IN THE BEGINNING: I began working as an Activities Director in 1973 in a facility in Danville, Illinois. I was hired as the Activities Assistant and was made the Activities Director a week later when the Director quit. It was another seven months before I got an assistant. This facility was a county home with two buildings. The old building housed eighty residents, classed as "sheltered care" clients. The other building was new and housed one hundred and fifty "skilled" residents. Talk about overwhelming......... So, I took a deep breath and figured everything out by myself. Thank God for a close relationship with my grandparents and their friends. Of course, the regulations at the time did not include assessments, care plans, or individualized activities. I managed two activities every day in each of the buildings. I also learned how to commandeer what I needed to provide the supplies and equipment that I needed to provide a better variety and quality of activities for my residents. I started out with an 8' x 8' room with only enough supplies and equipment to fit in that room. It didn't take me long to acquire a 24' x 24' room with tables, chair, supply closets, and plenty of supplies to overfill them. I used every available lounge in the facility and the chapels for group activities. It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind into it. (and you're young enought to have the energy to follow through)
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