Deborah Bakti

In Episode Two of The Empathy Exchange, I wanted to share a powerful story about a family member named Mary. She and her husband, Bill, were facing the difficult reality of moving Bill into long-term care. I met Mary during a visit to a client site where I was helping redesign their admission process. As…

It’s Admission Day. You’re a family member about to bring your loved one to their new home for the first time, and you’re going to leave without them. You’re anxious, scared, sad, maybe even a little relieved. You know this is the right thing to do- your loved one is having a harder time living…

I was chatting with Carol, a friend of mine in the US who is also a retired physician. She was sharing a story where she had to deal with a patients’ spouse who was having a meltdown about a frustrating interaction with another health provider. As she was reflecting on the level of tension and…

“Oh hey Deb, great to see you! I haven’t seen you in a while, have you been travelling?” That comment really got under my skin. I had been travelling for work, when I was an executive in Seniors’ Care, and I had been away for a week or so. This greeting came from a PSW…

Meeting a new resident’s family can be an anxiety provoking time for care team members in seniors’ care. There’s the uncertainty of what the family will be like, how they feel about moving their loved one into care, and what their narratives and beliefs about seniors care is (and how much it’s been impacted by…

This was a statement I heard on a podcast (and so sorry, I wrote the quote down but not who said it) and it got me thinking about seniors care living and the communities they create. When someone makes the decision to move their loved one into long term care, they are painfully aware of…

“What if everything I’ve been reading in the news about long-term care is true, and they don’t take good care of my mom?” This is the concern families have when they’re faced with the tough decision of moving their loved one into long-term care. Families are coming in, before even meeting you, with skepticism, doubt,…

When Ty was living in long-term care, most of the staff and residents didn’t know Ty cooked for a celebrity chef! It started with introverted me stepping WAY out of my comfort zone one day after church service. There he was – Graham Kerr (aka The Galloping Gourmet) standing with his wife Treena, and before…