The power of a backstory

Published: July 4, 2023, 2:06 a.m.

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How do you care for someone properly in a hospital or care home if you don\\u2019t know who they are?

With US hospitals and care homes seeing fast turnovers of staff, many clinicians don\\u2019t get the chance to learn their residents\\u2019 backstories. This can lead to patients feeling isolated and misunderstood. Meanwhile, staff miss out on valuable insights which could be incorporated into treatment plans or used to make someone\\u2019s hospital stay more comfortable.

But a start-up called MemoryWell is working to fix this by hiring professional writers to create short biographies of residents that get pinned up on their walls. It\\u2019s helping staff personalise care for patients and it\\u2019s led to valuable points of connection at what can be a difficult and lonely time.

Presenter: Myra Anubi\\nReporter/producer: William Kremer\\nSeries producer: Tom Colls\\nSound mix: Hal Haines\\nEditor: Penny Murphy

Email: peoplefixingtheworld@bbc.co.uk

Image: Dot being interviewed for her biography.

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