Activities Boot Camps
The New Era of Activities Boot Camp Series: Crafting Meaningful Engagement with Purpose-Driven Programming
This Activities Boot Camp will provide attendees with tools and training to help you and your center staff with implementing meaningful and engaging activities at your center. These four sessions will begin at 1 p.m. EST. The first three sessions will be one hour in duration and the final session will be 90 minutes. All sessions will be recorded and copies of the presentations and links to the recordings will be shared after each session.
Zoom links to the May webinar sessions will be provided by Monday, May 12th. Zoom links for the June sessions will be provided by Monday, June 9th.
Boot Camp Sessions Schedule
Wednesday, May 14th, 1 p.m.- 2 p.m. EST
Make it matter! How to infuse purpose into activities
Sharing stories and tips from 20+ years of working in adult day programs, this session will have humor and heartfelt moments to better equip direct care staff to enrich and enhance the daily lives of those they care for. It is time to move beyond jargon and instead create meaningful, purpose driven activities that matter. Older adults and those living with Dementia crave the opportunity to engage in activities that they can take pride in. When given purpose, activities can bring back feelings and emotions lost, specifically confidence, pride, value, and self-worth. This presentation will focus on real life examples and specific things you can do to infuse meaning and purpose into anything.
Objectives:
-Using purpose in activities to enhance person centered programing;
-Leave with tangible ideas of how to incorporate purpose into everyday simple activities;
-Identify how to assess individuals to determine what will help them be successful in each opportunity.
Presenters: Tia Sauceda is the Senior Director of Services at Seniors’ Resource Center in Denver, Colorado. Tia has over 20 years of experience in Colorado Adult Day programs. She oversees the day-to-day operations and determined strategic direction and spearhead growth strategies of Adult Day Programs for multi-site adult day programs serving a vulnerable and diverse populations, specializing in dementia care and individuals with disabilities; works with the Board of Directors and Leadership team to develop strategic plans; and created new service lines to serve our clients virtual and remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her previous experience includes serving as the Executive Director at InnovAge Johnson Adult Day Program and Program Director at The Senior Hub Adult Day Service.
Thursday, May 15th, 1 p.m.- 2 p.m. EST
Creating an Evidence-Based Roadmap to Successful Programming: Planning and Evaluation Tips and Tricks
From this session we hope you will:
- Define what a successful and meaningful program is
- Gain insight and inspiration on how to enhance your activity calendar using evidence-based approaches
- Learn about ways to innovate with existing resources to elevate programming and peak the interests of your clients and community
- Use evaluation tools to assess and improve existing programs for meaning and impact, engagement level, and overall success.
Presenter: Sarah Cohen and Tori Gruber- Sarah Cohen, MPH, is the Manager of Cognitive Wellness Initiatives at CJE SeniorLife’s ADS Evanston. She is a Health Educator and Life Coach with experience in the facilitation of cognitive health and education programs for memory-impaired individuals. Her work emphasizes problem-solving, socialization, and creative thinking to promote well-being and encourage independence. Sarah holds a BA in psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and received her MPH from Boston University. She has a Graduate Certificate in Geriatric Care Management from the University of Florida and is a Certified Dementia Care Specialist.
Tori Gruber works as the Manager of the Adult Day Services program at CJE SeniorLife. Tori graduated from Florida State University with a Master’s in Social Work and a Master’s in Public Administration with focuses on non-profit management and aging studies. She has been serving the older adult and senior community for the last 10 years wearing many hats including, running a respite adult day program with the Alzheimer’s Project in Florida, volunteering with the AmeriCorps program to provide in-home respite for families, serving as a case manager for seniors and families, amongst other roles. Tori is passionate about working with older adults and their families, especially those experiencing dementia and cognitive changes, and believes the way to best support our clients and families is to start by listening and adapting to the needs of our community!
Wednesday, June 11, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EST
LET’S MAKE SALAD! Celebrating Cultural Diversity one person at a time!
