Facilitators’ Guide

AGESense Blue Shield of California

2

Table of Contents

Preparation

Agenda 3

Materials 4

Room set-up diagram 7

LCD Projector Job Aid 8

Welcome sign poster 9

AGESense Sign-in Sheet 10

Instructions handout 11

Name tent 12

Action plan 13

Successful facilitator behaviors 14

Lesson Plan

Arrival/Lunch 17

Welcome 18

Neighbor discussion 19

Dispel myths

(Video: Millennials Show Us What ‘Old’ Looks Like) 20

Hard-of-hearing listening experience 21

Elderly patient interactions 22

Group discussion 24

Care experience poem: The Dash 25

Guided meditation 26

Closing 27

Back-up activities

Choose your attitude story and/or demo 28

3

Activity Minutes

Arrival/Lunch 20

Workshop 70

Welcome (10)

Neighbor discussion (5)

Dispel myths Video: Millennials show us what ‘old’ looks like

(10)

Hard-of-hearing listening experience (10)

Elderly patient interactions (10)

Group discussion (15)

Care experience poem: The Dash (5)

Guided meditation (5)

AGESense Workshop

4

Materials

Office preparation for 20-25 participants

____ Schedule the facility meeting room. See the following room diagram. Be sure the room has:

Tables and chairs for the number of participants

A projection screen for the slides and video

If unable to project slides, copy the following slides as handouts and pass out at relevant

times:

- Why provide exceptionally kind service? (slide 8)

- How kindness affects healthcare organizations (slide 10)

- High performing organizations (slide 12)

Wi-Fi or internet access for hearing test and video

____ Order lunch for the number of participants and facilitators

____ Make copies of sign-in sheets

____ Make copies of instructions to hand out when greeting (1 per participant)

____ Prepare one folder for each participant, plus 5-10 additional folders for last minute attendees, with the

following materials in this order:

Left Side

1. Name Tent (hard stock 8 ½ x 11 inch paper folded in half, width wise)

2. Action Plan card (8 ½ x 11 inch paper folded in half, length wise)

3. Agenda

Right Side

1. Provider Relations Field Representative business card stapled to flap

2. Handouts

A. Dispel myths

B. Hard-of-hearing listening experience answer sheet (1 page, 1 sided)

C. Practical tips for elderly patient interactions (1 page, 2 sided)

D. Patient experience worksheet (2 pages, 2 sided)

E. Senior-friendly office design checklist (on reverse side of page 3 of Patient experience

worksheet)

F. Inexpensive ways to reinforce an exceptional patient experience (1 page, 2 sided)

(You may want to color code the handouts so you can also reference the color when referring

to handout titles)

Pack

____ Sign-in sheets

____ Participant packets

____ Facilitators Guide

____ Laptop with PowerPoint slide deck, music and video loaded on desktop

____

____

LCD Projector

Laptop speakers for hearing test and video

____ 25-foot extension cord(s) for laptop and/or projector

____ Remote control clicker for laptop

____ 1 thick-tipped marker for each participant (for name tents)

____ Extra ball-point pens for participants who didn’t bring a pen

____ “Welcome to your AGESense workshop” sign to post on door

____ Bibs to protect clothes $8.99 for 50 on Amazon.com

5

$2.52 at Walgreens

for ten yards of 1.5

inches wide sports

tape

Props

____

____

____

____

____

Sight simulation

Hand them glasses

https://www.good-lite.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=766

Hearing simulation

Ask them to put industrial ear plugs in both ears

$23 per box

(Swimmer ear plugs or cotton balls can be used as alternatives)

Dexterity simulation

Mobility simulation

Ask them to put kernels of hard corn in their shoes to get a feel for the aches

that come with losing fatty tissue to simulate the pain of walking for some older

people

Walker(s) and/or wheelchair(s)for mobility simulation

Optional audio

Create an audio folder in your laptop’s browser Favorites so these are readily available:

