Planning Your Activity Schedule for 2016

 As an AC you're probably mid flow the flurry of Christmas festivities and activities.  How has it been for you? Has it been easy or hard? What would you do different? Lots of questions for you.
Are just happy to have survived and got through it all?

Well you do have a secret weapon to success and that is called Planning Ahead.

You will always hear me say that if you have an action plan you will always succeed.

Tips For The Year Ahead For Success

1.  Grab one of my year wall year planner's I have created for 2016, I have saved you the hassle and listed all the main theme dates internationally  so you plan what ones you wish to use with your resident's. Email me at lovejoycentre@gmail.com for more details if interested.

2. Don't be alone. Come connect with me on FB or other like minded AC's worldwide who offer support, encouragement and advice-www.facebook.com/groups/lovejoycentregroup.

3.Up your game, I have set up the AC Tastic Academy which goes live in January  which is your one stop shop for AC's to find all they need for personal development and support in their job role.

4. Change tact consider trying new activities, don't just dismiss an idea before you try it with your residents it might just work and be the one thing that connects with someone.

5.Before planning your year's schedule of activities make sure you have up to take records of each resident's capabilities and this is taken into account.

6.Please think about you for a few minutes as you plan ahead next year as well. Where do you think you need to change things in order to make your life easier? Do you need to have admin time given to you for your paper work? Consider these things and when planning make sure you schedule enough
 time so you can get ALL aspects of the job done in work time.

7. Consider using your budget on activity equipment that you can use again and again to create a great session . I offer a wide range of activity session products at www.lovejoycentre.co.uk

8.Dare to be different, I alway challenge you all to think outside the box and do creative, innovative
things, do it. For example, bringing in a horse or pony for a pet therapy session.

9. Evidence is key to prove you do all the wonderful things you do. Take pictures, put them on display and have a  photo album by the signing in book so people and health professionals can see the wonderful things you do with your residents.

10.If you're in a home that thinks activities are two a penny and don't make any provision for you to do your job then there lots of things you can do activity wise. sign up here for my free E-book advising you what you can do-http://eepurl.com/Iw9p1

I hope you found my blogs useful. I wish you a very merry Christmas and a brilliant New Year full of success.
Keep shining.Until next time.
love,
Ann Marie xx

How To Deal With The Daily AC Plate Spinning Challenge

Being an AC makes you feel at times like you're spinning 10 plates at a time! Often if not AC's are  left to get on with it, with little or no formal training and expected to pull everything off.
It is often a lament I hear all too often. And whilst AC's are being all things to everyone they have to facilitate a session as well.

This can at times prove a challenge so here are a few suggestions for you  -

 Remember to concentrate on the process of an activity and not the results. It does not matter if you never get the puzzle put together. What matters is that your resident or loved one enjoyed the time spent on it and felt useful.

1. Attitude - You must have a positive attitude towards older people and a commitment to provide stimulating, quality activities and social events.

2. Preparation - This is the key to everything in making sure your session is a success and enjoyable. If you’re doing art, make sure you have enough materials to go round, etc. You can also prepare the residents by announcing what you will be doing a few days beforehand so they are aware and it builds expectancy. 

3. Use a ’I can list’ - When creating activities for residents, ask them what they can and cannot do; ask family members too and make a list that details the resident's’ physical, cognitive, communication and socializing abilities. Use this information to build a person-centered activity plan for them.  

4. Distractions - Prior to an activity taking place try to eliminate any external distractions, i.e. turn the TV off. Avoid sitting residents together who do not get on and place those who are hard of hearing near you so they can hear.

5. Keep it simple - Use clear, concise language and do not over complicate instructions when facilitating a session. 

6. Resources – Use the internet to research activity ideas and find inspiration. Ask fellow colleagues for their ideas and get recommendations of good therapists to use; save your budget - if you’re lucky enough to have one - and use your imagination to create activities.

Use your imagination to be creative

7. The Feely Game - This is a simple but great idea for a sensory game. All you need is a bag or an old plastic tub/box with a mixture of things in it that are safe and have different textures. Place them in the tub or bag and ask each resident to close their eyes and try to guess what the item is before pulling it out. 

