Three Quick TIPs you can do PRIOR to placement to ensure a successful relationship with a SNF

There are many “experts” giving advice and writing articles about how to choose a nursing home.  These articles have lots of good generic information and a few good tips.  While I appreciate their efforts, this is akin to writing an article on how to choose a good spouse and never addressing the relationship that occurs after the choice.   We all know that choosing a good spouse is important but it doesn’t negate all the hard work in developing the relationship that happens after the “choice”.  Additionally, many of the people giving this advice work for companies that make money by selling referrals. 

This is not an article about choosing a nursing home or home health or hospice… this is an article about how to START the relationship in a way that set you up for a better experience and outcomes!

I have broken it down into 3 easy steps… they are only starting points but will get you on your way to a successful family/ provider relationship.  First of all, you are the expert on your family member!  You know them better than anyone else…You should, you have been in relationship with them for decades and we want to leverage that knowledge in a way that will make care provider thankful to care for you and your loved one.  These are three easy tasks that you can do that will set you and your loved one up for better care.

1.     Write out a detailed social history.  (Prior to Placement)

Tell their life story.  Everyone has a unique story and if I am a caregiver, I am looking to bond with this person so that they feel safe and will trust me.   This job is made so much easier if I have a “Cliff Notes” of my patient’s life!  A social history should be a story about how they began the journey and important experiences along the way that help form who they were, what they did and accomplished!  You are a combination of both positive and negative experience… so don’t be afraid to tell the whole truth.   It is helpful for providers to know of past traumas or difficulties so that we do not inadvertently hurt or offend our clients.  The Legacy Project has a tool that you may want to use… or just use it as a prompt to help you tell the story of your loved ones live.  https://www.legacyproject.org/activities/lifestory.pdf

2.     Create a detailed food preference. (Prior to Placement)

If the provider is going to be serving your loved one meals… it is helpful to know what they like and dislike.  In this situation, details matter!  Especially with food item like “fish”.  What is the exact preference or dislike?  Is there a preferred style?  Some likes fried fish but not baked fish?  Do they dislike all fish?  White fish, Salmon, Salmon Cakes?  What about shrimp and crab?  If you just report they don’t like fish… the provider will eliminate ALL Fish!  Maybe include a couple of their favorite recipes to help staff to know their style of food.  How do they like their vegetables cooked?  Attached is a link to an industry standard form.  Feel free to print and fill it out!  Just remember to PERSONALIZE IT!  Details matter!  https://www.briggshealthcare.com/assets/itemdownloads/1184P.pdf

3.     Provide a list of activities or meaningful tasks. (Prior to Placement)

Answer these questions?… What activities, events, tasks, jobs or duties give your loved one value and enjoyment?  What gives them joy?  How do they prefer to occupy their time?  Visiting friends and going for coffee?  Reading and knitting?  Watching TV?  What kind of book, what shows, what do they like in their coffee?  Again… you are the expert and what you share will make all the difference in the world.  Did you know your family member could help do “job” at the facility?  If they volunteer and it gives them joy… the options are limited only by ones imagination and willingness to think outside the box!

Attached is an example to help get you juices flowing but remember to personalize it!  https://www.pdffiller.com/jsfiller-desk14/?requestHash=0ebb86b6baa19a546bbfc8c57b54f7480a961e14901458a5f6b4d52fc7442c79&projectId=1376637446&loader=tips&MEDIUM_PDFJS=true&PAGE_REARRANGE_V2_MVP=true&richTextFormatting=true&isPageRearrangeV2MVP=true&jsf-page-rearrange-v2=true&jsf-new-header=false&routeId=45f9462f8d01d952dbb1b2e6d10bd871&mode=force_choice#f2221efece9941e7bef9e5ef1be7a5ad

Investing the time upfront so that you can present these documents to the facility upon entering will honestly make the job of staff so much easier.  You will have provided them a path to get to know your loved one and to bond with them quickly and with confidence.  You will see a payoff for your efforts!

Grace and Peace

Bryan