___

Countdown

timer

http://e.ggtimer.com/ Start at start of

lunch and/or at

beginning of

discussion exercises

___

Peppy music https://www.youtube.com/v/a_N6dNAegwg&autoplay=1 Play at end of

lunch

___

Pachelbel’s

Canon

https://www.youtube.com/v/hOA-2hl1Vbc? version=3&loop=1&playlist= hOA-

2hl1Vbc &autoplay=1 Play as participants

leave room

Wrap sports tape around at least two fingers on the dominant hand

and one or two other pairs of fingers if time

6

Room preparation

Arrive no less than 1 hour ahead of time for set-up.

____

Ensure that the room has been set up in a U-shaped format as previously requested. Allow for aisles

along each wall so there is an open center to the room. Be sure there is a table and chair at the front

of the room for the facilitator and extra chairs at the back of the room for observers or latecomers.

____

Prepare individual participant prop sets including one pair of glasses, two ear plugs, and a handful of

hard kernels of corn.

____

Depending on the number of people waiting to check in – put the most props on those individuals

when the line is short and when the line is long, just hand out the individual participant prop sets.

Have the following additional props nearby for selected participants – some may need you to fit them

to the participant:

Sports tape to wrap around one or more sets of two fingers

Walker(s)

Wheelchair(s)

____ Connect laptop to LCD projector at front table (see the following job aid on how to connect)

____ Attach laptop speakers

____ Place participant folders and two markers per table

____ Test the remote clicker with the PowerPoint slides

____ Post welcome sign on front of door

7

Room Setup Diagram

Observers

Facilitator Table

Projector

Screen

8

LCD Projector Job Aid

To Connect the Projector and Laptop

1. Plug the mouse into the laptop (if you prefer using a mouse).

2. Plug the projector into the laptop using the cable.

3. Plug the projector into a power outlet.

4. Plug the laptop into a power outlet.

5. Turn on the projector and wait a few seconds for it to warm up.

6. Turn on the laptop. This must be done as the last step.

Troubleshooting

The projector screen is blank

1. Make sure the projector is connected to the laptop.

2. Hit the Function and F8 keys at the same time. You may have to do this several times.

3. Turn everything off, then turn on the projector before you turn on the laptop.

The laptop keeps turning off

1. Make sure it is plugged in and check the amount of battery life remaining.

2. If batteries are low, plug into an electrical outlet.

The screen is green

1. Check the connection between the laptop and the LCD.

2. Replace the serial port connector.

9

Welcome!

to your

AGESense Workshop

10

AGESense Sign-in Sheet

Group Name: Date:

P L E A S E P R I N T

Name Address Email Fax Phone

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Instructions

Please take a few minutes to read through these instructions before going to lunch.

What we want to simulate here today is what it may be like to be an elderly patient. As people age they

may experience changes in their sight, hearing and ability to move.

We will now give you a new identify, a new age. Please put on these props before lunch:

glasses (to simulate vision impairment)

ear plugs (to let you experience hearing impairment)

And put the hard kernels of corn into your shoe(s) to get a feel for the aches that come with losing fatty

tissue to simulate the pain of walking for some older people.

We may also tape your fingers together to simulate arthritis or give you a walker or a wheelchair.

Please leave the props on throughout lunch and into the first part of the workshop until we ask to collect

them.

And just so you know, the facilitators may also be in character during lunch!

Lunch is before we start the workshop. Enjoy your lunch!

You’ll also be given a packet of handouts. Feel free to look through your packets and read the handouts

during lunch.

Rationales behind props

Sight Simulation: With increasing age, the eyes decrease in their ability to see as clearly, particularly details such

as small print. The average 65-year-old has a visual acuity of 20/70 or less. The lens of the eye yellows with age

and filters out colors at the blue end of the light spectrum. The warm colors red, yellow and orange are more

easily distinguished by many older people than the cool colors blue, green and violet. Older people also

require more time to adjust to changes in light level and are more sensitive to glare. Considerably more light is

required to see.

