Miriam is a miracle! - Cornwall Care

4
Introducing the
My Life PLan...
The My Life Assessment
Tool and My Life Plan has
been developed and designed
by Cornwall Care to assist
and help an individual, in
partnership with their family,
to plan their present and
future life. The gathering of
essential information during
the assessment phase is a
necessity, and when fully
integrated into the My Life
Plan, reflects the true needs,
wishes and wants of that
person.
The My Life Plan utilizes
a number of methods
that are reflective of the
individual's personal
communication modes
which contribute to them
outlining their needs, wishes
and aspirations. Some of
this assessment is informed
by the individual’s past and
some by their present and
this may be affected by their
abilities now, living with
dementia or other health
conditions. Continuous
assessment is therefore
vital in ensuring that their
wants are consistently
met. This process helps
staff incorporate “what
is important to a person”
into their life plan with
achievable and realistic
outcomes.
The My Life Plan can also
provide a reference point
from which to start getting
to know the individual. This
personal approach can often
have a significant impact on
the individual’s quality of
life by empowering them and
including them in their own
care pathway.
In conjunction with the
implementation program
and transition of the My Life
Plan, practical workshops are
delivered to the staff in the
homes, with an emphasis on
capturing the resident’s daily
lives, how they spend them,
who they enjoy conversing
with, what music they like to
dance or sing to, what cakes
they bake, involvement with
preparing vegetables or what
flowers they like to smell.
The workshops reach out,
encouraging all staff who
witness wonderful goingson
or accomplishments in a
Halloween across our homes...
person’s life to evidence this
in the daily narrative of the
life plan. Often it is those
small unconsidered acts of
kindness, that smile, a hand
held, a hug, that is such an
important part of people’s
lives. Making someone
laugh, helping someone
walk those few extra steps,
rubbing someone’s back,
saying “you look nice today”,
can enhance and lift people’s
spirit. Acknowledging people
for who they are and not the
dementia label they carry, or
the role they play in work,
goes further than touching
the human soul, it helps
make us who we are. This is
at the centre of all working
and therapeutic relationships.
It is essential therefore that
all employees acknowledge
that individual care planning
is paramount, that our deep
care and love should be
reflected in everything they
do in their work place. This
is where true cultural change
takes place. This represents
a process, a journey, and one
where practices will change
in order to improve not only
the quality of care, but also
the quality of life itself. You
are part of that change.