For a year-and-a-half, staff at Springdale Country Manor strived to make Marie, not her real name, adjust to the home’s schedule. They got her up and dressed at breakfast time and encouraged her to join activities and dine with the other residents. Nothing worked.

Marie continued to swear, became agitated, slammed doors, refused to eat and disturbed others, explains Maureen Imamovic, registered nurse and supportive measures specialist at the Springville long-term care home. When she started to become physically abusive with employees, they knew they had to try something else, says Maureen.

That was about 18 months ago. At that time, employees from all departments met as a team to brainstorm how they could help Marie. “She was really having an impact on the entire home,” says Maureen.

Marie is an alcoholic who came to Springdale in her late 40s after alcoholism led to brain damage and diabetes. She was accustomed to spending most of her day sleeping. “We were forcing her to be compliant with our routines without really acknowledging that this is how she lived her life.” They tried modifying routines to better suit Marie’s lifestyle.

They allowed her to sleep in until 4 p.m. each day. They didn’t force her to attend activities as she had no interest in being with people much older than her. Housekeeping staff quietly cleaned her room while Marie slept and dietary staff saved each meal for her so she could dine between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. “Night staff becomes her activation,” says Maureen. Staff has also made an effort to chat with her since she doesn’t have companionship from other residents.

“We’ve really seen the team step to the plate for this lady,” says Maureen. She notes while Marie still curses and is still wearing pajamas at 5 p.m., she’s less disruptive and no longer aggressive with staff. She also no longer requires anti-psychotic medication and her blood sugar is stable. Staff worked closely with the physician throughout the process.

“As care providers it was really hard for us to allow her to live how she wanted to live. Her history indicates she wasn’t (always) making good choices. But as nurses we’re taught we can’t be judgmental,” says Maureen. “We had to allow ourselves to care for her without judging her.”

As a result, they’ve improved Marie’s quality of life, by her terms.