Picture this: you’re spending the weekend afternoon alone, having a cuppa in front of your TV when all of a sudden you receive a message. It reads, “Hey! How’s your day going?”
How does it makes you feel? Special? Valued? All warm and fuzzy?
Believe it or not, this is only one of the many questions that can instantly lift a person’s mood and spirits. It’s always nice to know that somebody cares enough to check up on you, and this is considered to be very important especially among older adults who tend to feel disconnected with their family, friends, and the rest of the community.
Daily Questions make it easier for organisations to gather helpful feedback from Clients to keep track of their overall well-being. Using the CareVision Home Care Management Portal, care coordinators can set up Daily Questions that are designed for Care Recipients to answer as soon as they start their CareVision TVs.
As a care organisation, maintaining your Client’s engagement activities is vital in order to reduce social isolation and loneliness. Asking questions, no matter how simple, can make a huge difference as to how a Client sees their community since they’re regularly asked for their opinions and given the opportunity to be heard.
Daily Questions can go from “how is your mood today?” to more specific, interest-based inquiries. However, since the Client will be answering from their television (using the remote control), it’s imperative for the questions to be answerable by yes or no, or with multiple options to choose from. To further boost your client engagement, here are a few examples of questions that you can ask your Clients.
1. Physical Well-being
It goes without saying that as a care organisation, one of your key responsibilities is to pay close attention to your Clients’ physical well-being. Daily Questions that are specifically about their health can avoid potential problems from arising in the future, whether the Client is categorised as low care or high care. It can also help the organisation and its Staff Members to deliver the most applicable type of service as they become fully informed of the Client’s condition. Suggested Daily Questions to add to the Home Care Management Portal:
- “Are you in need of any service today?”
- “Are you planning on exercising or doing therapy today?”
- “How would you describe you health in general?”
- “Have you taken a fall recently?”
- “What are the two most important things that you do to keep healthy?”
2. Memory and Cognitive Functions
As cliché as it may sound, a healthy mind does lead to a healthy body. It’s equally important to regularly monitor your Clients’ memory and cognitive functions, especially if they have been diagnosed with Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. In this case, the questions can also serve as a refresher for the Client as it will test their thinking and reasoning abilities.
- “Who is the last person you spoke to?”
- “Does yoghurt go bad if it isn’t refrigerated?”
- “If you want to watch a movie, would you go to the bank?”
3. Mood
A sudden change or shift in the Client’s mood must always be taken seriously, especially if they’re showing consistent signs of loneliness and depression. By asking the Client about their mood or how they’re currently feeling, you’ll be able to gauge their emotional, mental, and psychological state. It will also help you determine how happy and satisfied the Client is in the community. Suggested Daily Questions:
- “How is your day today?”
- “How are you feeling today?”
- “Did you get a good night’s sleep?”
- “Did you enjoy the food today?”
- “How often do you feel happy?”
4. Hobbies and Interests
Get to know your Clients better by having them answer various questions revolving around their hobbies, likes, and dislikes! Interest-based surveys are pretty common within the community as it helps Social Groups organise fitting and relevant events for their members. For example, you’re planning to host a movie night for Care Recipients and Staff Members. Narrow down your choices by setting up a Daily Question about the community’s movie preferences. Before you know it, you’ll have a winning title or genre ready for showing! Suggested Daily Questions:
- “Which of the following activities are you interested in?”
- “The Bakers Club is organising a one-on-one baking demo with our resident baker! Would you like to join?”
- “What is your favorite type of music?”
- “Are you more of a cat person or a dog person?”
- “Do you like Italian food?”