Assessing Happiness

It can be hard to judge someone’s quality of life or how happy he or she is, but it’s important to know if your elderly loved one’s needs and wants are being met in a long term care facility. If your loved one is alert and able to communicate, it is important to ask if he or she is happy and get him or her to talk about fun activities, favorite things, and fond memories. If your loved one has dementia or is unable to communicate, you should work with facility staff to make sure they know what mom or dad was like before he or she got ill including his or her favorite things, life passions, and pet peeves. Your practitioners can work with you to make sure that your loved one gets the food, activities, attention, spiritual support, and other things he or she needs to be happy and comfortable.

AMDA physicians in regions throughout the country have information and guidance on this topic. You can listen to practitioners offer insights about how to assess your loved one’s happiness and make sure that he or she gets the food, attention, activities, spiritual support, and other things to keep him or her happy and content.*

Patricia L. Bach, PsyD, RN	California
Lory E. Bright-Long, MD, CMD	New York
Todd H. Goldberg, MD, CMD	West Virginia
David A. Smith, MD, FAAFP, CMD	Texas
Matthew S. Wayne, MD, CMD	Ohio
*Requires a program that plays MP3 audio files

"Caring for Consumers" clip and copy advice sheets, designed for residents/patients, family members, and future consumers of long term care services, include an introduction to the topic, tips for addressing the issue and enhancing care, a list of questions to ask the physician, and a list of additional resources. Feel free to print and use when speaking to your family and physician.

How Do You Know if Mom is Happy