I read this most interesting newspaper set of articles where a dementia expert from England David Sheard is aiming to transform long term care homes here as he has done in other parts of the world.
He aims to replace scheduled, clinical care empty of emotion with warm, loving, lively homes. It is called the Butterfly program. In these transformed homes, they report happier residents, fewer falls, less violence and happier staff. Training is based on empathizing with patients. The walls are painted in bright happy colours. Sheard believes frustration, loneliness and boredom is caused by cold clinical care. A Butterfly patient in England was given purpose. He was a farmer, they had him collect eggs in the courtyard every morning for tea. He stopped hitting people. Dementia patients remember vividly from their past. Staff are taught to humour the patient instead of berating him, for example, if he thinks he is 10 years old just agree. Improvements can seen when the eyes seem aware, they are listening. Well fed people are healthier so mealtimes and snack times should be fun and engaging. Staff are taught to take time for conversation and hand holding. They wear street clothes not uniforms. One staffer started hugging a patient and he stopped hitting, he was comforted. Staff are now feeling a connection to the patients.
In order to successfully make these changes they hired 5 additional staff.
After a year of trial here, the program was unanimously approved. There are plans to convert more homes. This is heartwarming because dementia touches us all in some form.
He aims to replace scheduled, clinical care empty of emotion with warm, loving, lively homes. It is called the Butterfly program. In these transformed homes, they report happier residents, fewer falls, less violence and happier staff. Training is based on empathizing with patients. The walls are painted in bright happy colours. Sheard believes frustration, loneliness and boredom is caused by cold clinical care. A Butterfly patient in England was given purpose. He was a farmer, they had him collect eggs in the courtyard every morning for tea. He stopped hitting people. Dementia patients remember vividly from their past. Staff are taught to humour the patient instead of berating him, for example, if he thinks he is 10 years old just agree. Improvements can seen when the eyes seem aware, they are listening. Well fed people are healthier so mealtimes and snack times should be fun and engaging. Staff are taught to take time for conversation and hand holding. They wear street clothes not uniforms. One staffer started hugging a patient and he stopped hitting, he was comforted. Staff are now feeling a connection to the patients.
In order to successfully make these changes they hired 5 additional staff.
After a year of trial here, the program was unanimously approved. There are plans to convert more homes. This is heartwarming because dementia touches us all in some form.
