4 Tips to be a successful Activity Director

Being an activity director at a nursing home or assisted living facility encompasses a lot more than bingo and Bible study. These professionals are part of the integrated care team and ensure residents’ social and spiritual needs are met while they receive treatment for their medical needs.

To celebrate National Activity Professionals Week, January 19-25, the Alabama Nursing Home Association spoke to two successful activity directors to learn their secrets. Tawanda Sharp is the Activities Director at Arlington Rehab & HealthCare Center in Birmingham. She has been an activity director for 26 years. Teresa Messick is Life Enrichment Director at Wesley Gardens, an assisted living facility in Montgomery. She has been in her role for almost three years.

The advice these women gave us is helpful for seasoned activity professionals as well as those beginning their career in long-term care.

1. Get to know your residents

Our experts agree – activity professionals must get to know their residents.

“Knowing your residents that reside at the facility is very imperative!” said Sharp. “Whether they are long-term or short-term, it is important to know each resident’s personalities, activity preferences, and likes/dislikes. Visiting your residents daily one-on-one for social enhancement helps.”

“They (activity professionals) need to be willing to create community and get to know the residents,” said Messick. “This is more than just directing events and games. If you do your job correctly, the residents become your family and friends.”

2. Plan. Plan. Plan!
An activity professional doesn’t leave anything to chance.

“Planning activities ahead of time can prevent failure to carry through activities that are planned throughout the month. Ensure that you have all activity supplies needed to do specific activities,” said Sharp. If the activity is food related, “email the Dietary Manager in advance so that things can run smoothly.”

“Thinking through logistics is really important,” added Messick. “A lot of our group activities require us to take down tables and set up chairs. For example, we have bingo on Monday and Wednesday and that requires round tables. I try not to schedule a choir to sing on Tuesday, so we don’t have to change the room for the choir and then back for bingo.”

One caveat is your plans need to be adjustable. Said Messick, “You can have a plan, but you have to be flexible in responding to the mood and atmosphere of the residents that particular day.”

3. Be Creative

No one wants to try the same thing again and again. Activity directors need to find creative ways to engage their residents, but they don’t have to do it along.

Messick subscribes to a service that helps her generate new ideas. “It’s a wonderful clearing house on ideas on everything from art to puzzles to life-long learning. Every month is a little different and it has all the resources. That makes it easy to generate ideas and can be a jumping off point to bigger ideas.”

Sharp says the activity department is meant to help the residents have fun. “Get creative with your activities when planning or drafting your Monthly Activity Calendars. It may attract potential interest from residents who normally don’t attend group activities consistently.”

4. Document. Document. Document!
Paperwork is a fact of life in long-term care and especially in nursing homes. Tracking a resident’s activity participation is key to tracking their overall health and wellbeing.

“Ensure that you are consistent with documenting on the resident’s activity participation daily. If any residents have any acute or significant changes that affect their current activity pursuit, document that as well,” Sharp advises. “MDS and OBRA calendars are very important to be completed on a weekly basis. Ensure that you are up to date on all your long-term residents’ quarterly progress notes, care plans.”

Final advice

We will close this recognition of National Activity Professionals Week with this advice from Janet Daughdrill. She recently retired after 47 years as an activity director at the same Alabama nursing home. Her advice to those working in long-term care is “to do so with a joyful heart which will carry over to all of those around you and come back to feed your spirit as well.”

Click here for more information from the National Association of Activity Professionals.

Click here to read an ANHA article from 2020 on the five traits of successful activity professionals.