BUILDING SELF-ESTEEM AND HAPPINESS (PART 2 of 2)
"Enhanced quality of life through emotional well-being"
By Denise Anne Taylor

This article will explore the specific options available to senior housing management and their family members that are designed promote an enhanced quality of life through emotional well being for those residents in the assisted living environment.

As mentioned in our previous article, many individuals can experience a loss of self-esteem along with eroding physical capabilities as they move from a life of independence to one of dependence or near-dependence. The key for the assisted living environment is to foster a life of independence within a dependent situation.

People are what they think they are. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." When an individual has time to focus on their perceived weaknesses and imperfections, they increase them by dwelling on them. The secret of youthfulness is to remain actively and
purposefully alive and to avoid being both boring and bored.

Assisted living environments have to go beyond a "bricks and mortar" or "warehousing" mentality if they are to survive the new wave of mature adult. Offering a warm bed and food on the table is no longer enough to stay afloat in this competitive arena. It is about human relations and it cannot be measured in dollars. Each person must be viewed as vital and empowered within his or her unique situation. Management and staff must foster a sense of value and importance while dealing with the evolving needs of each resident. A new standard of excellence has to be instituted that adjusts for the evolving emotional needs of residents and their families.

The purpose is to initiate a concept of "mental fitness" or the building of a strong emotional foundation for new and existing residents that will generate feelings of self-worth, happiness, empowerment, and well-being.

The key is to create programs that support integration, interest, and involvement on behalf of residents, family members, friends and assisted living staff. A three point strategy could begin with: effective therapy and support involving family members, a guardian, or friend, through education and awareness about this significant lifestyle change; provide new resident detailed assessments and a two-week immersion program to generate immediate involvement; followed by adopting activities and recreation that encourage interest and participation by new and existing residents.

One concept is to provide bi-monthly educational programs and support to resident family members, spouses, guardians, and others that will assist in a greater understanding of the assisted living environment and lifestyle changes that occur with this transition. Topics of interest could include; dealing with loss and change, guilt management, dealing with depression, prescription drug abuse, understanding the assisted living lifestyle, etc. Family members and those directly affecting the older adult need to understand their role in order to assist with the myriad of change that is occurring for all involved parties.

Another idea is to initiate new residents with a smooth transition into the assisted living lifestyle by creating a team of individuals (made up of staff, the activities director, housekeeping, dietician, etc.) that would provide support, assessment and daily visitation over a two-week entry period that would suggest immediate activity involvement and connectedness with others in their new home. A thorough assessment is given to determine resident expectations, history, and general well-being. The assessment tool is then used to encourage immediate involvement of the resident in appropriate activities and recreation. The outcomes include greater staff awareness regarding resident needs, a decrease in resident isolation, improved self-esteem through connectedness, and increased resident participation and interest.

The last suggestion is to offer activities and programs that encourage self-worth, happiness, and a sense of well-being for residents while providing greater independence in a more dependent environment. Enhancement of current programs may include: computer education, greater meal choices, avoiding excessive television exposure, political involvement, massage/touch therapy, humor, yoga and health and nutrition programs, pet therapy, and more. The key is to sustain a positive attitude and better quality of life, from the inside out, for the resident to redirect feelings of anxiety and isolation by focusing more on their current abilities and what they are still able to do for themselves.

It is through our struggles that we are sometimes given an opportunity to develop ourselves beyond our expectations if we meet them with courage. Assisted living management, staff, family members and community need to merge their resources to alleviate the onset of boredom, perceived loss of freedom and lack of human connectedness that sometimes accompany the later stages of life.

If you have etiquette questions or comments about this column, write to Denise Anne Taylor at P.O. Box 748, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48303-0748 or via e-mail at dataylor@passportforsuccess.com.

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