LifeQuest

In April 2013, the LifeQuest organization chose to adopt the Have You Filled a Bucket Today? initiative and program, which is based on the children’s book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today written by Carol McCloud.

Through sweet, simple prose and vivid illustrations, this heartwarming book encourages positive behavior as children see how easy and rewarding it is to express kindness, appreciation and love on a daily basis. This metaphor for life offers concrete ways for children to connect their feelings with their behavior with simple, everyday examples about making emotional deposits into invisible buckets: smiling at someone, writing a thank-you note or giving a compliment. When people fill someone else’s bucket with a kindness, their own bucket also fills up, generating positive feelings and self-esteem. 

Conversely, it also touches upon emotional withdrawals. People who take away our happy feelings with negative actions like ignoring, teasing or bullying are bucket-dipping. People cannot fill their own buckets by dipping out of someone else’s.

The simplicity of the message and the concepts presented in the book are understood by “children” of all ages and present the ideal opportunity for our organization to adopt an organizational initiative and program that is applicable to everyone from the small children in our child care programs, to our seniors in our nursing centers, to our clients in the community, and to each and every one of us privileged to be part of their everyday lives.

It is not always easy for family members to visit with a loved one in the nursing home, especially if their loved one has problems with their memory or is having a hard time adapting to the nursing home.

Listed below are some tips on how to make the most of your visit:

• A hug, back rub or holding hands feels great anytime!
• Ask a resident what they’d like you to do for them.
• Bring a treat if you’ve checked with the charge nurse for any dietary restrictions. Place the treat in a container or zip lock bag. If it needs refrigeration, ask one of the staff for assistance.
• Do hand massages, shoulder rubs, manicures or fix someone’s hair. Everyone loves to be pampered.
• Join the resident for our breakfast buffet on Tuesdays, lunch or dinner. Guest meals are $3 and can be purchased at the reception desk.
• Many residents need encouragement to talk. You can be prepared with information about current events or share stories about yourself to give the conversation a boost.
• Music therapy works. Sing hymns, songs from their era or music that you think they’d enjoy.
• Photo albums with names/labels on the pictures will help the resident to remember people and events.
• Read church bulletins and catch the resident up on what’s happening in his or her church.
• Reminisce about the good old days.
• Residents love children and dogs. If you’d like to bring a pet to visit at LifeQuest, it must be on a leash and be current with shots. Please provide the receptionist with a current copy of the pet’s shot record. Pets are allowed in resident rooms and dining areas, as long as food is not being served.
• Residents might not always join in the conversation, but it is important to talk with them.
• Residents need a change of environment and like to be outside in nice weather.
• Trivia and word games keep the mind sharp.
• Validate a resident’s feelings. If a resident says that his or her mother was in to visit, don’t disagree, even if that person’s mom couldn’t have visited because she has been deceased for 20 years. Just reaffirm the resident in the timeframe that he or she is in and say something like, “That was nice. I hope you enjoyed your visit.” It’s important to put yourself into their reality, don’t try to bring them to yours!!
• The most important thing about visiting with a resident is just being there for them. Relax and enjoy your visit.