Why Share Life Stories of People Who Have Dementia?

Back when we started our dementia unit at the facility where I work, the one thing we wanted at the top of all the priorities was the people who would live there. Yes, the environment was important, the staffing and activities were critical, and the dementia training for the employees had to be top-notch. But, how to keep the residents at the center of it all? While there are several ways to do this, we chose to assist the residents and family members in developing life stories. A life story is a way to share some of the important aspects of someone's life with others around her. It often contains those pieces of information we might share in conversation with others as we get to know them, such as: Who are the members of your family? What did you do for your job? What are your hobbies and interests? Who and what are important to you? What other meaningful events would you like to share with others? The benefits of sharing life stories are many, but a critical one is that the staff members are continuously reminded of the unique gifts and abilities of the person for whom they're caring. When staff members learn that the gentleman that they're caring for took apart and rebuilt engines, designed one of the beautiful buildings downtown, or has six children, this information serves as a reminder that although this person has Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, there's more to the story and the person than their current disease. For more information about why to sh...
Source: About Alzheimers Disease - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news