PIGEONHOLE
verb
gerund or present participle: pigeonholing
1.assign to a particular category, typically an overly restrictive one.
synonyms: categorize, compartmentalize, classify, characterize, label, brand, tag, designate, grade, codify, sort, rank, rate.
"people everywhere wish to pigeonhole you"
When it comes to care, pigeonholing is possibly the worst case scenario for service users and their families.
As we age there are some things that are almost guaranteed. You reach 4 or 5 and start school, you reach 17 and you get a provisional driving license, you reach 18 and you buy your first legal drink in the pub, you reach 30 and wish you could be 18 again....however there are many that are NOT so likely. You don’t reach 60 and automatically become a Daniel O'Donnell fan, or learn to knit once you retire, you don’t reach 70 and all of a sudden the only thing that brings you joy is a cup of tea, and you certainly have not reached the end of gaining joy from new experiences.
When people think of elderly living in care homes they automatically think of music such as Vera Lynn; Vera Lynn was very popular during the Second World War, but country music was also big at this time with cowboy and western movies growing increasingly popular. Also swing such as big band, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and the 50s began pop and rock and roll trends which continued into the 60s with Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
If we were to take the average age of someone living in a care home as 88 then in 1960 they would have been 30 and would have settled into a musical preference, so it is very likely that rock and roll and pop music would have been a large part of their lives. Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley were also massive musical influences of this era. And as time progresses, so should the music. As a child of the 90s I certainly hope that there will be some cheesy pop played at MY care home when I’m old!
Assuming that our elderly population won’t enjoy things that us “younger folk” do is scandalous to say the least. Computer games, Snapchat filters, disco dancing, pamper sessions, a trip down the pub, sports, movies, even verging out further to motorbikes and tram lining. Don’t rob people of joy, laughter and new experiences no matter WHAT their age or disability just because you think it doesn’t “fit” their persona.
There is always a first time for anyone trying something new, and that first time can open a world of enjoyment for many. There is nothing to say that one must be young to do things for the first time. In my own experience in my career our elderly friends are rarely put off by a new activity and natural curiosity overtakes any concern someone may have. Often with the later stages for PLWD the mind does not focus as largely on safety awareness or consequence which actually allows them to "go for it" with activities they previously may have been wary of.
Person centered care is a massive focus for health professionals at the moment and with this in mind we must try and focus on people in our care as individuals and not per unit, or per care home, or per hospital ward.
Personal preference with ANYTHING is just that! Personal! People don’t fit into categories. They may look one way and really surprise you with what makes them tick. Never judge a book by its cover.
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