This course will give you an overview of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, by understanding the disease. This information will increase your ability to provide therapeutic programs.

• Alzheimer Statistics
• Difference between normal aging and cognitive impairment
• Reversible and irreversible dementia
• Characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease
• Diagnosis Dementia

This course has been designed for Activity Professionals with key components for creating a difference in the lives of Hospice patients who reside in Long Term Care Facilities.

• The participant will gain a better understanding of National Statistics of hospice and pain management.
• The participant will gain a better understanding of appropriate programming for hospice patients to better enhance quality of life.
• There are tons of activity ideas for you to click and print. Take the knowledge and examples from this course and create a customized schedule for each and every one of your residents!

It is a fact that the survey guidance has been rewritten to provide for a "person centered" approach in activities. It is the main objective for surveyors to pull a sample of Care Plans from the facility and make sure that they provide correct and person centered language for that sample. This workshop is designed to make sure you, the Activity Director, are ready. It includes a very in depth look at creating a Person Centered Care Plan for each and every one of your residents that will in turn help you to provide the best quality of life possible.

• Before We Get Started, What is Culture Change?
• Evolution of Change
• The Old versus The New
• Step One: Building the Foundation & Finding the Facts
• Step Two: Assessment & Use of Information

Newsletters are an important tool for making your activity department a success. They initiate involvement throughout the facility and community, while establishing your activity program.

• Importance and benefits of utilizing a newsletter in your activity program.
• Developing your newsletter.
• Newsletter content, fillers, and setup.
• Adapting your newsletter to meet the needs of your desired audience.
• Distributing your newsletter.

In today's climate Activity budgets seem to get smaller and smaller. As an Activity Professional we are challenged with providing quality programs on a shoe string budget. This course will give you the fundamentals on starting fun and lucrative fundraising programs.

• The role of Resident council and the part they play in your fundraising programs.
• Record keeping / banking / limiting your fear of liability.
• Learn new fundraising ideas that you can begin NOW!

Activity Directors must be more creative when dealing with residents who have difficulty with the English language. It is common for people who have lived in America for many years and speak English fluently to lose the language as they show signs of dementia. Also, there is a growing population of individuals who have never learned the language or have moved to America recently and find themselves surrounded by strangers with whom they cannot communicate with. It is the Activity Director’s job to seek out and discover activities to enrich the lives of those they serve; no matter the language barrier. This course will teach you to find your inner-creativity and offer activities that do not require English to be successful. Every resident, English speaking or not, will benefit from this course material.

• Understand barriers that residents and staff face when there is a communication problem.
• Be able to analyze which sources the Activity director has and which are needed.
• Find Activities and programs that benefit and enrich the lives of residents.
• Learn what steps to take in order to utilize the community resources.
• Have a clear understanding of the Activity Director’s role when dealing with non-English speaking residents.

Self-motivation is the force that keeps pushing us to go on - it's our internal drive to achieve, produce, develop, and keep moving forward. This workshop with help you work on how to become better motivated.

• Understand the importance of self motivation.
• Understand different techniques of motivation.
• Understanding ways to avoid burn out in your job