There are many different aspects of the Activity program that can be evaluated and monitored. It is, however, recommended that the Activity Director continue to monitor to ensure that the problem is corrected. If there have been significant improvements, it should be proudly noted in the next Quality Assurance report and the decision to monitor the identified area is up to the discretion of the Activity Director. If there have been little or no improvements, further analysis and recommendations will need to be made. The issue at hand should be closely monitored and re-evaluated as often as needed. Once the recommendations have been made, all designated departments and individuals must follow through with their responsibilities, otherwise there is no chance for improvements. The plan should provide a detailed description as to what the Activity Department, and/or other departments will do to improve or correct various issues. At this point, the Activity Director should identify a plan of correction with goals, timelines, and expected outcomes. Do the findings indicate need for improvement in a certain area? If there are issues, or concerns, provide further investigation to determine the scope and severity of the problem.

The next step in the Quality Assurance process includes analyzing the data. Statistical information usually includes numbers, percentages, and values, and is often best illustrated in a table, chart, or various types of graphs. Once the data is collected, the Activity Director must write a report to indicate the findings, by utilizing the facility’s specific process, protocol, and format. Often times, residents, family members and facility staff may participate in the data collection process as well. Data may be collected in a variety of ways such as audits, surveys, checklists, etc. Next, the Activity Director should establish timelines to ensure that all data is retrieved in a timely manner throughout the course of the year. Another example is: utilize a “Sensory Program Record of Responses” to monitor resident responses to various stimuli for care plan compliance and evaluation, but use the findings from that survey (if positive outcomes are found) in a report to the Administrator demonstrating the need for additional multi-sensory equipment. For example: utilize an “Activity Evaluation Audit” to evaluate the appropriateness and quality of group activities, but use that same tool to evaluate the staff performance, which is useful information for the employee’s performance appraisal. The creative Activity Director utilizes data collection tools that have multiple purposes. Once the criteria have been set, it is important to utilize a variety of tools and systems to collect data. The Activity Director should utilize standards, policies, and regulations to guide the Quality Assurance process and set criteria. Many Activity Directors dread QA time, and often leave the analysis and report writing for the last minute, when in actuality, Quality Assurance should be occurring all of the time. The Activity Department should be an active participant in the facilities’ Quality Assurance program.

Simply stated, Quality Assurance is a method of evaluating and monitoring services rendered within a department. Source: Quality.Assurance Quality Assured Activity Programming QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR ACTIVITY AND RECREATION PROFESSIONALS

Activity audit