Hearing Simulation: Hearing loss is potentially the most serious of the sensory changes. Unlike poor vision, it rarely

inspires sympathy and understanding. Approximately 30% to 50% of older adults have a hearing loss that affects

their communication with others. The sounds S, F, P, and TH become difficult to hear. As a result, the person may

hear “fill” instead of “pill.”

Mobility/Dexterity Simulation: Forty percent of people over the age of 65 experience changes in the skeletal-

muscular system that limit activity.

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This is YOUR workshop.

Your learning is in your hands.

Participate freely.

Have fun.

Say what you think.

Learn from each other.

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Action Plan

The greatest challenge to all

participants is transferring new

skills back to the job. Throughout

the workshop take opportunities to

reflect upon what you have learned,

re-learned, or re-committed to and

how you will translate this into

actions.

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Successful Facilitator Behaviors

"Training is an act of humanity. It enriches others by expanding their

abilities. There are few callings more rewarding than contributing to the

success of others."

- Robert Mager, Ph.D.

A facilitator is successful because he/she:

Is participant centered and sincerely wants to help others grow professionally. Acts as a “guide from

the side” and not the “sage on the stage”

Enjoys creating a fun and stimulating environment that motivates participants to learn better

because they are enjoying themselves

Presents information as quickly and interactively as possible to get to activities as soon and as often

as possible

Uses eye contact effectively. Napoleon said, “To convince someone, you must speak to their eyes.”

Keep your participants engaged by maintaining three-second eye contact with as many as possible.

Don’t forget the “orphans” at the far edges of the room.

Relishes the discussion generated by questions because this is where much of the learning takes

place

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget

how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Adult Learning Principles

SHARE

Self-esteem

Adults learn at different rates

Set up learners to be successful

Here-and-now

Adults wish to focus on current issues

Adults must see progress is being made

Active participation

Activities should change every 20 minutes

Adults learn by doing

Real-life results

Adults want a strong how-to focus

Content and activities must be relevant

Experience

Adults wish to speak, participate, and contribute

Adults like to be listened to and understood

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Adult Learning Principles maximize learning by:

Selecting instructional methods that cover content quickly, such as reading and using job

aids/checklists/handouts to reduce the need for lecturing.

Minimizing “Instructor’s” talking time and maximizing “Facilitator’s” asking questions and

coaching through activities time by replacing numerous PowerPoint slides with participants’

active engagement.

Developing a learner response habit by starting with an icebreaker, progressing to neighbor

discussions about a question/story/encounter or experience, and then to small group activities.

Now that everyone is warmed up and engaged, you are set up for success for highly interactive

discussions that involve the entire audience.

Giving tight time deadlines for exercises and announcing how much time is left. Learners tend

to take whatever time you allow them - if time is short, they are more efficient.

Remember what it was like to have a “beginner’s mind” so you don’t assume

everyone will understand if we just say what we know. You are speaking to Specialists but in other

areas. If you notice signs of cognitive overload such as glazed eyes, inattentive posture, or off-

task behavior, minimize it by breaking content into smaller chunks and inserting activities more

frequently.

Tone

Adopt a friendly and relaxed manner to put people

at ease

Be genuinely enthusiastic

Meet and greet each participant

Use participant names often throughout the course

Engage in conversations with participants during

breaks

How to speak effectively

Speak loudly enough so those in the back can hear you comfortably

Eliminate speech fillers (“Like”, “Um”, etc.)

Pretend you’re having a conversation with a colleague

Move around the room

Think of questions as the primary mode of instruction

What are some examples of …?

What behaviors have the biggest impact on …?

What do you need to let go of and throw away? (Can write out on a piece of paper or post-it

note then quietly throw away – stay quiet until all are done.)

