The Activity Professional's Notebook
Tips and articles relevant for today's Activity Professional
Pet Facilitated Therapy in Long Term Care : 5 + 5
Pet Facilitated Therapy in Long Term Care Five Benefits + Five Steps by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS Walking into the lobby, my eyes are drawn to the small poodle who greets me. “His name is Tootles”, says the gentleman seated in a wheelchair by the front door....
Expressing through Expressive Activities
Expressing through Expressive Activities by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS The activity professional utilizes engagement in the creative arts in day to day programming. Involvement and positive responses to art projects, music programs and movement groups are noted...
What’s New?
Everybody has their story as to how they ended up in activities. Here is mine. I answered an ad to be a “Friendly Visitor” when I was a senior in high school. I saw the ad in the high school guidance office and the guidance counselor suggested volunteering in a...
Painting with Words : Creative Writing with Older Adults
Painting with Words – Creative Writing with Older Adults by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS Putting words to paper creates a monument to thoughts and feelings. Written words can be used to communicate, express, define, and explain what is going on in our heads at a...
The Importance and Value of Resident Councils
The Importance and Value of Resident Councils By Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS Organizing and implementing an empowered Resident Council is a challenge to many activity professionals. In theory, the Council is a formal group of residents who come together as one...
To Care Plan or Not to Care Plan
To Care Plan or Not to Care plan By Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS The requirement or need to write an “activity” care plan for “every” resident in the facility has been debated for years. Some communities have made it a policy to mandate an activity specific care...
A Wish to Honor the Spirit Within
A Wish to Honor the Spirit Within by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS Active engagement is often the goal of many of the activities and interventions offered by the activity professional. Our program success is evaluated by how involved our elders become and the...
Forever Young: Understanding the Baby Boomer Generation
Forever Young: Understanding the Baby Boomer Generation by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MV/EDU, CTRS Having worked as an activity professional for thirty-nine years, I never thought I would reach the day where the topic of activities appealing to my age group would be a source...
B is for Bingo
B is for Bingo by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS B-5. N-37. G-51. Most activity professionals could call bingo in their sleep. Many activity professionals don’t like bingo. Recently, on social media, there has been much debate on the value of bingo. Many...
Fighting Ageism – The Role of the Activity Professional
by Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTR While waiting in line at the post office, I stood behind a small elderly woman who was at the counter taking care of her postal needs. She had a very large purse with lots of zippers and a variety of smaller change purses. She had...
The Activity Professionals Notebook
Workshops and Conferences
Sites to see
