Page 119 - Vibrant Living Scrapbook

Whose Goals are They?
But don’t forget that residents need to be the ones to set goals for their lives, their quality of life, highest practicable level of well-being, activity interests – however you want to frame it. This not only makes sense, but also it is required by federal regulation F280 which identifies the resident as a part of the interdisciplinary team that decides on appropriate, needed care and preferences.
119
Asking Residents Their Goals –
Life Goals - Two Stories by Carmen Bowman
Pat: “Using My Voice”
I watched Pat practically run a morning activity, giving what was nearly a dissertation on the differences between the Democratic and Republican parties. Later I said to Pat, “If I asked you what your goals are for your life right now, what would you tell me?”
Incredibly, Pat said, “Well, I’ve been thinking about that. And I figure since I do not have use of my hands or legs due to arthritis, I can help people by using my voice.”
I said I thought there were probably lonely people down the hall she could visit if she was interested. She immediately replied, “Who?”
Wow, talk about a self-actualized person! I learned that Pat in 1940 earned a master’s degree in philosophy. When I mentioned that she practically led that morning activity, she said, “Well, I was
a teacher.” Asked if she might like to lead more activities, she said, “Sure.”
Charlie: ‘To Be Active’
The activity director told me Charlie stayed to his own strict schedule. He would eat breakfast, take a walk around the building, read the paper and have lunch. After lunch he played Scrabble at 1:30 on the dot. And so went his day. When I asked Charlie what his life goals are, he replied, “To be active.” In this case Charlie’s stated goal revealed a lot about him and matched how he spent his days, his life.