Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Essentials for the Activity Professional in Long Term Care or Project Management for Trainers

Essentials for the Activity Professional in Long Term Care

Author: Sue Lanza

This textbook outlines key subject matter for activity professionals in the long term care setting, who are in training or are already working in the field. Thoroughly researched and referenced, this text will provide a comprehensive understanding of all relevant information needed by activity professionals. The first section covers the history of the field, the aging process, getting to know residents, and touches on management and environmental issues. Section two focuses on activity planning and implementation, as well as budgeting, program development, and group leadership. Program evaluation and enhancement are presented in section three which also reviews regulatory compliance, quality assurance, and typical problems and solutions. (Long-term care, activity professionals, training, restorative care)

Christine Helfrich

This book is a comprehensive theoretical and practical resource for use in any activity department. The book is designed to provide detailed background information with numerous examples of forms and activities to help the reader apply theoretical material. The content of this book addresses everything an activity director needs to know, including how to develop a program, normal aging processes, medical terminology, documentation, federal and state regulations, and staff development. This is the first textbook of its kind that is extensively researched and written by an experienced activity professional. Lanza writes from a dual perspective of being an activity director and a nursing home administrator. This perspective enhances her ability to direct material to beginning activity students as well as experienced activity directors, administrators, and professionals of other disciplines who consult to activity programs. The table of contents is detailed and well organized to provide quick and easy reference to the extensive range of material provided in this book. There are numerous illustrations and sample forms that are easily understood and clearly described in the text. Each chapter concludes with review questions, application activities, references, and further reading lists. Appendixes provide state-specific regulations, resource lists, a glossary, and a self-assessment exam. With its current regulations, forms, and resources, this book is invaluable for any activity student or professional. Every long-term care facility and activity consultant should own a copy of this informative book.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer: Christine Helfrich, PhD, OTR/L (Univ of Illinois at Chicago Coll of Associated Health Professions)
Description: This book is a comprehensive theoretical and practical resource for use in any activity department.
Purpose: The book is designed to provide detailed background information with numerous examples of forms and activities to help the reader apply theoretical material.
Audience: The content of this book addresses everything an activity director needs to know, including how to develop a program, normal aging processes, medical terminology, documentation, federal and state regulations, and staff development. This is the first textbook of its kind that is extensively researched and written by an experienced activity professional. Lanza writes from a dual perspective of being an activity director and a nursing home administrator. This perspective enhances her ability to direct material to beginning activity students as well as experienced activity directors, administrators, and professionals of other disciplines who consult to activity programs.
Features: The table of contents is detailed and well organized to provide quick and easy reference to the extensive range of material provided in this book. There are numerous illustrations and sample forms that are easily understood and clearly described in the text. Each chapter concludes with review questions, application activities, references, and further reading lists. Appendixes provide state-specific regulations, resource lists, a glossary, and a self-assessment exam.
Assessment: With its current regulations, forms, and resources, this book is invaluable for any activity student or professional. Every long-term care facility and activity consultant should own a copy of this informative book.

Rating

5 Stars! from Doody




Read also Casseroles or Alfred Portale Simple Pleasures

Project Management for Trainers: Stop "Winging It" and Get Control of Your Training Projects

Author: Lou Russell

This book offers practical advice long with a step-by-step approach to help training and other workplace learning and performance professionals better manage their training projects. Fast-paced and highly readable, this book offers solutions that can be implemented immediately. Readers will enjoy the author's practical advice that allows you to better plan and organize any training project, then control its time, cost, quality, and scope. In addition, readers will learn how to:
- Build a flexible project management plan
- Plan and manage the cost of a training project
- Accurately estimate the work effort needed for a project and create a work breakdown structure
- Create critical path networks and bar charts for scheduling and resource allocation
- Effectively communicate the status of a training project
- Perform a postproject review to ensure the management of project intellectual capital.

Author Biography: Lou Russell is president of Russell Martin & Associates (www.russellmartin.com), a consulting and training company focusing on improving planning, process, and performance. She has served as a consultant to companies, schools, churches, and colleges to help them expand their organizational ability to learn. This book is based on Russell's experiences in her consulting work, which include applying project management techniques to a global medical products sales conference, development of multiple technology curricula, and safety training as well as teaching project management to fourth graders.
In addition to Training Project Management, Russell is the author of The Accelerated Learning Fieldbook (Jossey-Bass, 1999). She has written articles for publications including Data Training, Training, Auerbach journals, and Cutter journals, and she has been quoted in publications including the Training Directors Forum newsletter, Training, and Inside Technology Training. She is the editor of the electronic monthly newsletter Learning Express. Russell regularly speaks at national conferences, including Project World, Training, Support Services, and Systems Development as well as the annual meetings of the International Alliance for Learning, the Project Management Institute, the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD), and the National Association for Simulation and Gaming. She frequently presents at the regional conferences of the Project Management Institute, ASTD, the Society for Human Resource Performance, and the International Society for Performance Improvement.
Learning is a core value of Russell Martin & Associates, and Russell has leveraged this market differentiator to expand the company by more than 200 percent in the past 10 years. Her personal mission is to ignite, affirm, and sustain learning, which she does through her affiliations with the Pleasant Run Children's Home and by coaching and playing soccer, teaching religious education, and serving as president of the Indianapolis Society for Information Management. She was elected to "Who's Who in Indiana Technology" in 1995 and currently serves on the state of Indiana's High Tech Task Force.

"Lou Russell has written a simple, practical book for beginners and experienced practitioners that will allow these training professionals to manage all the aspects of their jobs and ensure business gain."

Sivasailam Thiagarajan, President, Workshops by Thiagi, Inc.

"This book is a gold mine of practical tools, examples, and resources to deal effectively with the reality of training projects today. It is chock full of practical ideas for managers of training projects. Finally, someone has written a reality-based guide that provides real answers to the challenges we all face."

Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO, Herrmann International

"This book provides a valuable foundation of knowledge that is adaptable to the ever-changing world of projects."

Margaret M. Mullen, Integrated Marketing Communications Manager, Lotus Development Corporation, an IBM company



Table of Contents:
Preface

1. Beginning the Project

2. Defining the Project
Documenting the Business Objectives
Documenting the Learning Objectives
Documenting Scope
Documenting Risks
Documenting Constraints
Creating a Stakeholder Communication Plan
Evaluate Alternatives
Summary
Practical Exercises

3. Planning the Project
Building the Project Plan
Finalizing the Business and Learning Objectives
Some Practical Help
Creating the Work Breakdown Structure
Creating the Budget
History Says . . .
Summary
Practical Exercises

4. A Course Development Template
The Learner First Approach
A Repeatable but Flexible Process
Summary
Practical Exercise

5. Managing the Project
Establish Monitoring Criteria
Risks
Constraints
Schedule
Budget
Manage Change
Troubleshooting
History Tells Us . . .
Summary
Practical Exercises

6. Reviewing the Project
A Sample Postproject Review Template
A Sample Process for Postproject Review
Using Systems Thinking to Review a Project
History Tells Us . . .
Summary
Practical Exercise

7. Managing Performance Consulting Projects
A Rational Plan
Working Back From the Due Date
Summary
Practical Exercise

8. A Template for Managing External Suppliers
The Secret to Success
RFPs: Detail vs. Flexibility
Contractor Law
Confidentiality
Establishing Communication Standards
Change Management
Knowledge Transfer
Shared Risk
Summary
Practical Exercises

9. The Project Begins . . .
Summary
Resources

About the Author

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