8. Reminiscence - You can use anything to help trigger memories - photos, items collected on outings, etc. 

9. Hand Tennis – This is a very cost effective activity. Blow up a balloon and use it to play hand tennis. Simply gently tap the balloon from you to the resident using your hands. This is a good gentle exercise that always causes much laughter.

10. Think outside of the box - Do not limit yourself or your residents by defeatist thinking! At least try something new and gently encourage them to do the same. If they don’t like whatever the new activity is, you know to try something different next time. Different activities will appeal to different people

11. Outside Activity- Have you considered changing the environment  that you hold your activity session? If the weather is nice outside move your activity session to the garden, It would make a pleasant change and open up a good state change perspective for your residents and also arranging outings too will have lots of pluses.  It will help your residents connect with the outside community life again and be a refreshing change. 

Hope this helps you. Until next time keep time.

Keep Shining,

Love,

Ann Marie x

How to Clear Your Mind And Create Brain Space

The role of an AC can vary, as one minute your in AC land doing activities and in the next minute your being asked to be cook as the cook as gone sick. You have planned your day and your mind is buzzing and humming , feeling like it may just explode with all your thought process's going in and out and all the new ones being created that you have to take in!

Our brains are like computers, they need space and can hold 7 thoughts at a time based on the research by George Miller of Princeton University in the 1950's.

That being the case think about your role as AC, your typical thoughts could go like this -
At least 3 of your thoughts  are everyday stuff .
Is the entertainment coming for today?
Will I have any Help?
Will I have to cover  if their short of staff again?
Remembering what you promised to do for a resident  etc.

Your brain, the amazing machine that it is, is like a computer or phone, your memory banks fill up.
Everyday life is busy, your trying to be everything to everyone, your kids, your spouse, your residents so inevitably  you filling up space trying to remember to do everything .

Here are some tips for you on what you can do-

Brain-dump- Empty your brain onto paper, write everything down, thoughts, ideas and to do's which are flying about and filling up valuable space in your short term memory.

Save This- All the important information you have written save it, keep  it safe. Find a method for storing , use an app,excel spread sheet, google docs, notebook, calendar etc

Bring Order Into Play- Once you have them written down bring order, create your to do list, delegate, do or ditch what you have to do.

Schedule what needs doing when you can and work your way through and stop relying on filling
your head with too much it is in inevitable it will get overloaded and you will forget, your only human after all.

So my fabulous fellow AC when your brain feels full STOP! Empty your head, capture important stuff, let the rest go and get some order. Try it!

Until next time, keep on shining.
Love,
Ann Marie x

Validation in Our Work... Be Encouraged and Learn to Encourage Yourself!

I was so delighted to receive the West Sussex Dementia Care Award 2015 for the work me and my team do. It was a great morale booster and acknowledgement for what we do, because it's our passion and to know we are making a difference is just awesome.

It got me thinking about how many times AC's are under rated, not celebrated, over looked and taken for granted. In fact that was a key point all the speakers at the award ceremony mentioned, that across the care sector  all roles  are not being acknowledged enough.

I hear it all the time, so I want to address it today and validate you and your work. Please  know that when you organize an activity for the residents you work with it's not in vain. You are providing a vital service for them, this period of time in their lives is their latter season and what happens really counts.

It can be a lonely place for an AC, your sometimes on your own. I would encourage you not to wallow but come and get connected to others who get you and appreciate your endeavours, no man is an island we need each other.

 Go on Facebook and search AC groups, I am on there- www.facebook.com/groups/lovejoycentregroup

You are going to have to be  like David in the bible  and learn to encourage yourself,  the bible tells of a story of David and the Israelites coming back from war and all their families had been kidnapped by the enemy, including David's. Typical humans everyone wanted someone to blame and  poor David was the one they blamed, despite the fact his family had been taken as well. So David encouraged himself in the Lord and had faith to go after the enemy and recover everyone. The point I am making is to stay positive, we have bad days but  remember everyday is new and don't keep yourself isolated, always look at ways to expand your knowledge and develop.

Surround yourself with people who get you and celebrate you .

