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Storytelling promotes understanding across the generations

Posted on 2 April 2012

The Department of Health Sciences has launched a student-authored book celebrating the rich memories of older people living in care homes.

As part of an innovative module developed by the Department of Health Sciences and the Centre for Lifelong Learning, student nurses have written stories based on the lives of the older people they have befriended on a care home placement.

The resulting anthology of stories, Lives Remembered: Telling Stories of Older People, is being launched and celebrated in the participating care homes – Stamford Bridge Beaumont, Mulberry Court, York and Southlands Care Home, Harrogate.

The book is the third anthology to be produced under the undergraduate nursing module “Understanding the experiences of older people through storytelling”. The module is designed to help students develop understanding, empathy and compassion when caring for older people. Through storytelling, the student nurses have been able to consider who an older person might be and have developed their skills and confidence to find this out. 

Senior Lecturer Karen Spilsbury, from the Department of Health Sciences, said: “At the heart of nursing older people there is a recognition that the person has lived a life full of rich memories. Encouraging student nurses to understand these life experiences when providing care is crucial for preparing our future nurses as competent and sensitive practitioners.

“This approach affords students a glimpse into, and a chance to be moved by, the lives of older human beings. As our students develop, we believe this approach has better prepared them to embrace what it really means to care for older people with compassion and to realise it is truly a privilege to be involved in older people’s care.

“The success of the module has relied on the ongoing support of residents, families and staff of Barchester Healthcare and BUPA care homes.”

Sue Cartwright, Care Home Manager at Stamford Bridge Beaumont, said: “Our older residents have greatly valued being visited by the students and having the time to reminisce. It has given the residents an opportunity to engage in a creative activity with people from outside the care community, whilst helping to develop the communication skills of our future nurses. We have all benefited from being involved in this imaginative experience.”

Development of the module was supported by funds from The Higher Education Academy HEALTH Network Group and BUPA Charitable Giving Fund.

The book Lives Remembered: Telling Stories of Older People (Volume Three) can be purchased from the University’s online store http://store.york.ac.uk/. All proceeds will be used to fund future student-authored books.