Personal connections important to new residents
Thursday February 7, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
When new residents move into Kentwood Park in Picton, one of the first things life enrichment staff tries to do is find out if the new resident has any old friends already living in the home.

Because Picton is a small town, it’s not uncommon for residents to move into the home and reconnect with friends they haven’t seen in many years. And staff members play a part in searching for these connections.

Life enrichment staff gets the ball rolling by engaging residents in conversations to find out if they know the new resident and if they do, they arrange time for the residents to be reacquainted.

“Often, I have seen friendships build from that point,” says life enrichment co-ordinator Linda Sheppard.

Once it has been established that new residents know people at the home, staff members make a point of arranging it so these individuals sit together during meals and are paired with each other in activities.

Moving into a long-term care home can be a stressful experience for new residents. They are going through a lot of life changes at this point and to be introduced to some familiarity is important in a long-term care setting, notes Sheppard.

By the time Sheppard introduces herself to the new resident, she realizes they need to chat about pleasurable things such as interests, hobbies and memorable experiences in their lives. These conversations, she points out, are a shift from all the clinical questions new residents are asked upon coming to the home.

Sheppard adds that when new residents move into the home, she waits a couple of days before introducing herself. New residents spend their first day being asked a lot of questions and being given assessments and this can be exhausting for them. They’re also being welcomed to the home by management and frontline staff throughout the day.

“It’s way too much on the first day,” says Sheppard. “I’m aware (new residents) are there and I may say hello and I would certainly talk with the family, but I tend to back off and when the residents have a day or two to settle in after, then I’ll come down.”