Count to 10 after asking a question. If no response, rephrase your question

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When you are asked a question

Think of participant questions as opportunities to re-emphasize main points. Refer back to

comments made earlier by participants.

1. Listen attentively before responding.

2. Don’t say “Good question.” If you say it to Joe, you’ll have to say it to everybody, or risk

making people think their questions aren’t as good as Joe’s.

3. Restate the question.

4. You may need to clarify the question by saying, “Can you be a little more specific?”

5. Maintain eye contact with the entire group while answering.

If you don’t know the answer, say so, and write the question down to find out later. Be sure to

relay the answer back to the person (or the entire group).

Be sure your answers are…

How to handle difficult participants

"The first step towards the solution of any problem is optimism." - John Baines

Sometimes you may encounter a situation you find challenging to deal with despite creating and

maintaining a positive climate. Some examples are side conversations, overly talkative

participants, and resistant learners. The most important thing is to maintain your composure.

When the trainer and a participant get into an argument, the trainer ALWAYS loses.

First Does it matter? Identify the problem and wait to see if the participant(s) self corrects or if

peer pressure from the audience helps.

Second Employ subtle techniques such as moving next to talkative participants while you are

facilitating, shuffling all participants around to move difficult participants apart or

redirecting attention to another activity.

Third Intervene only as a last resort and only if team dynamics are at stake. During a break, ask

to speak with each individual separately. In a private discussion use “I” statements such as

‘I lose my place when you are talking’. Then pause and wait for the participant’s response.

Then ask, ‘What can we do to make this a valuable experience for you?’ and have each

participant come up with solutions.

When answering questions follow the ABCs so you:

Get to the point by giving bottom-line answers in less

than 25 words with fast facts and evidence

Keep it simple

Finish by asking, “Have I answered your question?”

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Arrival/Lunch 20 minutes

Both facilitators should greet and sign in participants, hand out the preview information sheet and “impair”

participants with the props before they go to lunch.

Do

1. Greet each participant at the door

2. Hand them the information sheet to read while they wait to sign in

3. Ask them to sign in at the table

4. Provide them with their set of props

Distorting glasses to simulate poor vision

Ear plugs to simulate reduced hearing

Kernels of hard corn in their shoes to get a feel for the aches that come with losing fatty tissue to

simulate the pain of walking for some older people

5. Give them their packet of handouts so they can read through them during lunch if they prefer

6. As time allows, put additional props on as many participants as possible

Give some participants a walker or wheelchair

Tape the index and middle finger together and/or the ring and pinky finger together and/or the

thumb on one or both hands to simulate arthritis

7. Send them to lunch with the impairments on

8. Look for opportunities to mimic things elderly patients may hear such as:

“Can you believe they drove here?””

“They’re so slow, we’re busy!”

9. Start the workshop while the participants are finishing their lunch

10. Optional: Play peppy music to transition from end of lunch to the start of the workshop

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Welcome to your AGESense Workshop! 10 minutes

Do Say

1. Display slide 1 and

announce beginning of

the workshop

2. Fill out name tents

(Allow a few moments to

do this)

3. Explain action plan

4. Display slide 2: Agenda

Note: Keep screen off

when not in use to

remove distractions and

promote focused

engagement

5. Conduct icebreaker

(Slide 1: Welcome)

Welcome to your AGESense workshop! My name is ____ and

this is ______. We work in Provider Relations at Blue Shield.

If everyone could please take off your impairments and put

them in a pile in front of you, we will be around to pick them

up a little later.

Our goal for today is to experience the challenges faced by

some of our elderly patients so we can continuously improve

their patient satisfaction.

Today is make believe, but you can imagine what it

would be like if you actually had all of these

impairments.

2. (Name tents)

There is a blank name card in your packet. Please write your

name on the card.

3. (Action plan)

Please take out the Action Plan from your packet.

I encourage you to take notes throughout the workshop.

