Jun 12, 2026 · 28 min · 9 segments
In Part 2 of this episode of GeriEvidence, Dr. Alexandra Papaioannou continues the conversation with **Linda Verlinden**, a family member of a long-term care resident, and **Sam Peck**, CEO of Family…
Sam PeckGuest
Linda VerlindenGuest
Alexandra PapaioannouHostSo we've already kind of talked about building trust and teamwork with the staff.
Linda, any other things that you've found that's been helpful, that you're a true partner with them that you found helpful?
Years and years ago, when my grandmother was in care, I saw a family council facilitate something called Living History.
And the Living History program is a narrative that's gathered by family and volunteers between the family and the resident.
It's a great opportunity to have a conversation with families and the resident and all staff read it and it becomes part of the care plan.
And that's critically important because with so many different people coming in and out of rooms when you have casual staff and full-time staff and, you know, people on maternity, everybody can read the same thing.
If it becomes part of the care plan, then, you know, people can refer back to it and say, oh, yes, the Lutheran church is in this week.
And I've actually seen it used It is it is such a valuable piece that it's often been used in someone's obituary as the obituary.
Isn't that fabulous? I mean, and I'm going to sound a little cynical as a physician, but sometimes we see patients in the hospital or in long term care in their homes referred to by their room number.
This is very respectful of who that person is, where they come from, and who they're becoming, still becoming.
When the residents at that home were sent to hospital, their living history was sent with them.
Great, great opportunity to really shift how we see people from long-term care who come to hospital, but it's being expressed for them.
So we've already kind of talked about building trust and teamwork with the staff.
Linda, any other things that you've found that's been helpful, that you're a true partner with them that you found helpful?
Years and years ago, when my grandmother was in care, I saw a family council facilitate something called Living History.
And the Living History program is a narrative that's gathered by family and volunteers between the family and the resident.
It's a great opportunity to have a conversation with families and the resident and all staff read it and it becomes part of the care plan.
And that's critically important because with so many different people coming in and out of rooms when you have casual staff and full-time staff and, you know, people on maternity, everybody can read the same thing.
If it becomes part of the care plan, then, you know, people can refer back to it and say, oh, yes, the Lutheran church is in this week.
And I've actually seen it used It is it is such a valuable piece that it's often been used in someone's obituary as the obituary.
Isn't that fabulous? I mean, and I'm going to sound a little cynical as a physician, but sometimes we see patients in the hospital or in long term care in their homes referred to by their room number.
This is very respectful of who that person is, where they come from, and who they're becoming, still becoming.
When the residents at that home were sent to hospital, their living history was sent with them.
Great, great opportunity to really shift how we see people from long-term care who come to hospital, but it's being expressed for them.
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode
No account is needed to search Radar.
