b'SUPPORTING FAMILIESBoth sides in this key relationship between care teamsystem and until you need it, theres no need to know members and families have the potential to contribute to aabout it. What they think they know is usually influenced Relational Deficit. by media reports, and they form beliefs and assumptions that can lead to unmet expectations, disappointment and The good news is that you and your team can be thecomplaints. In my latest book, Now What? Managing the change that shifts this Relational Deficit to a positive. YouEmotional Journey of Long Term Care for Families, I share can take the lead by shifting your perspective and your20 common misconceptions that families have about teams concerns about families and changing your actions.long-term care and provide education to help avoid those You can begin the relationship right from the start bypitfalls of misunderstanding and frustration.making deposits into the relational bank account. That way you are going to be proactive with building trust, respectEducating your families builds their confidence in you and and partnership with your families. Here are three ways your team, and within themselves in their new role as a to start: partner in care in your community. 1. Validate your families and their feelings.Admission day is a massive, heartbreaking and life-alteringHere is an exercise you can do as a team:event for them. Most families have run the gamut within the health care system and are feeling emotionally anda)Write down the top five unmet expectations or physically exhausted. This day will be a blur for them ascomplaints that families have (e.g., that clothing should their life, as they knew it, is done, and a new, uncertain waynever go missing).of living is starting.b) Write down what the reality is (e.g., we cant guarantee Take a few moments to ask your new family member howwith our laundry volume that clothes wont get lost).theyre doing and how theyre feeling. Let them know what theyre feeling is normal. For most families, this is likelyc) Decide if you need to adjust the expectation throughtheir first and maybe only time moving a loved one intoeducation or if you can adjust the reality (e.g., let families long-term care. Validating their emotions and assuringknow up front about your laundry process and that its them theyre in good hands, that youve GOT them, willpossible items may get lost). help ease their anxiety and build connection. This will also help reassure them that their decision to move their loved3. Relatebuild a relational (versus transactional) one into your home was the right one.connection with your families.In long-term care we can get caught up in the task You might be the first person to ask them in months orientation with all the checklists and forms that must or even yearshow they are doing. Your kindness andbe completed. Theres a lot of clinical data that needs attention could be something they remember for to be gathered. But for your families, this may be one of a lifetime.their worst days and one that is completely life changing. 2. Educate your families. They will likely remember how they feel on admission Families dont know what they dont know about long-termday for the rest of their life. Be intentional with relating care and its not their fault. Long-term care is a complexand connecting with them on a human level. Take a few moments before meeting your new family to take a breath, reset and commit to being a present and calm, reassuring partner in care.When you validate, educate and relate with your families, you are being intentional with making deposits into your relational bank account with them, building trust, respect COMMERCIALand partnership through intentional connections. LTCTLAUNDRY SYSTEMSLou Mignardi Author: Deborah Bakti, owner of Think National Sales Manager Breakthrough training and consulting services T. (905) 738-2070 F. (905) 738-6610 and the author of two books on long-term care, M.(416) 805-2240 TF. (800) 387-3507 is a former seniors care executive who has E. loumignardi@gmail.com significant experience as a caregiver of loved 157 Adesso Drive, Concord, ON. L4K 3C3 ones in long-term care. She can bereached at deborah@deborahbakti.comwww.dalex.ca and deborahbakti.com.42 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Spring/Summer 2023'