Until next time keep shining,
love,
Ann Marie Lovejoy Bruce - Kerr

 

Montessori’s Method in Activity Sessions

As an AC we are always looking for the best way to engage our residents.  The Montessori principle is a great concept was developed by Maria Montessori ,an Italian doctor and educator who, in the early 20th century created an educational method of rehabilitation to teach children with mental disabilities. The method eventually expanded to encompass a new way of teaching mainstream children.

About  thirty years ago, Dr Cameron Camp, an American research scientist in the field of ageing, adapted the Montessori’s method to treat people suffering from Alzheimer’s and related disorders. Dr Camp’s adaptation of the Montessori method sought to engage the senses and evoke positive emotions. It involves stimulation of the cognitive, social, and functional skills of each individual.

The original Montessori Method for dementia care recommended a one-to-one approach, which poses a  challenge to care homes due to lack of staff numbers. one way around this is if you volunteers they can be trained in the principles of the method and help assist.

The Montessori method is a good one to consider when doing one to one with residents especially those who may not venture out of their rooms and need personalized activities created for them and can work well with small groups.

 Be aware that the monthly “Activity Program” differs from the Montessori-based activities in that the implementation and application of the latter is more specialized. It is very important to follow the Montessori principles if you want to achieve the therapeutic results.

Here are some of the fundamental principles of the method:

• Use everyday materials that can be held and manipulated
• Activities should match interests and skills of participants.
• Activities should take into account past experiences and preferences of participants.
• Adapt activities to the cognitive and physical status of participants.
• Break down activities into smaller steps according to needs.
• Facilitator should match the speed of the activity to the abilities of participants
• Progress from simple to complex and from concrete to abstract or vice versa as needed.
• Demonstrate the activity. While demonstrating place something related to the activity in the hands of participants.
• Encourage/assist with a minimum of vocalization (serene atmosphere).
• Evaluate each session to determine if activity was successful or requires modification.

How to conduct a Montessori-based Session

Assemble activities together into kits according to instructions on the Montessori Manuals and then:

• Prepare the environment: Activities should be contained in labelled kits and placed on shelves with easy access for residents to see and choose from.
• Set up the room: Set up the table, diminish noise and remove distractions. The smaller the group the better e.g. 3 to 4 participants.
• Invite: Invite and motivate participants to walk with you to the shelf and choose the kit they would prefer.
• Demonstrate: Demonstrate the activity with as few words as possible and then hand it to them and suggest they do likewise.
• No Pressure: The focus should be on progress (engagement, enjoyment, and feedback) not the outcome.
• Guidance: Every participant should have an activity that he can successfully handle. Facilitator sit on the dominant side of a participant and provide guidance as needed. Be aware that sometimes participants may want to use materials to create something other than the activity was created for. In this case consider if participant engagement is strong and if so, let them be. There is no right or wrong way. Later, you may (or may not) offer assistance by asking if they think there is another way of doing the activity; demonstrate again if necessary.
• Thank you: At the end of the session, thank participants and invite them to another session.

Here are a few homemade ideas based on the Montessori’s approach you can find on Golden Carers.

• Matching Shapes
• Matching Colours
• Colour Sorting
• Picture Puzzle
• Pairing Pictures
• Sensory boxes

Issues that may arise

Be aware that issues are bound to arise during a session; participants may get agitated or bored, or may infringe on the space of their peers. Here are some things that can happen and some suggestions on how to handle it.

• Lose focus – Re-establish eye contact, speak gently and softly, touch arm or shoulder and ask for their ‘help’ a little longer.
• Walk out – Use the same approach as above, and if unsuccessful, walk with them for a little while and then invite them to return to the table.
• Lose interest – Start working on the activity yourself and then hand it back. If that fails let them have another choice of activity.
• Place small objects in their mouths – Thorough supervision is necessary at all times.

( Source Golden Carers )  Why not give this method a try. 

Until the next time keep shining,

Ann Marie x

Managing Abilities and Disabilities 

When working with different groups of people it is important to remember that a person's disabilities are more  apparent than their abilities. This is because abilities are not so apparent when based in a care setting as residents develop a learned dependency, they have carers and  nurses managing their day to day needs, they loose their ability to feel motivated and fail to take the initiative to instigate things themselves.

