Life History

I went to the life history training today. Again, as with all training I go to, it was not what I expected and yet it was still really interesting.

The course firstly focused on how important it is to use life history within care homes of any kind, though more specifically in those that care for people that live with dementia. There were lots of small exercises to get us thinking about what memories we have, how we use those memories and what we keep in order to help us remember.

Truly knowing the people that you are working with and caring for, knowing their histories, their families, relationships and jobs, as well as good and bad experiences helps you to understand them more. It makes sense of the things they might be saying or doing and equips you with the tools to make them more comfortable.

'The goal of person centered care is to promote well-being.'

Again the name Tom Kitwood came up so I'm going to have to get myself a book!

As with the dementia awareness training course I heard a lot of scary facts about care homes that makes me want to do a Gerry Robinson. Although I do feel better that I now have new skills and ideas to take into homes when we are doing our activities.