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Enhancing the Lives of Nursing Home Residents One Volunteer at a Time

Diane

Check Out The Activity Supplies Survey Results

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This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

Activity supply survey results

Thank you so much to everyone who filled out my activity supplies survey! For those of you who missed it, I’ve become concerned with the large number of activity professionals who tell me they spend their own money to buy activity supplies for their residents.

On the one hand, this seems like a kind and generous thing to do. However, it usually happens because of an inadequate activity department budget. I don’t think that’s right.

While the number of responses wasn’t large enough to make this survey statistically significant, I found the results quite intriguing. Today I’ll highlight a few of your answers and then talk about where we can go from here.

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Best Resources To Help Us Understand Clutter And Hoarding

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decluttering your home

Last month, I posted an article about hoarding in senior care communities, and it led to some fascinating conversations. As a result, I’m posting a follow-up article with more resources I believe you’ll find helpful.

In response to my post, some people told me difficult stories about hoarders they’ve known. But, interestingly, the article seemed to strike a nerve for people who wouldn’t be considered hoarders. Yet, they struggle with keeping clutter under control. (I can relate!)

If you need help in either of these areas or if you simply want to learn more, I hope you’ll check out a few of my favorite experts and their resources. First, we’ll begin with decluttering and then we’ll move on to hoarding.

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25 Fun Outdoor Autumn Activities

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activities for elderly residents

(The scent of fall is in the air, so today I decided to repost this popular article from a couple of years ago. I hope it inspires you to help your residents enjoy these lovely, fleeting days of autumn.)

I adore autumn here in North Dakota. When the hot, humid days of summer mellow into the cooler days of fall, it’s wonderful to get outdoors and soak up the beauty of the season.

I’m also a strong advocate for giving our residents every possible opportunity to get outside and enjoy the wonders of nature. Over the next year, I plan to feature ideas for outdoor activities that can be done during each of the four seasons.

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Would You Like To Serve On A Community Advisory Board?

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This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

Now and then, I like to share opportunities to help you expand your service as a nursing home volunteer. In the past, we’ve looked at the roles of a parish nurse, a grant writer, and a volunteer ombudsman.

Today let’s look at the role of the community advisory board for a nursing home. I suspect that most employees and volunteers have little or no idea of the purpose of this board. Am I right?

When I worked at the nursing home, I knew we had a community advisory board. But the only reason I knew this was because the group occasionally met in the room where we held our morning report. So, we got to eat the leftovers of their continental breakfast. Other than that, I knew very little about the group.

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What You Need To Know About POLST

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This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links. 

POLST meaning

The other day, I asked several people if they knew the definition of POLST. They offered a variety of interesting answers. One person said it sounded like something people ate in the old country. Another guessed that it’s a creature in a scary movie. (Rather like a miniature poltergeist, perhaps?) Yet another thought it might be a piece of farm equipment.

A few people knew the real meaning of a POLST: Physician’s Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. (In some states, they may use a different acronym.) Even though POLST has been around since 1991, I find most people aren’t familiar with this concept. That’s why today I’ll try to answer some of the most common questions about POLST.

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