has anyone experience of an activity co ordinator care of elderly

reborndoll

I applied for the role of an activity co ordinator, and I have a second interview lined up, now, I have not worked in a care home setting before am wondering if anyone reading is maybe doing this job themselves (or has done, previously) any good and bad points of the role, just a small reply, to give me a hint of what sort of tasks I will be doing daily, am just curious about what a real worker in the field could give me as a pointer!

Mrs_Boo_Boo

I am not an activity co-ordinator,but an Occupational therapist and have experience of working on an elderly dementia ward.
Firstly who are your residents? is it a dementia residential or nursing home. Residential homes tend to have less impaired people with dementia whereas a nursing home will have those with more challenging behaviour and in the end stages. A general nursing home will have those who require nursing care and will be more with it same as a general residential home. Good idea to find out who is your client group.
Then things like games,bingo is always popular even with the most impaired people. Music,walking,indoor bowls,flower arranging,gardening. Anything really,even everyday activities such as laying the table,folding laundry and light housework.
Craft activities such as card making,knitting,woodwork etc
You could work with small groups with poetry reading,discussion about hobbies,jobs,local area history. Had a fab discussion once about how to make stew with some ladies with dementia ata resi home once and a photo tells a thousand stories. Wedding and baby pictures are great conversation starters.
You could also work one-to-one with people and find out what their backgrounds are. Perhaps they used to paint,draw,knit,sew etc. People love being asked to talk about their experiences. Ask them and their relatives.
A popular approach is to pick themes such as Easter,Christmas,summer and complete activities appropriate to the seasons.
I think the website my home life is a good resource.
There is no end to what you can do and sometimes the simpler the better as people will have impairment which may restrict them in what they are able to do.
Small scale cooking if you are able. Even chopping strawberries and adding jam and cream to bought scones is an achievement.
Good Luck

reborndoll

Brill advice, many thanks, think it says its council run/ residential , most patients have dementia the manager said, and look fairly old and some have zimmers and some were reasonably able bodied and others were asleep in the telly room.