Reflect on what you have learned, re-learned, and re-

committed to and how you will translate this into

actions.

This is the most important part because it is what you do

afterwards that really matters.

4. (Slide 2: Agenda)

Here is our agenda for today.

I will pause after introducing a new slide to let you read

it first.

We want you to have the satisfaction of feeling good

about providing the best patient care experience to

elderly patients.

5. (Icebreaker)

As an icebreaker, I’d like each of you to introduce yourself with

your name, role, and a person over 65 you most admire.

Who would like to start?

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Neighbor discussion 5 minutes

Do Say

1. Introduce

2. Display slide 3 and give instructions

3. Prompt to switch turns

4. Debrief

5. Collect props

1. (Intro)

Before I open the floor and ask you how you

felt going through the luncheon experience,

I’d like to warm you up first by asking you to

debrief your experience with a neighbor.

2. (Slide 3: Instructions)

If there is a single person in your area,

please include them to form a trio.

3. (Prompt)

It’s been a few minutes, switch if you haven’t

already.

4. (Debrief)

Who would volunteer to share?

(If hesitation then, Who would like to

second? :o)

Elderly patients do not need us to feel

their pain. They just want us to

understand what they feel and hope

we will appreciate their gift of life

regardless of how fragile.

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Dispel myths Video: Millennials show us what ‘old’ looks like

10 minutes

Do Say

1. Introduce and Display slide 4: Millennials show

us what “old” looks like

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYdNjrUs4NM)

2. Play You Tube video

3. Debrief: Handout

4. Debrief: Display slide 5

1. (Slide 4: Intro)

Next up I’m going to play a short video as a

lead in to dispelling some myths.

3. (Debrief: Handout)

Please take out the “Dispel myths” handout

from your packet.

Here is some information on myths that society

stereotypes seniors having and the aging facts

to counter those myths.

I’ll give you a few minutes to read this.

In regards to competence decreasing with

age: 54% of people 65 or older are

comfortable using technology.

And in regards to losing the capacity to learn:

Neuroscience research proves our brains are

capable of mastering new challenges

throughout our lives.

4. (Debrief: Slide 5)

This slide reminds us to be careful about group

generalizations. Every older person is different.

It’s important to remember that there are both

losses and gains to aging but people

experience losses and gains throughout their

lifetimes, not just during old age.

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Hard-of-hearing listening experience 10 minutes

Do Say

1. Introduce and display slide 6:

Hard-of-hearing listening experience

2. Give instructions

3. Play 5-minute recording

1. (Slide 6: Intro)

Let’s get back to concentrating on

how important it is to be sensitive to our

senior patients with impairments.

I’m about to play a recording that

offers you an opportunity to better

understand what someone with a

hearing loss experiences.

2. (Instructions)

Please take out the Listening

Experience Answer Sheet and get

ready to write down the words that you

will hear repeated on the recording.

Adjust the volume to a comfortable listening level as close to the participants as possible.

Note: Remember that the aim is to duplicate the experience of a hearing loss so don’t increase the volume

too much as tempting as it may be.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vqY7cJpwRs&list=PL_jg9VvIO0LTlYCFBiJm7ejcOD8EvDYYQ)

Note: During the hearing test, the facilitators

should make back ground noise so that it is

harder for the participants to hear the

words. (Example – “Paging Dr. So and So”,

crinkling paper, or dropping a book on the desk)

4. Go over answers

5. Debrief the activity

4. (Go over answers)

A. Let’s begin going over these.

B. Here are the answers in case anyone

missed anything:

1. Fill

2. Catch

3. Thumb

4. Heap

5. Wise

6. Wedge

7. Fish

8. Shows

9. Dead

10. Tooth

C. Focusing only on column A, just to give

you an idea, how many got:

8 or more right? Raise your hand.

6 or 7 right?

4 or 5 right?

3 or less right?

5. (Debrief the activity)

This exercise emphasizes the

misunderstandings and frustrations

that a person with hearing loss may

experience.

