What is Strength Based Care Planning?
People with dementia retain many valuable life-long abilities despite the significant amount of care they need by the time they enter a nursing facility. Residents with the same diagnosis, or who appear at first glance to be functioning at the same “stage” or “phase”, will demonstrate a wide range of retained abilities to perform a variety of activities independently or with varying degrees of help on a daily basis. For example, a former boy scout leader will be able to facilitate a group sing-a-long and coach others to sing many songs remembered by rote even though he often loses his train of thought during social conversation. The resident retains far more abilities than are lost over the greater part of the course of progressive dementias like Alzheimer’s and related disorders, and WHO HE IS (the PERSON) exerts more influence on his behavior than what he has (a Dementia). It is important, therefore, that the resident be encouraged to perform those actions and activities which rely o
