PHI looks at ‘what matters most’ to residents

Surprise, surprise: The elderly who reside in nursing homes wish to be actively engaged. Such is the theme of a recent blog from Susan Misiorski, national director of PHI’s Training and Organizational Development team, as she rounds out a four-part series from the organization examining the desires of residents.

“Creating a home filled with spontaneity is foundational to transforming nursing home culture,” Misiorski writes. Her message, reinforced by interviews with residents in New Hampshire, speaks to community-wide efforts of alleviating boredom—a burden that should not rest solely with activity staffs. But to understand how to combat boredom with spontaneity in any particular nursing home, it may be necessary to assess why residents are disengaged at that location. Misiorski offers several clues to observe for, including the answer to this question: “How are elders involved in designing activity options of greatest interest to them?”

With so much emphasis as of late on resident voice and choice, it’s a no-brainer to include resident feedback when reimagining the activities of daily living. After all, who else knows best than the residents themselves?

Be sure to check out the three other installments in this series, which touch on the competency of staff, freedom of personal choice, and importance of meaningful relationships.

Kevin Kolus

Kevin Kolus wrote for I Advance Senior Care / Long-Term Living when he was an editor. He left the brand in 2012. He is now senior communications manager at Cleveland Clinic.