Activities on off hrs

huh?

LTC facilities have off hours? 24/7 where I work. 176 beds...on night shift our minimum staffing can go as low as 9 CNA's, 3 LPN's and 1 RN. All the staff that don't have Dr.s notes limiting work hours are working 12 hour shifts to cover 3-11 which doesn't seem to be able to stay staffed. (last count was like 15 open positions). I get down right infuriated when I hear day shift complain that nights isn't doing enough, I have 2 CNA's for 42 residents, most of which are total care. I understand they have showers and baths and everyone goes to dining room for lunch, but they also have much better staffing (8 res. to 1CNA) Yes, we do have down time at night-between rounds, but no way am I allowing any one to be washed for the day during that time (1a-3a). My aides run full throttle from 5a to end of shift, and to stand there and listen to the next shift want to know why more (ie-AM cares) wasn't done, just cranks me up! I've said...my girls have already worked 12 hours, what more would you like? We get called down by the super. if days is going to be short staffed...do extra AM cares....a thank you would be nice!!!

arrrghh!! sorry this turned into a rant!!!

I know we all are doing what we can to get every one taken care of with the best care : ) and that is really what matters most.!

Okay...I'm sorry for the wording. Trust me I'm LTC thru and thru and I know "we" don't have off hrs. What I ment is the hrs after 4pm....you know, when the others run out of the building...DON, RNAC, ADM, Social Service, back office staff.

Let me reword my questions....This is concerning the activities department....or should I say real lack of it in my case. Seems like only 3-4 times a month there are things planned past 3pm. There was a post about fall precautions or interventions and the biggest thing some of the facilites were doing were keeping residents involved in activities in the pms. I was just wondering how places were doing this with staffing issues like mine and the above poster.

The facilities aroud here have a part time Activities person that works until 7 or so every evening. They generaly do more quiet types of activities. On Weekends someone will come in during the day,but evenings are on their own.

it is required by cms to have activities 7 days a week and evenings. however, there is no reference as to the number of evening activities a facility must provide. but as of last week (3/06) cms unveiled their "new" intrepretive guidelines for facilities concerning activities. you might just want to review them as it includes the entire facility doing activities with residents.

here is a link to the actual guidelines

activities guidance--advance copy of surveyor guidance: www.hcpro.com/content/56084.cfm

this just might assist the residents and their families during those "off" hours. also i would bet that there are more opportunities for residents to participate in activities than you might suspect.

We have activities on the dementia unit till 8pm most nights. The other 2 units have not much of anything. Doesn't seem to have helped our falls any.

PS...some of us do NOT leave the building at 4. My former DNS, ED and I (ADNS) are often in the building till 5 or 6 or 7