One thing that concerns you about your parent moving to memory care is the fact that they’ll be a stranger to everyone there. The caregivers and staff won’t know their life story like you do.
You’re worried that your parent’s word-finding difficulty or memory problems or other symptoms of dementia will make it difficult for them to talk clearly about their life, their family, their preferences, and other things that are important to them.
And because of this, you can’t be certain they’ll receive the personalized care they deserve.
Creating a summary of your parent’s life story
One way to address this concern is to pull together a summary of their life story in booklet form.
It’s not as hard as it sounds. Dementia UK has a free downloadable template for creating one.
What does the template cover? Here are some of the headings:
- Their photo, name, and what they like to be called (cover page)
- Names of close relatives (particularly from their past)
- Significant childhood memories
- Significant memories from their working life
- Significant places
- Social activities and interests
- Significant life events
- What’s important to them now: food and drink, their appearance, preferred music, etc.
- Wishes for future care
The layout is clean and simple, allowing staff to quickly find relevant information.
This kind of life story booklet can be helpful in the following ways:
- Provides topics for conversation
- Allows staff to gear activities to your parent’s interests
- Gives staff a fuller appreciation of who your parent is
- Engenders compassion and respect
- Helps staff understand why your parent may be behaving in a certain way
If you can, get your parent to help you complete the template. But if they’re unable, consult with other members of your family who may remember certain pieces of family history you don’t.
How we incorporate your parent’s life story into our programs
Here at Sinceri we believe so strongly in the importance of life story, we created our exclusive Meaningful Moments® program, specifically designed to help meet the needs of residents, like your parent, who have memory loss. We begin by discovering their life story, their likes, dislikes, and cherished memories. By incorporating these details and preferences into their day, we can help them feel at home and give them a sense of meaning.
We’re here to help
Making a loved one’s move to a memory care program in a senior living community as positive and easy is our goal. Our skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced caregivers and staff at Sinceri’s Meaningful Moments® memory care programs understand the issues and challenges of the move and are here to help them and you.
We’re here to help by talking things through with you, offering good advice, and explaining the process of the move and what follows as your loved one settles into their new home and routine. Also, if it makes sense we will gladly chat with your parent about our program and the transition. Contact us at a community near you, we’ll be happy to assist you.
