Enhancing Care with Engagement Plans

An Engagement Plan captures significant details, events, and memories from a person’s life in a personalized narrative. It helps caregivers, family members, and healthcare professionals understand and connect with an individual on a deeper level. By creating an Engagement Plan, we improve the quality of care, making it more person-centered. Personal information enhances communication, providing comfort and a sense of identity for individuals with dementia.

At The Parkway Senior Living, we gather this information as soon as possible, before a resident moves into our Memory Care Neighborhood. As dementia progresses, it often becomes more difficult for residents to communicate their wants, needs, and wishes. These plans help us meet their desires throughout their dementia journey.

An Engagement Plan is a personalized plan based on a resident’s likes, needs, and wants. Engagement isn’t just for events; it’s also for conversations and baseline care plans, ensuring we meet each resident’s needs adequately.

With dementia, we are not interacting with the person they once were. The more information we have, the better we can tailor things, like food preferences, to keep residents engaged and excited to eat. For instance, knowing about past traumas helps us avoid triggering topics or situations.

Here are a few things you can do for a loved one on their journey with dementia:

• Create a scrapbook: Label it with pictures of items, people, or places that bring them happiness. We use reminiscing therapy a lot in memory care.
• Start a routine and journal: Those with dementia thrive with a routine. We use as much information from loved ones in our Engagement Plans to help with anxiety, confusion, and expressions, providing comfort.
• Educate yourself: Knowledge is power. It helps with caregiver burnout, knowing when and what kind of assistance to seek. Education helps with behaviors and redirection, giving you confidence and peace of mind as you manage care or transition to a memory care neighborhood.

Start now to prepare for your future and/or the future of your loved ones. Provide detailed information about your background, history, likes, and dislikes. Include what makes you happy, sad, and fearful. Mention any special things that bring you joy and comfort. These Engagement Plans improve caregiving, aid in emotional comfort, and facilitate communication. They also enable those around you to honor your life and ensure you receive personalized and compassionate care. You can find free templates online at legacyproject.org and crisisprevention.com.