course(36 hrs, 40/42/46 hrs, 60hrs or 72 hrs)
6 years(12,000 hrs) of current activity experience within the past 10yrs
30 Hrs of Continuing Education(6 hrs of which addresses activity documentation.)

VISIT THE NCCAP WEBSITE FOR APPLICATION AND TRACK 5 FORM...

For Additional Information..Contact

Miguel Sarasa, NCCAP Southern California State Rep @ 951-208-5205, or sarasa_miguel@yahoo.com

or Contact Cheryl at the Activity Directors Network - 1.888.238.0444

...................................

or Visit NCCAP at

www.nccap.org

Enrollment for MEPAP and Texas Basic Activity Directors Online Course

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:33:00 +0000

Enrollment begins for the Activity Directors Network Online Course for December

On the 1st Tuesday of every month ADN begins their online courses for the MEPAP I&II for those seeking to be Qualified and Certified as a Activity Director through the National Certification Council of Activity Professionals (www.NCCAP.org)-next class December 2nd

On the 3rd Tuesday of every month ADN begins their online courses for the Texas Basic and Advanced Courses for those seeking to be Qualified and Certified as a Activity Director through the The Consortium for Therapeutic Recreation / Activities Certification (www.CTRACtx.org)-next class December 16th

The Certifications issued by both CTRACtx.org and NCCAP.org are recognized in the State of Texas, where the NCCAP Certification is also recognized nationally.

Visit CTRAC certification requirements page for details

Visit NCCAP certification requirements page for details

Technology and Seniors

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:35:00 +0000

I am really getting interested in all the new gaming systems out there and how great they are for seniors. For example the Wii Nintendo system and others. Seems like there is a huge market, and i hope, that this industry sees that need and creates more innovative technology that our seniors can benefit from. They can develop more physical games for the Wii to get our seniors moving. How great is it for a old sports fan, that is unable to cruise the golf course; to be able to just turn on the TV and practice his swing. I have been looking at the recent Rock Band and wondering if they revamped the songs choices how exciting that would be for the seniors to try to master.

There are many young adults and middle age residents in nursing homes who too can beat the boredom blues by participating in these games. Imagine a 30 man rehabbing from a car accident, you might be able to get him interested in more physical movement by playing baseball on the Wii or playing the drums in the game Rock Band.

In conclusion, glad to see new develops with our seniors in mind and cant wait to see what comes next! Just hope it comes fast!

Karen

Texas Basic Activity Directors Training - June 17th

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:26:00 +0000

.. tuesday morn and class begins :O)

www.activitydirector.org offers 2 certification training choices in Texas for Activity Directors. In Texas there are 2 Activiy Director Certifications accepted, one is issued by NCCAP.org (National Certification Council for Activity Professionals) and second is by CTRACTX.org (Consortium for Theraputic Recreation and Activity Certification). Both organizations are recognized by the State of Texas as having a qualified training program for Activity Directors in Texas. (Long Term Care, Assisted Living, Adult Day Care etc.)

First week of class consists of basically online class orientation.
1.-locating a facility and a Certified Supervisor to conduct the "hands-on" fieldwork portion of the course // obtaining the proper paperwork and transmitting to the instructors to verify.
2.-typing and submitting a brief history of the facility to familarize the students with the digital online transfer of assignments, documents, forms etc.
3.-posting to the class forum, a collaborative meeting format that all the students join in and share ideas...
4.-wed. nites is Live Chat night.. instructors and students asking and answering..

for the most part its pretty confusing to most who have no "Online Classroom" experience, but the class is basically just alot of study and research, and 3 basic formats for transferring assignments, notebooks and fieldwork to the instructors...
for the younger AD Professionals who had Online Classes as part of their college experience, the class is walk in the park.. and thru a collaborative effort and alot of hair pulling everyone seems to help one another thru the confusion.... \

of course we're all ADs and we never say never...

MDS 3.0 and Culture Change

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:34:00 +0000

Coming in 2009 is the new MDS 3.0 .. redesigned to align with the New
Guidelines for elder healthcare.

In June 2006 the New Guidelines went into effect to change the
overall elder nursing and structured living facility from a "one size
fits all" enviroment to a more personal and social enviroment. The New
Guidelines and terms like "resident centered" "person centered"
"self-directed" have been leading our industry up to a complete
culture change, moving away from a medical model to a more social
model.

Some of our members are experiencing surveys that look specifically
towards the new culture changes...

... has the facility revised their assessments to bring a more
comprehesive profile to the resident,

... are the residents being given choices for self-directed
activities and self-directed care,

... are programs being offered that meet and challenge the
individual, their talents, their culture, their wishes

LINK :: January 08 MDS 3.0 Draft ::
MDS 3.0 Preview

.. Get Ready!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July Newsletter Online!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Activity Newsletter Online!

Activity Directors Rock!

noreply@blogger.com (Activity Directors Network, llc) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:54:00 +0000

Welcome the Activity Directors Network Blog!
I would like to invite you to blog..