Meaningful Activities Quality Improvement Project Recognized in ICan Contest

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Julie Apold

A team from the Melrose Care Center Activities Department was recognized for their quality improvement project in LeadingAge Minnesota’s ICan Quality Improvement Contest.

About the ICan Quality Improvement Contest

The ICan Quality Improvement Contest is a new program within LeadingAge Minnesota’s quality program created to provide quality improvement tools and strategies for staff to think about opportunities for improvement in a solution-focused way. Staff help lead the improvement projects that are implemented over several months.

Meaningful Activities – Problem to Be Solved

The team identified, from the resident quality of life survey, that there were opportunities for improvement in the area of meaningful activities for residents.  The team identified specific opportunities in the communication of activity events – residents commented that they rely on whiteboards in the dining room to learn about activities, and those boards are often crowded with dietary menus and activity announcements.

Meaningful Activities – Solution

The team added four whiteboards in different areas to communicate events.  They also interviewed residents individually to see where changes were needed and adjusted the activities to address resident feedback.  The team has seen excellent outcomes from their project, with more residents attending scheduled activities and assisting with activity calendar planning. Following the implementation of the project, 97% of residents reported that they are given a chance to do things that are meaningful to them, and 94% said they like the scheduled activities offered.

Find additional details of their project and lessons learned here.

Meaningful Activities Team Members (not all members present)

Hold your calendars for the start of the 2024 ICan Quality Improvement Contest by registering for the ICan Information Session on Feb. 14 from 11:30 to noon.