Life History Collages

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of person-centered life history collages on nursing staff knowledge about individual residents living with dementia and staff perceptions of individualized care practices. Thirty-six nursing staff participants (18 experimental and 18 control) who cared for 5 residents with dementia in two nursing homes were recruited. Intervention staff members were exposed to life history collages for 4 weeks. Pretest and posttest data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and analysis of covariance. While intervention group members' knowledge of residents' family, jobs/careers, and likes/dislikes/interests improved significantly at posttest, F(3, 26) = 6.80, p < 0.01, and at 3 weeks postintervention, F(3, 23) = 9.85, p < 0.001, perceptions of individualized care/person-centered care practices did not. Potential reasons for this lack of improvement are identified and discussed. Directions for future research are also provided.

The use of life stories and its influence on persons with dementia, their relatives and staff – a systematic mixed studies review

“…Introducing a life story collage increased the staffs’ knowledge of the persons with dementia regarding family, jobs/careers, likes, dislikes and interests. It improved the relationship between staff and the persons with dementia, and the staffs’ involvement [53]. Life story work helped the staff to see the person with dementia as more than a patient and it enhanced their understanding of the person for whom they were caring [48].…”

“…Further, staff attitudes to persons with dementia measured as hopefulness and person-centeredness, improved when a life story book was developed [51]. However, another study found that staff perceptions of individualised care or person-centred care practices did not improve significantly after introducing a life story collage [53]. …”

Preserving personhood of individuals with advanced dementia: Lessons from family caregivers

“…Support for the use of stories to help staff “reengage” and “reconnect” with the meanings of their practice and with their residents comes from the work of Benner 20 . Another technique that has potential is the use of life history collages 21 . Buron exposed long-term care staff to life history collages for 4 weeks and the exposure increased knowledge about the individual though it did not have a significant effect on perceptions of individualized and person-centered care _ENREF_34 21 .…”

“…Another technique that has potential is the use of life history collages 21 . Buron exposed long-term care staff to life history collages for 4 weeks and the exposure increased knowledge about the individual though it did not have a significant effect on perceptions of individualized and person-centered care _ENREF_34 21 . Another approach that has been used is to assign nursing students, as part of their clinical experience, to write a narrative plan of care from the perspective of the nursing home resident 22 .…”

Caregivers’ Desired Patterns of Communication with Nursing Home Staff— Just TALKKK!

“…Two months after the intervention 81% of staff and 55% of family members believed that communication between the two groups had improved (Pillemer, et al). Fortunately, research examining communication patterns and related interventions between staff and residents (Buron, 2010; Heliker & Nguyen, 2010; Phillips, Reid-Arndt, & Pak, 2010), nurses and UAPs (Siegel & Young, 2010), nurses and physicians (Tjia et al, 2009), administrators and staff (Vogelsmeier & Scott-Cawiezell, 2011), and staff and family at the end of life (Zheng &Temkin-Greener, 2010) is ongoing.…”