Nursing Home occupancy is extremely low

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

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The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

By Maggie Flynn |

Skilled nursing occupancy reached a new low in the third quarter at 81.6%, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care’s (NIC) new report on skilled nursing occupancy and revenue trends.

Downward pressure on occupancy has been steady since May 2015, and the decline for this year—quarterly occupancy fell 29 basis points from the second quarter—is likely not a seasonal trend, according to NIC. On a year-over-year basis, occupancy declined by 167 basis points, for the second-largest decline for the third quarter in the past five years.

Medicaid patients represented a significant portion of nursing home residents last quarter, with a Medicaid patient day mix of 66.8% — the highest in five years. Year-over-year, Medicaid mix was up 112 basis points. Over the course of the last five years, this mix has increased 422 basis points.

Other measurements showed a rash of new lows, however.

Medicare patient day mix reached a new low of 12.2%, while Medicare revenue per patient day also reached its lowest level yet at $510, declining 2% from $521 in October 2016. Managed Medicare revenue per patient day came in at $431, for a total decline of 13.2% from five years ago.

Patient day mix for managed Medicare also declined, down from its five-year high of 6.7% in February to 6.2%. However, managed Medicare mix appears to be growing generally, since it stood at 5.1% at the beginning of 2012.

Private patient day mix matched its lowest point at 9.1%, and the lowest private patient day mixes have occurred in 10 of the past 12 months, NIC noted. At the same time, however, private revenue per patient day rose to $266, its highest amount, and each of the past 10 months has seen the highest private revenue per patient day amounts in five years. The 2.9% year-over-year increase for the third quarter was the highest in five years.

A creative activity for those with dementia

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

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The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Engaging in creative endeavors is vital for long term care residents. It is an important
way to keep them thinking. It keeps their minds working and raises self esteem.

One such activity that easily encourages creativity, I call, A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This is an easy activity to do as long as you have the right picture for participants to describe and the right frame of mind to facilitate the discussion of the picture. As with any activity you need to adapt and modify it so that it is success oriented and failure free.

Use a picture that is colorful with large, easy to describe items, that interests your audience.

Baby photographs are one type of picture that seems to have universal appeal for nursing home residents especially those with dementia. an ideal book and flash cards Adorable Photographs of Our Baby
You act as the facilitator in some cases. Be ready to help the participants with discussion questions

Before you show the person(s) the picture, tell them you are going to help them write a
story about a picture because you know they are smart and have good ideas.

Now you are ready to show the picture(s) to the members of the group. As you ask the
questions, make sure you show the picture to the participant(s) that you are directing
the questions to. You or someone in the group can be the eyes for visually impaired
participants. However, you will see that the discussion may take on a life of its own
where the picture may not even be needed. Think of the picture as a story starter
You might begin with the question, “Do you like this picture?”

If the majority of the audience says, “No”, use a different one. It is important to have at
least two pictures available in case this happens.

Now that you have a picture most group members like, you want to ask a series of
questions about it.

As you ask the questions about the picture, note any remarkable responses. That is,
statements about the picture that will make the story interesting. Remember to assist
members of the audience with answers to questions by providing the help they may
need.

For example, if they are having trouble deciding what season is shown in the picture,
talk about the seasons of the year, by asking them to name the seasons. If they are
having trouble, give them a choice of two. If there is still some confusion, say that the
baby and the lady are wearing swimsuits. Ask about the season that swimsuits are
worn in etc.

Understand that you can ask any question that you want to, which will help facilitate the
discussion.

You may have to give two choices for an answer to a question if you do not get any
response from an open ended question. An example to the question, “How is he
feeling”, might be: “Is he happy or sad?” If you still don’t get a response, then say, “I
think he is happy because he is smiling. Do you agree (say the participant’s name)?”
Then you might extend the thought by asking about the baby’s face. There is a good
chance a participant may say that the baby is smiling. You could ask what kind of smile
he has etc... You can include these facts in the story when you write it.

Emphasize that there are really no right or wrong answers to any of the questions. Tell
them that it is just what they think the answer is. Again stress that you know how smart
and creative everyone is.

Thus this is a good creative outlet for long term care residents even if they have
limitations.

You may want to have the group members suggest an opening line to the story such
as: “Once upon a time”, “One sunny day”, “A few days ago” or whatever works.
After you have compiled all the answers to the questions, write a simple story about the
picture using all or some of the answers given.

Then, later on, show the picture and read the story perhaps noting some great remarks
of those that participated. Of course, be complimentary. You may want to post the story
or create a short story book. Sometimes I share ideas that were expressed in this
group to family members.

Adorable Photographs of Our Baby, flash cards, are ideal for this activity

As with any activity, a sure way to guarantee success is for you or the group leader to be
animated and excited about doing the activity. Praising the participants for their efforts is
key to a positive outcome as well

 

Secret society of happy people holiday gift

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Use now and save for next year

sshp

Simplify the Holidays Get Happier  Hello   Here are worksheets that Pam tweaked to create a holiday gift foe you: 5 Ways to Simplify Your Holidays e-Workbook. It's full of ideals and tips to help get organized so you'll have more time for holiday happy. Use the sheets that are pirtinent to you and ignore the rest. Also, they have great ideas on their  Pinterest Boards . Enjoy. Here's to a fun and happy holiday!!! 

