How Life Stories help Communication
Life stories allow people who have difficulty communicating a voice. It gives health workers a new way of understanding their client group.
Julie writes:
"I am a registered nurse and I have for many years worked in various nursing homes. Most of the residents have Alzheimer's. I have always enjoyed my work and have always tried to treat people with respect.
Recently the place I work has introduced life stories, and it has a tremendous difference to the way in which staff perceive people with dementia. It has given the residents a past filled with experience, achievement and history. It has given them 'new life'. A life before being admitted to the home.
With the aid of photos, story books have been compiled on different residents. We have found it gives us greater insight, respect and has made us feel we communicate better with the people who have dementia. It has also given us clues and greater understanding about the reasons why people act in the ways they do. An example, it made it easier for us to cope with Joe's repeated number calling, "1,2,5,7," again and again. In fact he had worked in pig factory. He counted in the animals into the facility!"
About Life Stories
Julie's experiences are reflected in research into the use of life stories. It has been shown to have a positive effect on how residents in nursing homes are viewed by health care staff. Staff feel that people with dementia are more capable of interacting with others. Life stories are best if they are recorded in the form of a scrap book.
Different Approaches
There are a number of different approaches to life story;
Autobiography - Where the person is the only author giving an account of their lives
Oral History - Done mainly in groups to record, retrieve and preserve past experience
Reminiscence Groups - sharing memories with the intention of understanding each other and so changing
things in their current life.
Aims of Life Stories
Greater understanding of a person with dementia i.e.
