| Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way! |
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It was a nice, crisp and sunny fall day. A perfect day for a walk! One of my resident's (patient, customer, client– whatever you prefer– I prefer to call him by his name; "Chester") wanted to go outside for a walk. It was a perfectly good idea.
The only problem is that Chester had recently demonstrated a dangerous habit of allowing his "walks" to become "hikes" and there was growing concern that he would wander away and get lost.
Without getting too technical; there was genuine concern that his cognition had been slipping and that perhaps it was time he no longer walk alone. Rather than insult him we simply adopted a rule that someone would accompany him on these walks.
So on this beautiful, crisp day I gleefully left my cramped office to enjoy a brisk walk with Chester. We had enjoyed walks together many times before. Sometimes we walked side-by-side and chatted or playfully goaded one another; sometimes he preferred that I FOLLOW and allow him quiet moments of reflection. Either way, I always allowed him to LEAD. (more…)
Read more at: http://blog.lonkieffer.com/?p=33. |
