(a) Each family care home shall develop a program of activities designed to promote the residents’ active involvement with each other, their families, and the community.
(b) The program shall be designed to promote active involvement by all residents but is not to require any individual to participate in any activity against his will. If there is a question about a resident’s ability to participate in an activity, the resident’s physician shall be consulted to obtain a statement regarding the resident’s capabilities.
(c) The activity director, as required in Rule .0404 of this Subchapter, shall:
(1) use information on the residents’ interests and capabilities as documented upon admission and updated as needed to arrange for or provide planned individual and group activities for the residents, taking into account the varied interests, capabilities and possible cultural differences of the residents;
(2) prepare a monthly calendar of planned group activities which shall be easily readable with large print, posted in a prominent location by the first day of each month, and updated when there are any changes;
(3) involve community resources, such as recreational, volunteer, religious, aging and developmentally disabled-associated agencies, to enhance the activities available to residents;
(4) evaluate and document the overall effectiveness of the activities program at least every six months with input from the residents to determine what have been the most valued activities and to elicit suggestions of ways to enhance the program;
(5) encourage residents to participate in activities; and
(6) assure there are adequate supplies, supervision and assistance to enable each resident to participate. Aides and other facility staff may be used to assist with activities.
(d) There shall be a minimum of 14 hours of a variety of planned group activities per week that include activities that promote socialization, physical interaction, group accomplishment, creative expression, increased knowledge and learning of new skills. Homes that care exclusively for residents with HIV disease are exempt from this requirement as long as the facility can demonstrate planning for each resident’s involvement in a variety of activities. Examples of group activities are group singing, dancing, games, exercise classes, seasonal parties, discussion groups, drama, resident council meetings, book reviews, music appreciation, review of current events and spelling bees.
(e) Residents shall have the opportunity to participate in activities involving one to one interaction and activity by oneself that promote enjoyment, a sense of accomplishment, increased knowledge, learning of new skills, and creative expression. Examples of these activities are crafts, painting, reading, creative writing, buddy walks, card playing, and nature walks.
(f) Each resident shall have the opportunity to participate in at least one outing every other month. Residents interested in being involved in the community more frequently shall be encouraged to do so.
(g) Each resident shall have the opportunity to participate in meaningful work-type and volunteer service activities in the home or in the community, but participation shall be on an entirely voluntary basis, never forced upon residents and not assigned in place of staff.