According to research, people have a natural attraction for narrative construction and tend to remember facts more easily when associated with storytelling. I have found this to be true in the long-term care setting as well.
For example, a picture may be worth a thousand words, but it'll be worth a lot more if you have a story behind it. I lace everything I do with personal anecdotes, and that includes the original photos I share with my residents.
The other day, I enlisted the help of several direct care workers to showcase my nature photos so the residents could get as many close-up views as possible. Often these include sunsets and sunrises.
After a wonderful session that included tales from a recent cruise adventure followed be nonsense songs in honor of Lewis Carroll's birthday, I headed down the hallway to return some of the residents to one of the neighborhood dining rooms. Along the way, I passed by "Donna," a resident who was rehabbing with her walker.
"I watched the sunset the other night," she said. "It reminded me of you."
That warmed my heart. To know that I was thought of by a nursing home resident on a day I wasn't even around.
Personal narrative, beauty, genuine connection. This is what The Golden Experience is all about.
And here is this morning's sunrise from my own front yard:
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Kareen King is a
Registered Drama Therapist and founder of The Golden Experience™, offering
keynotes, concerts, and workshops to enrich lives in long-term care. For booking
information, contact her at kking@thegoldenexperience.com or visit www.thegoldenexperience.com. Kareen's CD's
which feature original songs that give voice to individuals in long-term care
settings, have been used as caregiver training tools, gifts for long-term care
staff and volunteers, and for personal inspiration. To hear samples and to
purchase, click http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/KareenKing.
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