How To Deal With Common Dilemmas AC's Face At Work!

How To Deal With Common Dilemmas AC's Face At Work!

 You will find that most of the time things will go smoothly but on occasion things do go wrong for whatever reason. The thing is not to panic, don't  take anything personally and have a contingency plan for such eventualities. You will always hear me say that for any AC to succeed you have to always have a plan!

 Some dilemmas that may be encountered:

 1. Relatives present or turning up mid-way through the session and constantly talking through the session. In this situation stop the session and politely advise them that you're in a session with all residents and for their privacy they go somewhere else quiet, in order they can chat undisturbed. Alternatively you can invite them to stay and take part in the group activity which is good for the resident and encourages them to participate. 

2. An individual dominates the conversation. This is very common whilst it is a positive for the activity coordinator that individuals find your session interesting if left unchecked it can lead to problems such as other group members feeling left out and numbers dropping. The best way to deal with this is to include another person by asking, for example, ‘Clarice used to work in London, didn’t you Clarice?’ This usually is a great tactic but if the problem persists then it may be better to see this person on a one to one basis.

 3. If an individual heckles you during the group then you must not take it personally and deal with it in a light hearted way. Reassure the other group members and continue with the session, if it persists to a level that it is causing too much disruption then it maybe that the individual would benefit from one to one basis. 

4. If someone has a fall, or some other emergency obtain help immediately and do not attempt to deal with emergency situations without calling for help.

 5. In some groups especially people with dementia if mobile they may well get up and wander or walk in and out of the session, don’t be phased just continue your session but do let staff know so the wellbeing of the resident is monitored.

6. If resident's in the group are hard of hearing get them to sit near you so they can hear.

7. Ensure that if resident's need their glasses or anything else they need , they have it before you start your session.

For the most part if you are aware of any potential issues or conflicts within the group dynamic and you prevent it that will help ensure that your sessions run as smoothly as possible.

If you're new at your AC role, don't despair if things don't always go to plan, it is the nature of the  beast at times.

If necessary you can always stop a session if you feel it is not quite gelling   and do something different or work with a smaller size group.

Until next time keep shining and remember your worth. Do you like what I have shared?  Let me know and also I have created an online AC Academy that gives you support with all the challenges you face. www.actasticacademy.com.

Don't Be Alone!
Come connect with me on FB and be part of my online community of fellow AC's at  www.facebook.com/groups/lovejoycentregroup

Also I hold a care show every year so please feel free to come on the 24/05/16 at Lancing Parish Halls, South St, Lancing. 10am-4pm. FREE admission.

Until next time, keep shining.

Love,

Ann Marie x