Recording a Patient's Life Review

[Frances Shani Parker]

A life review is a legacy that is recorded in written, audio, or video form for family and friends to cherish before and after a patient dies. I could not do this with patients who had dementia or those who were too ill physically. But patients who were able to participate in the process enjoyed creating this record that added permanence to their history. Gathering information was very inspirational for me. When patients answered my questions, I discovered other interesting layers that I had never imagined about their lives. They revealed happy and sad times covering many years. Have you had the opportunity to create a patient’s life review? How did you record it? What was the experience like for you and your patient? Frances Shani Parker, Author "Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes” "Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog"

[brittany bennett]

I love hearing their life stories their hopes,fears dreams, and disappointments. The story is always unique and interesting.

[136ic5kwzuej4]

I would recommend checking out the website www.storykeeper.org - it is a training for life review that we use with our volunteers. The training modules are all offered online as well as the materials.

[Kelly Keller]

I am a fan of life reviews, too. I've had volunteers put together adorable scrapbooks at the conclusion of the life review that have then been a gift to the family. One of my favorite stories is the life review of a gentleman patient who we kind of talked into accepting a volunteer to visit. After they completed the life review process, he stated to her that he felt more at peace and felt good about where he was. He asked this volunteer to continue visiting. When she had to go out of town for an extended period of time, he asked us to have another person to come and visit! Another time, I did a life review process with a man who had severe COPD and would really get winded. He had a volatile temper. But when we would sit and do the life review, he would get lost in these pleasant memories of his teenage years. More than once, he fell asleep telling me these stories. It was truly profound to be able to hear his stories and see the change in his temperament as he remembered a better time.

[Frances Shani Parker]

Those are interesting stories, Kelly. Thanks for sharing.