Reminiscing is a great activity to engage and connect with residents because long-term memories can be easier to access. While often used as a group activity, you can reminisce in smaller bites, in brief moments with individual residents. Every staff member, even non-direct care, can reminisce with residents with this simple recipe.
Three Ingredients for Reminiscing
- Ingredient #1 - Leadership Investment: Directors, managers, supervisors and the Admin team work together to communicate the expectation that all staff take some time to know the residents. This ingredient reinforces that building connections is a part of the work day.
Blend well
-
- Take your morning stand up to the next level and share information about new residents.
- Use and share the social history or interest survey completed at admission, then disseminate it to floor staff
- Create a “First-day” report for each new admission and ask floor staff to share their interactions and report to managers who bring it to a morning meeting
- Ingredient #2 – Resources: Give staff reminiscing resources to stimulate connections. Share knowledge about the resident to spark a conversation then mix in Flashback Cards, Compassionate Touch protocols, or Reading2Connect books;
Add your own spice
-
- Equip the nursing stations, med carts, dining, and family rooms with Flashback Cards and encourage staff to carry a few to use in the 'brief moments' such as taking a resident to therapy or prior to serving dinner.
- Have a basket with Flashback Cards at reception for visitors to use during their visit.
- Give staff a script: Encourage them to share with each other interesting facts they learned about residents. Start an "I just learned about" campaign: "I just learned that our new resident Grace regularly visited New York to attend Broadway shows."
- Ingredient #3 – Reinforcement: Celebrate reminiscing success by having staff share stories with each other, and publicly thank the staff for making the time to reminisce and share.
Bake and Enjoy!
- Encourage leadership to be seen reminiscing with residents and utilizing the Flashback Cards.
- Build on the "I just learned about" campaign and create a rewards/recognition program for participating employees.
Reminiscing- Win/Win for Residents and Staff
Reminiscing is a fast, easy and fun way to bring staff and residents closer - and it’s a win-win activity. Residents engage and staff connects. Reminiscing helps residents feel honored and respected and advances person-centered care. Staff motivation increases when they feel like they are making a real difference in the lives of those in their care.
Product Spotlight
.png?width=195&name=Flashback%20Product%20(1).png)
Flashback™ is an interactive Life Engagement Activity that draws on the power of everyday items from the past to ignite the senses, evoke memories, and change relationships
The images represented in the collection reveal memories about people, places, experiences, and emotions
Tips for Using Flashback
- In the dining room before meals are served.
- As a resource for your family members to engage with their loved ones.
- As a resource for volunteers.
- With the cards splayed on a table, organize a small self-directed group of residents and let them dive in!
- In the admissions conference room as an ice breaker.