The “melting pot” theory suggests immigrants assimilate into a dominant culture, while the “salad bowl” theory posits that diverse cultures coexist while maintaining their distinct identities. The melting pot theory suggests that different cultures and ethnic groups, when mixed together, lose their distinct identities and blend into a unified, homogenous culture.
Melting Pot Theory:
Analogy:
Like ingredients in a pot that are cooked together to create a single dish, different cultures are seen as merging into a single, unified American culture.
Historical Context:
This concept was prevalent in the early 20th century, reflecting a desire for national unity and assimilation of immigrants.
Criticisms:
Some argue that the melting pot model ignores the unique contributions and identities of minority cultures, leading to cultural homogenization and the erasure of distinct traditions.
Salad Bowl Theory:
Concept:
The salad bowl theory, also known as the “tossed salad” metaphor, suggests that different cultures and ethnic groups can coexist in a society while maintaining their unique identities and characteristics.
Analogy:
Like a salad where each ingredient retains its individual flavor and appearance, different cultures are seen as contributing to a diverse and vibrant society.
Modern Perspective:
This model is often seen as a more inclusive and accurate representation of multicultural societies, where diversity is celebrated rather than suppressed.
Benefits:
The salad bowl model promotes tolerance, understanding, and appreciation for cultural diversity. Learn how this can be applied to your ADS Centers.
Presenter: Joan Marie Granato is the President and Founder of Future Focus Inc. and wears many hats as Owner, Consultant, Educator, Advocate, Mentor and Industry Leader. She has opened, operated or consulted for over 40 Adult Medical Day Care Centers and various Health Care Facilities. Adult Day Care is her Passion and she believes in this service. With over 172 Adult Day Care Centers in NJ and nearly 6,000 Adult Day Care Centers throughout the country, Joan Marie’s continued direction is to provide creative ways for the ADC industry to flourish and provide needed services to seniors and the disabled communities. She currently owns three Adult Medical Day Care Centers in NJ, so she understands the operational component of an owner and can assist new and seasoned providers in developing successful programs.
Thursday, June 12, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EST
Volunteer Extras: Little additions that make a big impact!
Join us for this interactive webinar where we will learn from each other how to best utilize volunteers in our centers, enhancing not only their experience, but empowering and encouraging our participants, family caregivers, and staff! We will share our experiences and engage in conversations focused in the three key areas: engaging caregivers in activities, utilizing volunteers in our programs, and the many ways we think outside of the box when it comes to volunteer relationships. This webinar has the potential to change the ways we run our centers and engage our communities!
- Share agenda (1.5 hr. total)
- Breakout sessions #1 (15 min each – will rotate)
- Engaging caregivers in activities (Room Facilitator Kara Harvey)
- Utilizing volunteers in your activities programs (Room Facilitator Katie Scott)
- Outside the box/ not everyday activities/ beyond the norm (Room Facilitator Tina McIntosh)
- Room facilitators summarize the findings
- Wrap up: Tina McIntosh (30 minutes)
- Come back to larger group
- Room facilitators share findings
- Come back to larger group
- Breakout sessions #1 (15 min each – will rotate)
Moderator: Tina McIntosh is the Founder, President & CEO of Joy’s House, focusing on marketing, fundraising and development of the organization, as well as overseeing staff, creating business relationships, family care, collaborative opportunities, new lines of business, Board involvement and vision for the organization. Recruited assistance from friends and associates to research Adult Day Services and eventually formed a unique not-for-profit business for the industry. Formed Joy’s House from a dream and a bank account of zero to an effective business with an annual budget of nearly $2,000,000 and Actively participate in touching the lives of thousands of caregiving families through innovation. Tina holds a certification as an End-of-Life Doula, Going with Grace, Los Angeles, California; M.A.: Student Personnel Administration in Higher Education, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana; and B.S.: Pre-professional English and Interpersonal Relations Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.