You Can Also Connect With them! Pamela Gail Johnson Founder Secret Society of Happy People

Secret Society of Happy People, 425 Busher Drive, Lewisville, TX 75067, USA

Your Christmas Poem

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

To all the readers of this blog who are eager to learn more about dementia, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very merry Christmas.

Your Christmas Poem

Sandy's Christmas Poem

Christmas Is All About Love

Silver Strands

Christmas Spirit

My Christmas Tree

Family Christmas

Star of Hope

Sitting on Top Of The Christmas Tree

Christmas Senses

I Have Not A Penny

Sounds of Christmas

Christmas Season

Shopping Centre Christmas

December Remembrances

A Christmas Time of Year

Throw Away Christmas

Tinsel Truth

A Christmas Wish

I Was Just A Little Star

Christmas Used To Mean A Lot

A Christmas Angel

What's Happened To Christmas?

Christmas In The Air

The Old Man

His Regret

Jesus Is More Than Just Christmas

A Man For All Seasons

Seasons Greetings

The Not So Great War

Shhhh, Silently They Fall

Cherish His Christmas

Christmas Angel (The)

Christmas In Edinburgh

Whisper of Wings

Christmas Jamming

Holiday movies

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

To all the readers of this blog who are eager to learn more about dementia, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very merry Christmas.

K. Ellis

Favorite Christmas Movies
Published by kyellis at 1:19 pm under Handmade Gifts, Holiday Edit This

I’ve always dreamed of an “old fashioned” Christmas with popcorn and cranberry strings on the tree. One when all the gifts under the tree were handmade by the giver and I made all the pies and Christmas cookies. In fact, I’ve had close as I could get to that experience. It was wonderful, except for my total exhaustion. You see, it was my dream, but no one else’s. And, I was the only one making all my gifts and food and tree strings.

Anyway, I haven’t given up completely on an “old fashioned” Christmas. I do something every year that makes me feel like I still have a connection to that dream. I always try to make a gift or two and I usually make the Christmas dinner, especially if it’s just my husband and myself. However, years ago I added my own more modern holiday tradition.

There are certain Christmas movies I watch every year in the days leading up to Christmas. I watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” even though there are two versions now. I like both. If I can find the modern version of “Little Women” I add that to the list. And if there is a new one out that I think I might like, I try it and see if it needs to be added to the list. I saw “Polar Express” and am seriously considering adding it to the list.

Famous and Popular Christmas Movies

It’s a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street
Little Women (Is this a Christmas movie? There’s Christmas in it)
The Polar Express
The Bishop’s Wife (Cary Grant)
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Santa Clause is Coming to Town
A Christmas Carol
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The Year Without a Santa Clause
White Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
Scrooged (with Bill Murray)
Elf
Babes in Toyland

Which one’s of your favorites did I miss?

Lists for dementia games

Activities directors and other healthcare professionals here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals.


Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Opposites

1.Up                                        1.Down

2.Little                                    2.Big

3.Old                                       3.New

4.Easy                                     4.Hard

5. Light                                   5.Dark

6. Above                                 6.Below

7.Before                                  7.After

8.For                                      8. Against

9. Asleep                                 9. Awake

10.Always                               10.Never

11.Bottom                               11.Top

12.Short                                  12.Long

13.Happy                                13.Sad

14. Early                                 14.Late

15. Ceiling                              15.Floor

1. Its as American as apple
2. An apple a day keeps the doctor
3.She has an An axe to . 
4.He has Ants in his . 
5. She is The apple of his . 
6.That is As clear as .
7. He is As cold as.
8. That is As common as .
9. She is As delicate as a .
10. She is As fresh as a .
11. He is As poor as .
12. She is As pure as .
13. He is As slow as . 
14. She is As white as . 
15. Lets get up At the crack of . 

1. Beat around the
2.Beauty is in the eye of the
3.She has a bee in her  
4.It is The best thing since sliced
5.He is betting the
6. He is caught Between a rock and
7.A bird in the hand is worth two in the  
8. He Bit off more than he can
9.Blood is thicker than . 
10.He is a A bottomless .
11. She is as Busy as a .
12.He Can't tell his ass from his   
13.He Can't see the forest through. 
14. She is The cat's . 
15. He is Caught between a rock and 

Types of happpiness word search

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition

Types of Happiness word search

Find these words

Amused Content Joyful Peaceful

Anticipation Enthusiasm Kindness Playful

Awestruck Giving Lively Relieved

Balanced Helpful Love Satisfaction

Blessed Honorable Mellow Social

Celebrate Hopeful Motivated Spiritual

Cheerful Humor Nostalgic Thankful

Confident Inspired Optimistic

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