We know how busy the workday is for recreation staff. You get into work, turn on your computer, have a sip of your morning coffee and then a co-worker comes by to say hello… Next thing you know you’re five minutes away from starting the Chair Exercise program! You spend 15 minutes portering the residents to the Activity Room for the 20 minute program and then another 15 minutes portering them back to their rooms… You get back to your desk (have your second sip of coffee!), chart the residents that attended Chair Exercise, and then you’re off to porter the residents for your next scheduled program.
Most of us are busy running and logging our activities, and have so little time for drinking our morning coffee let alone tracking self directed activities and 1:1 activities. What if we could enlist the support of other staff at the home to help contribute to resident engagement documentation?
Whether you are using ActivityPro for online tracking or still using pencil and paper tracking there is a way we can log more data about what our residents are doing. ActivityPro makes it easy to print off a list of residents in a home area with a blank table where these events can be recorded by anyone at the home: housekeeping, PSWs, nurses, etc. Even if you are still using pencil and paper tracking other home area/unit staff can chart when they see a resident engaging in a self directed activity such as reading a newspaper, watching their favourite TV show, or even having a visit with their family.
This critical data gives your entire care team more insight into the resident’s engagement. They may not be participating in the activities our recreation team is organizing but they are still engaging in meaningful activities that can be logged and reported at their quarterly assessments or annual care conferences.
We know that not every home will have eager and willing unit staff to document resident engagement but it never hurts to ask and you’d be surprised by other staff’s interest in documenting patient engagement and how little time it will take them to make such a significant contribution to the resident’s activity tracking. Enlisting housekeepers in particular, through their manager, is often more successful when you emphasize how important their input will be in the documentation of resident engagement, recognizing them as members of the care team.
ActivityPro Tip: Go to the “Residents” menu and select “Active Residents”; Choose the home area, click the “Search” button; Click “Select All” > “Print Daily Recording Sheet” and Voila! The tracking sheet is ready for unit staff to complete resident activities as they witness them during the day. Even better: Use a tablet to document your programming while out on the floor. Saves paper and time!
Let ActivityPro make your recreation documentation and reporting easier and more efficient, call us today at 1-888-898-0098.
