“Dear Jan,
I am the only AC in our care setting and I work five days a week. There is no one here to provide activities on the other two days – normally Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes I leave ideas or even prepare activities for care staff to use, but these are normally untouched when I get back into work on a Monday morning. Should there be a weekend AC?
Many thanks, Amy-Jane”
Hi Amy-Jane,
In an ideal world, there would be two of you providing a diverse programme of activities and one-to-one sessions both during the week and at the weekend.
Unfortunately, there is often a lack of funding for extra staff. This means residents can be left bored with nothing happening for days at a time.
If the care staff are under pressure to get their routine done, they won’t be able to have time for even carefully prepared activities. But, sadly, the weekend can seem very long and boring if nothing is happening.
So, what can you do?
Talk to your manager
Firstly, start by discussing this with your management. What plans are in place for your holidays? Do they intend to find cover for those periods of time? Is there any budget for a part-time AC to cover weekends?
You may be pleasantly surprised by what your manager suggests as a solution to the issue. There is no harm in asking.
Explain to your manager that you are keen to encourage a Whole Home Approach. Perhaps your manager is willing to nominate a senior care staff member to be an ‘Activity Champion’ – to encourage all staff to embrace a person-centred approach to activity provision.
Reach out to volunteers and relatives
Do you have a good team of volunteers? It may be worth trying to recruit some from the local community. If they get just a little support from the team, they may be able to help out at weekends. Even if it is something simple like discussing the Sunday newspapers. Residents’ relatives may be interested in helping out for an hour as well.
You could also reach out to your local WI group or church clergy to enquire whether they would be willing to help.
Suitable activity ideas
If you do manage to source willing volunteers to run activity sessions, then you should consider the type of activities that are suitable for them to provide. Here are my suggestions:
- Knit and natter – find a keen knitter and simply provide a box of knitting needles and wool for them to use in their session.
- Quizzes – print off copies of your Daily Sparkle quizzes for residents to complete, either individually or in a group setting. Don’t forget you can find dozens of new quizzes each month in your Activity Bank.
- Flower arranging – this is another activity that would appeal to many of your volunteers as it is easy to do and doesn’t require too much preparation.
- Card games – find a volunteer who is able to run a fun and light-hearted card-game session.
- Ready-to-use activities – pairing socks, folding flannels and tea towels, sorting nuts and bolts or polishing cutlery. The possibilities really are endless! These activities would take minutes to prepare, and will keep residents occupied happily. They also provide plenty of opportunity for discussion and reminiscence.
- Use your Daily Sparkle resources – ask a volunteer to simply sit and read through an issue of the Daily Sparkle or Sparkles Magazine with a resident. This will prompt meaningful engagement and conversation.
Respect your carers’ workload
Show your colleagues that you are aware of their full workload. Encourage them to suggest achievable, realistic activity ideas that could slot in to their day more easily.
For instance, a shared afternoon tea on a weekend afternoon is a great way to ensure that residents spend time outside of their bedrooms, even when there are no planned activities taking place. Between your management, care staff and kitchen team, an afternoon tea can be arranged easily and fill an hour or two.
Some of your colleagues will have interesting hobbies or skills that they may be willing to demonstrate in your care setting. Others may have a small pet that would be suitable to bring in for residents to meet. Some may have a son or daughter who can play an instrument, or who attends a local Scouts or Brownies group. All of these links are brilliant ways to enhance your activity provision using the people you already have in your care setting community.
Don’t forget
All volunteers should be given basic training and be DBS checked. Volunteers should never be left on their own with residents – a member of your care setting team should always be present.
Best wishes,
Jan
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