The Activity Professional's Notebook
Tips and articles relevant for today's Activity Professional
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS Things we take for granted: ~Feeling the warmth of the sun on our face on a spring day. ~The smell of the wet earth after a rainstorm in summer. ~The crispness to the air after a snowstorm. Regardless of where you...
Can Someone Lend Me a Hand?
By Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS One of the casualties of the Covid Pandemic was the volunteer program in our care community. No visitors, no families and no volunteers for well over a year became the norm. To this day, some communities still prohibit volunteers...
The Green Thumb Club
The Green Thumb Club by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU. CTRS As a new activity assistant, I was lucky enough to work in a nursing home that had a greenhouse. The greenhouse was adjacent to the dining room which gave the residents a direct view into the greenhouse. It...
Welcome to my Neighborhood
by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS The age group over the age of 85 is the fastest growing age group in our country. With this increase, the number of individuals with some sort of dementing illness increases as well. In order to meet the needs of elders living...
Navigating the Future – NAPW 2022
The past twenty-two months have been a challenge for our profession and the world at large. However, we are in a much better place this year than last year. National Activity Professionals Week is January 23rd through 29th. It is our week to toot our own horn,...
10,000 Possibilities – National Activity Professionals Week 2021
National Activity Professional Week – 2021 10,000 Possibilities By Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS Boy-o-boy, what a year it has been since we celebrated National Activity Professional’s Week in 2020. The Covid pandemic is a historic event which has changed the face...
Self-Guided vs. Instructor Led MEPAP
The year 2020 has proven to be challenging on many levels for all sectors of life. The health care worker in long term care settings has had their life turned upside down with multiple restrictions which change almost daily. Continuing education remains important...
Lighting the Way – National Activity Professionals Week 2020
National Activity Professional Week – Lighting the Way By Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS The New Year signifies new beginnings. For the activity professional, it is a time to re-group and get organized after one of our busiest seasons. It is also the month to...
The Art of Engagement
The Art of Engagement by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS The room is full of people. Music is playing. Activity items are on the tables. Staff are in the room. But are the people engaged? Are they participating? Or are they just there? This is the question being...
Memories are Made of These
by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS One of the easiest and most effective activities for the activity professional to conduct is reminiscing. Long term memories are a known strength in elders of all functional levels and for many, recalling experiences from the past is...