How 10 simple questions help staff to see and know residents

It is one thing for residential aged care staff to ‘see’ their residents, but another thing entirely to ‘know’ them. Since implementing Meaningful Ageing Australia’s ‘See Me. Know Me.’ program, Mercy Place Shepparton staff are enjoying more meaningful relationships with residents.

Staff have begun placing on the wall of each Mercy Place Shepparton resident’s room a poster featuring a beautiful photo of the resident’s face together with their revealing answers to 10 simple but powerful questions. These answers offer insight into the resident’s very essence. They prompt more meaningful conversations between staff and residents and between the residents themselves.

Mercy Health pastoral carers Anthony Kilmartin and Loretta Lilford have witnessed the positive benefits of the See Me. Know Me. program, and are delighted with the early outcomes.

“The answers to these 10 questions are great conversation starters,” Loretta says. “They offer us a glimpse into the residents’ lives and are prompts for further conversation. It means chats and interactions with our residents are richer and more meaningful; they really are an opportunity for us to get to know our residents better.”

I believe in God and in good health.

I remember meeting my wife, she is young and beautiful …

Mercy Place Resident Geoff Crisp

The questions might seem simple but they are revealing and sometimes surprising, says Mercy Place Shepparton Service Manager Angela Marchant.

“It has been lovely to hear some of our residents’ responses,” she says. “You’d be surprised what thoughts and memories can come out of some of the questions — questions that seem so simple. Sometimes, even family members learn something new about their relatives. It’s been wonderful to see their responses too.”

The questions include: ‘I like to…’, ‘I don’t like to…’, ‘I once met…’, ‘I know a lot about…’ and ‘I believe…’.

A collection of ‘See Me. Know me’ posters on display at Mercy Place Shepparton

 

Angela says interactions with residents are now personal encounters. It has been so successful and rewarding for everyone involved that an extension of the See Me. Know Me. program has been developed and rolled out across the home.

“The See Me. Know Me. concept has evolved and we’ve developed the ‘Who am I?’ program, whereby residents gather together and talk with each other about what their lives were like. Residents talk about their experiences perhaps in the army, or as a teacher, or as a farmer, and we have two volunteers who voice record the sessions. We then share the recordings with family members. Families are so grateful to have these memories recorded and they’ve learned things about their relatives that they never knew before.

It’s such a wonderful and rewarding way to get to know our residents, and when you’re highlighting the things that matter to our residents, and talking about things that matter to them, it means we’re giving respect to every encounter we have with them, which can only be a good thing.”