Editorial:
Supportive measures at the heart of OMNI culture
Monday, February 7, 2005 - OMNIway Staff
Supportive measures have been described as interventions used primarily to reduce dementia-triggered agitation in residents. Supportive measures, as practised in OMNI homes, go far beyond mapping out behaviours and medications and concentrating on individual clinical needs of residents.

Supportive measures are at the heart of the OMNIway culture of resident-centred care. They have to do with hope, purpose and belonging for all residents and every OMNI employee has a role to play.

Tools employees can and do use include music, dance, conversation and getting residents involved in everyday work activities.

Recent stories in the OMNIway have highlighted maintenance managers who interact daily with residents. It is clear that many have been embracing supportive measures for years, even if some would not describe what they do as supportive measures.

One manager describes what he does to engage residents in his work, encouraging them to take part in household tasks, giving them a real sense of purpose and ownership over where they live. It can be as simple as having a resident help in changing the linens on a bed or checking light bulbs to see if any have burnt out.

It can mean taking the time to get to know more about individual residents, who they were and what they did before the home became their home. That exercise can be rewarding for both employee and resident.

Getting to know someone often leads to discovering common interests. One maintenance employee at an OMNI home shares a passion for crossword puzzles with a resident and they compare their daily efforts at solving the newspaper crossword.

Another resident, a retired electrician, loves to assist in any minor electrical repairs. Other individuals, who love gardening or cooking, help out on the grounds or with meals. Residents bring a wealth of knowledge to a long-term care home and if that knowledge can be recognized and used, both the home and the resident benefit.

For residents, particularly those without regular visits from family and friends, a long-term care home can be a very lonely place. A common theme among maintenance managers interviewed is the observation that a person’s spirits can be lifted when someone treats them with respect and recognizes their worth as an individual.

Supportive measures call for an individualized approach, ensuring that care goes beyond simple accommodation. Every person working in an OMNI home can contribute to this approach, making the home more enjoyable for themselves and for residents.