Every person has a story. Each of our residents have unique personalities, histories, experiences, and preferences and we know that it is important to get to know them as individuals in order to best serve them. That is why we collect Life Stories from each resident when we welcome them to the Care Center.
Our Director of Recreational Therapy, Abby Waldo, interviews the resident and family members on past occupations, hobbies, family and friends, routines, and more to create a profile on the resident. This allows us to provide better personcentered care for each person.
“There are many reasons we capture a life story for residents when they move in. It is a way for the staff to connect not only to the resident, but also to the family. It allows us to get to know the whole person, not just in a medical sense,” Abby said.
These stories have a direct effect on the care plan for residents. They allow us to better understand interests, routines, and preferences to provide the best care possible for each person.
“When life stories are captured, we share the information with the people directly caring for the residents. There is also a care plan created that has more specific information pertaining to the resident, which allows us to better anticipate resident needs,” Abby said.