Page 12 - Storytelling - Storylistening

IV. Listening: The Silent Half of Reminiscing and Storytelling
Create a Listening Environment
The simpler the environment, the easier it is to have a conversation, says Lindahl. Cut out the piped-in music and other extraneous noise, pick up the clutter and straighten the wall hangings. Check the thermostat and lighting.
If possible, set up “listening rooms” – cozy retreats where people can talk and listen away from the distractions of the nursing home’s work routine, she suggests.
When meeting in groups, arrange the chairs in a circle (without tables or other obstacles in the middle, if possible) and request a moment of silence before the discussion begins.
A circle establishes an air of equality and community, and “is one of the key elements for facilitating listening in a group,” she says.
Above all, the value of listening must be ingrained in the culture of any long term care environment that promotes reminiscing and storytelling. Because, while we usually think in terms of what we can say that will make a difference, listening is equally important.
“How we listen can actually alter someone’s life,” Lindahl concludes.
Porch Swing SeriesTM Culture Change Workbooks ©Action Pact, Inc.2005-2006 p.8