A 2nomi® life story encourages the development of empathetic relationships that may enhance the delivery of holistic, “person-centered care”. The Institute of Medicine defines person-centered care as “care that establishes a partnership among practitioners, patients, and their families to ensure that decisions respect patients’ wants, needs, and preferences.”
Communication is of utmost importance in caring for a person with memory loss or dementia as they may have serious difficulty being “heard” and making their needs known. A 2nomi® life story provides a foundation for delivery of empathetic, compassionate and effective person-centered care, with a central focus on “hearing,” knowing and understanding the individual. Life stories provide valuable insight and knowing how to use information can help stimulate memories to calm and reduce anxiety in many situations.
Life stories tell us who a person really is, illustrates their life accomplishments, endeavors, desires, dreams, needs and concerns. Life story work is especially helpful for individuals with medical, emotional, psychological, spiritual issues or dependencies that affect their lives.
2nomi® allows family to honor and celebrate their loved one’s life story and share that story with care providers to enhance the delivery of person-centered care, improve relationships between caregivers and family members and improve quality of care. Sharing their life stories helps to identify their specific needs so caregivers, family and friends can empathize and support them.