Many new residents drawn to life enrichment staff
Friday February 8, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
When some residents first move into Streamway Villa they are understandably nervous about the transition into long-term care. However, over time and with the support of the life enrichment department and other staff members, residents’ anxieties are eased, says life enrichment co-ordinator Denise Ansell.

Ansell notes that while some residents accept the transition immediately, others are more apprehensive. Staff members will focus on these residents to help make them feel at home. This often pays off, she adds.

“After they get to know the people, (the new residents) end up excelling and doing better than they would have maybe if they were in a retirement home or at home, because they have the consistent care,” says Ansell.

Support, notes Ansell, starts on Day 1. Every year a local quilters’ guild donates several lap quilts to the Cobourg long-term care home. When new residents move into the home they will find one of these quilts waiting for them on their bed. This welcoming gift has been well-received by new residents, says Ansell.

What Ansell doesn’t do on a resident’s first day is spend too much time with them. A resident’s initial day at the home can be very stressful. They are constantly meeting new people and being asked a lot of questions. This, she says, can be overwhelming for them.

“But on their second or third day . . . I’ll go in and start chatting with them on a very basic level and develop a relationship,” says Ansell. “I think it’s really important to build a trust. I explain to them that I’m not a nurse (and) I’m not coming here to take care of the physical needs that you have, I’m here to be your friend.”

Once that relationship between new residents and staff members has developed and trust has been established, it becomes easier for new residents to feel at home, says Ansell.

New residents often develop a close relationship with staff members from the life enrichment department. Ansell attributes this to the fact that life enrichment staff members don’t provide physical care. As such, life enrichment staff members are seen as non-invasive, which relieves a lot of anxieties.

“The other thing is we move a heck of a lot slower, and that’s helpful, too,” says Ansell. “I think that the residents in long-term care are drawn to us because we’re not racing around . . . we take the time to stop and talk.”