From : Anita Astle
Email Address: wrenhall@btconnect.com
Question for the LifeStory Network:
"Prior to admission to our home we send out life story templates/booklets to be completed by people with dementia and their families. These are used to help us to create person centred care plans and to deliver person centred care. However, in caring for 41 people with severe dementia and extremely limited functional and cognitive ability, it is difficult to keep life stories 'live' and 'useful'. Does anyone have any real practial advice or suggestions."
Submitted 2 March 2010
Please add replies or comments using the form below or contact Anita directly on the email address above
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Anne Forrest (30th March 2010) We are recommending that Musical Life Story Slideshows* are compiled by the client and their relatives (or us) before entering residential care. These Slideshows can be viewed on TV (DVD) or Digital Frames so that it can give the carer/s "time out" in their own rooms - unsupported as there is no writing - or can be viewed in the communal lounge which is wonderful for starting great conversations between clients/residents and carers.
* Musical Life Story Slideshows are compilations of clients' personal 2 dimensional memorabilia (photos, valentine cards, certificates, etc) and their loved music set into storylines (family, hobbies, etc) -
lynda holroyd (4th March 2010) Morning Anita are your staff able to access information in regard to individual life hstories that can be used as a means of communication whilst attending to the residents care needs. eg were they a shop assisitant can staff utilize this information re conversation i understand you were a shop assistant and worked at ? we need to accept that we may not always get the response we think we should have .However this should not stop us from maintaing our side of the interaction. Be mindful of facial /body lauguage responses they can be just as powerful as the spoken word.After all any form of conversation is better than none at all and if it is relevent to them even more so. hope you find this useful.kind regards lynda