The Feil Method Home Care Path

The Feil Method is a validating technique used to improve communication with individuals diagnosed with dementia. The Feil method is now used in parts of Europe. Health Care Facilities (hospitals, nursing homes) in the U.S. are beginning to adapt The Feil Method as a model of practice used to communicate with seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Federal data indicates approximately 5 million persons in the United States are living with Alzheimer's disease and dementia like symptoms. Individual's living with Alzheimer's disease and memory loss communicate and behave in different ways. Staff in large health care facilities have been taught to immediately correct the patient, and to treat all persons the same. Administrator's have been taught to direct staff of hospital and nursing homes to serve the consumers in a cohesive, consistent manner. The Quality Improvement Department applauds adherence to a process regardless of the staff person serving the senior.

The Feil Method provides a technique that could be used consistently with all seniors with a memory loss diagnosis. The Feil Method teaches staff to become more verbally and socially engaged with the senior having memory loss. Hospital and nursing home medical staff have shown concern with the extra staff time needed for serving consumers with memory difficulty. Properly serving seniors with memory loss takes extra direct patient care staff and more of the staffs time.

The Feil Method is designed to help direct patient care staff better understand where the person with memory loss is coming from in all aspects of their health- physically, emotionally, and socially. Staff would reduce the frequency of treating behaviors with medication only. With The Feil Method direct patient care staff do not try to fix or correct a confused person. The behavior is seen as an attempt to communicate a need. Staff are challenged to engage the confused person in non-confrontational questions to determine the emotion or need being expressed. Find out what the confused person actually means to communicate to the people around them.

Attempts at greater communication by staff can improve the bond of trust. This improves the quality of care. Everyone wants to be cared for by someone they trust. The senior with memory loss may use less medication. The direct patient care staff will invest more time per confused patient. Staff tend to feel better when they can sense some progress helping improve the seniors quality of life. This can enhance staff morale.