I\u2019ve recently started writing a quote for the day on the whiteboard I use as an orientation tool for a gentleman I work with.
\nIt\u2019s a simple thing really, just a few words from poets or writers I know he has loved throughout his life.
\nMy aim was to change the focus of the board from being instructional and impersonal, to a more interactive tool that hopefully would encourage engagement and a \u2018shared ownership\u2019 of it.
\nSo, alongside the date, day of the week and plans for the day, I\u2019ll write a quote, such as \u201cAnd now you don\u2019t have to be perfect, you can be good.\u201d – John Steinbeck.
\nEach day for two weeks I\u2019ve been searching for interesting quotes and adding them to the top of the board, he reads them with pleasure, often sparking a conversation or recollection of the writer and I have to say it\u2019s a really enjoyable structured part of our day. Proper cognitive stimulation!
\nAs a carer, you come to recognise that the most powerful moments come in the smallest of ways.
\nToday, he wrote the quote himself.
\nThis was more than just writing
\nThis was Initiative
\nThis was Confidence
\nThis was Independence
\nThis was Identity
\nWhy it meant so much to me
\nAs carers we can unintentionally fall into patterns of doing things for people, even when our intention is kind.
\nBut the real magic happens when we create an environment where a person feels able to do things for themselves. Not because they are pushed, but because they feel safe enough to try.
\nHe wasn\u2019t asked, he wasn\u2019t prompted, he simply chose to take part.<\/p>\n
The Quote He Chose
\n\u201cThere is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.\u201d – Jane Austen
\nHow fitting is that? I mean, it\u2019s just perfect!
\nTenderness of heart is what care should be built on . Showing up every day with patience and kindness.
\nCare isn\u2019t only about support; it\u2019s about helping someone hold on to who they are.
\nAnd today with a few simple words on a whiteboard, I saw that spark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve recently started writing a quote for the day on the whiteboard I use as an orientation tool for a gentleman I work with. It\u2019s a simple thing really, just a few words from poets or writers I know he has loved throughout his life. My aim was to change the focus of the board […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tanya-chard-latest-news"],"yoast_head":"\n