Taking a walk through the eyes of a resident
Friday, April 1, 2005 - John Driscoll
As part of supportive measures at Rosebridge Manor, all new employees go through a sensitivity training session that allows them to briefly experience life in the home as a resident does.

“A lot of staff tell us it’s a real eye-opener,” says Heath Heffernan, a registered nurse and supportive measures advocate at the Jasper long-term care home. “We have an evaluation session at the end and a case study and we have had good feedback.’

Heath outlined the sensitivity training at a seminar Wednesday to wind up a month of focusing on supportive measures at Rosebridge.

During the training, new employees don goggles with much of the lenses blackened and the rest fogged over to simulate the view experienced by many with dementia or failing eyesight, explains Heath.

They put on earmuffs to muffle the sounds they hear, wear weights on their ankle to create the tiredness older people feel and tie their shoes together to create a shuffling gait that often comes with age.

Then they navigate their way through a maze of objects. “We throw in someone coming up behind them touching them in the back and telling them it’s time for their bath,” says Kathy Barr, life enrichment co-ordinator and Rosebridge’s other official supportive measures advocate.

Employees quickly understand how unpleasant and confusing that encounter would be if a person can not hear properly or is confused, Kathy says. “It illustrates how important it is to treat residents with care and dignity.”

The new employees are then led to the dining area where they are fed in different positions in wheelchairs, or with one of their arms tied down to simulate dementia or a physical disability.

Supportive measures is a way of life at Rosebridge in every department from housekeeping and dietary to front-line nursing staff, Heath says. “It has become second nature for our staff.”

“Our goal is for all of our staff to become supportive measures advocates,” Kathy says.

Expectations are spelled out for new employees, she says. “We have high standards in what we expect about supporting our residents and providing them with the dignity and care they deserve at the end of their lives.”

Improvements are measured by fewer incidents of disruptive behaviour and in outcomes of interventions where residents are exhibiting aggressiveness, Kathy says. “There is no doubt supportive measures help to defuse difficult situations.”

Approaching a resident in a calm, non-threatening manner can make a significant difference, she says.

Behaviour mapping or keeping track of the time of day that a resident might become disruptive is an important step in supportive measures, Kathy says. A psychiatric team from Brockville Hospital has been a huge help in developing supportive measures at Rosebridge, she says.

Heath and Kathy have established monthly family sessions on supportive measures, making use of videos on supportive measures from Len Fabiano’s FCS International. At the sessions they answer questions from family members following each showing.