Knowing the person as an individual

Knowing the person as an individual We are all individuals, are we not? I love soccer and cricket but you may hate them both. I hate soap operas on TV but you may love them. I love my cup of tea but some people only drink coffee. I hate being cold but you may like the temperature cooler than me. I love my garden and I am in heaven if left alone to work out there on a warm summers day but hey hang on , you may hate flowers and grass.I have my political views and you have yours. I respect, as we all should, your views and likes and dislikes. So what’s my point here! Quite simply it’s this, we are all individuals. It is very important to know the person with whom you are caring for and their likes and dislikes. I have seen people with dementia in care homes sitting in a lounge in front of a TV. The set was just put on any channel and the person left to watch whatever was showing. They were not asked if they wanted to watch TV or what channel they liked. They were just put there. Another common scenario is when someone suffering from dementia is taken, with the best intentions, to an activity that they might find very boring. They were never given the opportunity to voice their opinion of what they would like. To be fair to the care home they, the staff probably didn’t know what that person liked and disliked. I go back to my opening lines…….I like watching soccer but maybe you don’t. I want the communal TV on for my football but hang on, what about you? I must add that a large number of care homes do try to give the individual what they require. Meal times can be very hard if the kitchen staff do not know what the resident likes or does not like. Can you imagine being served food that you can’t stomach, pun intended. Many dementia sufferers are very particular about their food and whether the place is a care home or day center or indeed the person’s home, food should be taken very seriously. I am sure that numerous homes know the food likes and dislikes but their job is a very difficult one to cater for all. A varied menu is the best option. Activities are a vital component in a dementia sufferer’s daily routine. Maybe a short afternoon walk or a going to the supermarket or shops for a few hours is what that particular person likes to do. In a care home there are, or should be, an activities member of staff. It is their job to put on interesting and varied activities on a daily basis. It is true to say that you cant please all the people all the time so their job is a hard one. A good activities organizer will have a conversation with the family and the care staff and most importantly the person themselves. This way they can ascertain the persons likes and dislikes. However what if you are a home carer from an agency. Now that’s a different ball game or is it? Debatable issue. Before a carer takes on the job someone from the agency should come to meet the client and the family. This is the golden opportunity to find out all about the person. The information should then be passed onto the carer. All of the above does not only apply to dementia sufferers but to everyone needing care from an outsider. I work with people with disabilities and we try to ascertain their likes and dislikes before they take up residence on one of our buildings. I will sat that the job of the activity person/people/team is a very hard one. We are all individuals and should be treated as such wherever we are. We need to have a varied lifestyle that is tailored to our needs and not for convenience for others. We review a persons needs regularly and I know many care homes do the same. A home carer should be looking out for changes in their charge and adjust the lifestyle accordingly but to suit the person rather that for convenience. Person cantered care A family member caring for a loved one at home obviously knows what is liked and disliked and what activity is best to put on. But what about the family carer? They too are individuals and no two people take caring and the all the stress in the same way. Some people take it in their stride while others flounder and seek help desperately. Some cry alone and some cry openly. Some admit that they need help and this is a sign of strength, to show that you need assistance is a very brave thing to admit. We are not all made the same and have differing feelings and this should be respected To finally sum up if I may. We all need different things from life in many ways and the only way others who care for you will know this is by them asking questions and having conversations. The more information given to care homes and agencies and carers in general the better the life will be for the person in their care. Get to know the person as who they are. Listen to the family members and the family carer. Simply put …its called PERSON CENTERED CARE. Don’t always go with the norm, try other ideas and think outside the box. My point is what is good for one is not always good for another. The two main words are INDIVIDUALITY and PERSONALISATION Does anyone out there like football, cricket, gardening and watching the news whilst drinking tea? If so then you are not alone because that’s what I like doing

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