I see this all the time and with gentle persuasion and encouragement they can sum up the courage to feel motivated to participate or do something for themselves.

If these abilities are not nurtured , a person can become very deflated, more dependent on their carer and suffer low self esteem which  can have a knock on affect in all areas in some cases.

Therefore for the AC working with people of all abilities you must identity their ability  , their disability would be documented and you will find that well meaning relatives will offer preconceived opinions of their relatives abilities as well.

I have found it is a matter of trying something and seeing how you  possibly adapt this for them.  For example, I remember one of my postings was in a home with disabled people with varying abilities and disabilities  and their was a gentleman there who we will call Malcolm who had Downsyndrome and he loved to make tea. 

So we devised a safe way for him to make tea instead of saying no he could not.  We would half boil the kettle, place milk in a jug for ease of lifting, and would have a staff member present when he made tea, even if half of it went all the counter the sense of achievement he felt by independently making a cup of tea was phenomenal for him.It was a confidence boost and he began to try things he would of before limited himself to but because he was able to make tea and we would remind him of this ability he would give everything a go. Imagine the flip side of this, if we had had said no it's too dangerous for you to make tea etc, he would of retreated into himself  and not grew in confidence.

I think keeping an open  mind is vital and thinking outside the box is helpful. Look at ways things can be adapted for a person to participate is vital.

In some instances, identifying disabilities  such as  poor vision and deafness are obviously going to cause a problem if you work in a group as the people affected by such disabilities will not be able to fully join in  unless what activity you have  you are able to include them all.So as to meet everyone's needs it is important to get to know what people enjoy.

 So to summarize you need to remember that a person's disabilities are likely to be much more apparent then their abilities. 

Objectively assess potential abilities yourself by trying different things to gauge that and talking to the person involved.

And adapt the sessions to abilities of the groups or individuals you have been working with.  

Until next time,

Keep Shining,

Ann Marie Lovejoy Bruce Kerr x

How To Deal With Heckling When Delivering An Activity Session

I remember when I managed a care home ,a member of my staff came to me to complain that one of the resident's who had dementia had made a racist remark to her, she was very offended by it and it was down to me to sort out.

Which I did by explaining to the staff member I totally agreed with them being spoken to like that was unacceptable, and that we also had to remember that the resident had quite advanced dementia.
 It reminded me of when you as an AC deliver an activity session that mid way through, you do at times, get hecklers. This can totally affect you, put you off, make you feel you inadequate etc.
You must remember that  you cannot afford to take things personally and it's not meant meaningfully and also most importantly when someone has dementia they don't have full mental capacity.

I was delivering WW2 reminiscence session and it was going along fine, until I  heard a lady say, 'What is that foreigner standing there, talking to me about the war!'. Everyone around her told her to be quiet but she kept saying it louder , I just continued for a while and then stopped the session and asked the lady what the problem was. She then proceeded to repeat herself and said; 'What are you a foreigner standing there, telling me about the war? I lived through it!'

I then responded without getting offended and said the following, ' First of all I am not a foreigner, but British born and bred. And yes, your absolutely right I did not live through the war but it is important for us to remember the sacrifice of what your generation of people did, so people like myself and my generation can learn and celebrate you, after all, your generation of people gave us the freedom we enjoy today. It is what makes us British.' 

With that she shouted out to me ;'Well done, well said dear!'And the led a round of applause for me!

I started the session again and within five minutes she was shouting out what is that foreigner standing there telling me about the war!

I politely ignored her and continued with the session successfully. The lady had dementia and that episode is not uncommon for people who have dementia to repeat themselves and forget what has been said etc and ask the question again.

The point I  am making is that as AC's we work in an environment with vulnerable people and you will always get your hecklers, even your fellow colleagues who should know better , it goes with the territory. 

 Rise above  it and develop a thick skin and don't take anything personally and you will just keep on shining as you do!

Until next time keep being fabulous and shining brightly.

Love,

Ann Marie Lovejoy Bruce Kerr xx

www.lovejoycentre.co.uk

Come connect with me on face book at  www.facebook.com/groups/lovejoycentregroup