The most recent blog series concerns ways for family and friends to assess the quality of care that is delivered in a facilty. The discusion today is about dignity of the seniors or residents living in a facility. Dignity is defined on line as the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect. The terms honor and respect are the critical elements to dignity and are often overlooked when seniors can no longer interact due to dementa or cognitive impairement.
While visiting a patient at a dementia unit on an assisted living facility, the activity director spoke to me as I was leaving the unit. She asked if I, "had been visiting my girl". She then asked how "my girl was". She continued in that vein noting that the staff and other resdients love, my patient, and are so excited that "she is one of the girls".
This "girl" is a 89 year old PhD educator with more than 45 years of teaching experience. She has dementia, but she is not a "girl". She is a mature woman who is to be respected for the years of life experience she has. While it is wonderful that the staff and other residents like her, she has a family that love her and show her that affection. The relationship of the staff should be one of respect, honor and dignity.
Residents should not to be called honey, sweetie, grandma, grannie or "pet names" unless they ask to be called this name based on preference. They are mature adults who are to have their dignity, respect and honor upheld thorughout their life span.
As you walk through the facility, listen to how the staff speak to the residents. Listen for the words, the tone of voice and the respect shown. Because the senior may have the processing age of a child, does not mean that they are to be treated like children and spoken to in a condescending manner.