SKLD activities directors keep residents smiling
SNF activity directors have taken on their own level of heroism during the pandemic
Resident activities at SKLD after months of the pandemic continue to be engaging and meaningful, thanks to the creativity and ingenuity of our activity directors. They’ve taken thinking outside the box to a whole new level in order to bring residents joy when they need it most.
Activities directors have found ways to bring entertainment to the residents in a safe way, and even though the residents are wearing masks, it’s clear they are smiling.
Family Zoom Reunions
Most trying during this pandemic has been closing the buildings off to guests. It’s been months since residents have been able to physically visit with family and loved ones. It’s been up to the team, and often the activity directors, to ensure families stay in touch. Megan Heimbaugh, the activities director at SKLD West Bloomfield, has found that even though it’s heartbreaking that family members can’t visit, video conferencing has been a huge source of comfort for residents.
Before the pandemic, family members who live close by would visit, but the use of Zoom has opened the doors to family members from all over. Megan shares, “Families have been able to rekindle with their loved ones from a distance over Zoom. We have residents’ children who haven’t seen their parents in years get on the video calls. It brightens up everyone’s day when that happens.”
The Zoom calls have become so important because it’s the only time in the day a resident can see someone not wearing a mask. Megan says, “The Zoom calls give them a familiar face and with it - hope.”
Even though Zoom has been a saving grace in skilled nursing facilities, it’s still a challenge for residents to adapt to Zoom calls. Kelsey Gray, the activities director at SKLD Wyoming, had to innovate to help her residents understand that there is a person behind the screen on Zoom. “By placing the tablet on a table that rolls and moves with the residents, they feel like their family member is really there with them. It helps them recognize that there is someone on the other side of that screen and that it’s someone that loves them very much.”
One of the most touching memories Megan recounts is when a husband and wife who live at different facilities were able to regularly connect on Zoom. “It’s the happiest moment between them both. They aren’t together, but through technology, they can feel like they’re together,” says Megan.
Hallways become the new activity rooms in SNFs
For the most part, since March most residents have not been able to leave their rooms to follow CMS guidelines. This has forced activities directors to get creative with their entertainment.
Kimberly Cline, the activity director at SKLD New Lebanon, has found that her residents love the silent disco. Kimberly says, “With our subscription to Eversound headphones, we distribute them, hook them up to music and have 10-12 residents listening to the same music at the same time. We don’t know what song it is until we can hear the residents start singing it at the top of their lungs.”
Kimberly also has the residents use the headphones to play hallway BINGO, a popular activity at many of the SKLD locations. Hallway bowling has been a big hit, and she has found that taking the cart down the hallway with a television hooked up to the Nintendo Wii, coffee, or a menu of activities appeals to residents.
At SKLD West Bloomfield, some of the favorite activities have been hallway BINGO, karaoke and stretching. Megan says, “Bringing the activity cart with reading materials, an activity packet and crafts have helped us take what we enjoyed of our old lifestyle at SKLD and adapt it to the present.”
Over at SKLD Wyoming, Kelsey has been having a blast with her residents using remote control car and helicopter racing through the hallways, “The residents even place bets on which car would win.”
Kelsey has found residents enjoy dance parties in the hallways, especially when the staff wears bright colors and dance through their rooms. Kelsey shares, “When we are goofy, it makes the residents smile and have fun with us.”
Kelsey facilitated a game of baseball using pool noodles and a beach ball. “One of the residents was doing really well, and said, ‘That was the most exciting thing I’ve done in the last six months.’ Play can be like medicine, and that was his dose for the day.”
Facility organizes social distance drive-by parade for residents to wave at family members
Though family Zoom sessions have been uplifting, it doesn’t compare to seeing family in person. Kimberly finds one of the biggest challenges is the increased depression from residents missing their families and lacking physical touch.
To bring some much-needed joy, Kimberly organized a family parade, with plenty of room for social distancing and face masks, of course. “The residents went outside, and their family members drove through the parking lot. Our maintenance staff even built a plexiglass booth for social distance visits.” Although the parade and booth aren’t always an option as restrictions change depending on the location and time, having it for a short time gave everyone a boost.
Kimberly recounts that a resident in the dementia unit was able to visit with her daughter in the booth. “The resident and her daughter started crying. Her daughter sang to her. It was such a beautiful moment.”
Kelsey noticed that residents needed a change of scenery, so she had the staff and residents decorate the windows with writing or pictures. She has also been encouraging her residents to go outside to the courtyard when the weather is nice to soak in some sun, spend time gardening and decorate rocks.
The atrium at the SKLD West Bloomfield facility during the pandemic has been transformed by the residents into a beautiful flower garden. “The residents helped with the gardening and painted rocks. The whole experience was cathartic for us all.”
It takes a special person to be a skilled nursing facility activities director, especially these days. As Kelsey puts it, “Being the activity director means you get quality time with the residents and can dive in deeper. We get to take an extra moment to get to know our residents and see them for who they are. Facilities can feel isolating, especially now, but when we break down the walls and get to know our residents, we can do things to make them feel alive again.”