February 13, 2024
In the heart of Brendan House, Cheryl Lowe serves as the certified activities director, with an impressive 36-year tenure in her role. Passionate about her work, Cheryl shares her insights into the rewarding and transformative world of activities management within a nursing home setting.
Understanding the Core of Activities Management
Teaming up with her dedicated crew, Cheryl nurtures a warm and holistic caring environment, making sure residents’ physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs are met. Cheryl loves getting residents involved in activities and socials, creating spaces where new connections can be made. She shares, “Our staff, from all departments, are incredibly supportive, and we’ve got this great program using FaceTime and Zoom to keep residents and families connected.”
Cheryl stresses how crucial it is to have staff engaged in residents’ needs, being responsive and fostering creativity. But for Cheryl, it is not just about fun and games. She highlights, “Activities go beyond mere ‘fun’—our aim is to keep residents tied to their lives, interests and families.”
Strategies During Infection Outbreaks
During infection outbreaks, Cheryl and her staff have developed crucial strategies to maintain resident well-being, emphasizing in-room or individual activities. Cheryl explains, “We enjoy seasonal comfort snacks, activities like cocoa socials and competitive games such as bowling and ‘Botch-It,’ a loose version of Bocce Ball. It’s a highly competitive game that brings the men out of their rooms when nothing else will.” In addition, facility-wide “Tie Dye Parties” and monthly karaoke sessions with a local DJ help residents come out of their shells or show improvement.
Festive Celebrations and Cultural Inclusivity
Involving family members and volunteers in nursing home activities, especially during holidays, is a collaborative effort. Cheryl notes, “Family members often attend many holiday events,” and volunteers play a crucial role in assisting with decorations and contributing to various programs like music and religious services.
Holiday-themed activities are diverse and engaging. Cheryl describes the Christmas season kickoff with “Deck the Halls,” where staff, volunteers and residents decorate the building, followed by tree lighting and Christmas carols. Each religious holiday features programs facilitated by volunteer pastors or the hospital chaplain. Cheryl ensures all holidays and commemorative days, such as Veterans Day, are celebrated with specific activities.
Technology, particularly virtual activities, plays a role in connecting residents with loved ones, especially during special occasions. Cheryl notes virtual visits became essential during COVID, providing a vital tool for residents and families to stay connected across generations, even during end-of-life situations.
Maintaining inclusivity and diversity in daily activities and holiday celebrations is a conscious effort for Cheryl. She acknowledges the importance of respecting residents’ cultural backgrounds and religious differences. Examples include accommodating Native American “smudging” ceremonies and connecting Jewish residents with local support systems.
Empowering a Resident-Centered Culture
Cheryl’s success is a result of her and her staff’s efforts to foster a more resident-centered culture. “Large group calendar activities, while still popular to some extent, are not the best way to allocate the bulk of our staffing and volunteer resources,” Cheryl says. While the shift towards individualized and small-group activities, tailored to specific needs, creates a more meaningful and satisfying experience for her residents.
Volunteers, whom Cheryl considers “the heartbeat of our facility,” play a crucial role. According to Cheryl, they are not just essential for labor, but provide relationships, diversity in culture, character, humor and creativity. In some instances, they even become extended family. Cheryl acknowledges the impact of the COVID pandemic on volunteer shortages but expresses optimism about their gradual return. “Unfortunately, COVID has caused a shortage of volunteers, and it is dramatically felt and impacted the participation of family members,” Cherly says. “Now, families are starting to involve themselves much more.”
For more than three decades, Cheryl’s creativity, compassion and commitment have helped enhance the lives of residents, illustrating the transformative power of meaningful engagement within a nursing home community.
We look forward to sharing more activity ideas and tips in the future. If you work at a long-term care facility and have resident engagement ideas you would like to share with other nursing homes, we invite you to connect with us. Email Marcy Gallagher at mgallagher@mpqqhf.org or reach out through our Contact Us page on our website at https://www.mpqhf.org/QIO/contact-us/. Stay tuned for more inspiration and collaboration.
This material was prepared by Mountain Pacific, a Medicare Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO), under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Views expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of CMS or HHS, and any reference to a specific product or entity herein does not constitute endorsement of that product or entity by CMS or HHS. 12SOW-MPQHF-AS-CC-1/24-374.
Leave a Reply