You had only one word to listen to at a

time. It is far more difficult to

understand when there are more

words and they come much faster.

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Elderly patient interactions 10 minutes

Do Say

1. Introduce

2. Display slide 7: 76% say good healthcare service

influences them to stay

3. Display slide 8: Why provide exceptionally kind

service?

4. Display slide 9: How is this going to make my job

easier?

5. Display slide 10: How kindness affects healthcare

organizations

1. (Intro)

Let’s segue into the “how” of providing best

quality service to our elderly patients.

2. (Slide 7: 76% say good healthcare service

influences them to stay)

And yet 64 percent of Americans have

experienced unkind behavior in a healthcare

setting, including rudeness at 36 percent and

poor listening skills at 35 percent.

3. (Slide 8: Why provide exceptionally kind service?

– Pause to let read)

Patients notice when others are willing to go

out of their way to provide exceptional

service.

4. (Slide 9: How is this going to make my job easier?)

We do realize the difficulty of working in a busy

office with patients not at their best.

(Pause to let read)

5. (Slide 10: How kindness affects healthcare

organizations)

But there’s good news too. A kind patient

experience also results in an improved

employee experience with increased

enthusiasm and tenure.

(Pause to let read)

23

Elderly patient interactions, continued

Do Say

6. Display slide 11: High performing organizations

7. Display slide 12: Response – Ability

8. Display slide 13: Reception areas also promote

patient health

6. (Slide 11: High performing organizations)

What else are top organizations doing to

improve services to the elderly?

7. (Slide 12: Response – Ability)

Here are some other things that high

performers are doing.

(Pause to let read)

8. (Slide 13: Reception areas also promote patient

health)

In regard to reception area design, here are

some examples.

Be sure that:

- The area is uncluttered

- There is enough room for wheelchairs

- And patient privacy is respected

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Group discussion 15 minutes

Do Say

1. Introduce

Give a few minutes to scan the remaining

handouts

2. Display slide 14 and give instructions

Allow 5 minutes for small group discussion

3. Ask groups to report out

4. Debrief

1. (Intro)

Let’s explore some tools for how to

continuously improve the elderly patient’s care

experience.

Please take out the remaining

handouts from your packet. These

include:

- “Practical tips for elderly patient

interactions”

- The “Patient Experience Worksheet”

with a senior-friendly office design

checklist on the last page

- And an handout on “Inexpensive

ways to reinforce an exceptional

patient experience”

Please take a few minutes to acquaint

yourself with these takeaways.

2. (Slide 14: Instructions)

Now get into groups of 4 or 5 and discuss

what stands out for you.

Remember to prepare one or two insights or

ideas to share with all of us.

3. (Each group reports)

I’d like each group to report on one or two

ideas or insights on how to continuously

improve service to the elderly.

Who would like to go first?

4. (Debrief)

This is really important because you help shape

your reputation every day by your actions.

25

Care experience poem 5 minutes

Do Say

Read aloud poem:

(Transition)

I’d like to share this poem with you as a lead-in to our

next activity.

(Poem)

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak

at the funeral of his friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth

and spoke of the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all

was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

that she spent alive on earth…

and now only those who knew her

know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;

the cars…the house…the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard…

are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left.

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

to consider what’s true and real,

and always try to understand

the way other people feel.

And be less quick to show frustration,

and show appreciation more

and treat the people in our lives

like we’ve never treated them before.

If we treat each other with respect,

and more often wear a smile…

remembering that this special dash

might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy’s being read

with your life’s actions to rehash…

would you be proud of the things they

say about how you spent your dash?

(Source: Linda Ellis)

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Imagining what your “dash” will be

Do Say

1. Display slide 15: Imagining what your “dash” will be

2. Read guided Imagery in a slow, calm voice with

pauses after every step

(Slide 15: Imagining what your “dash” will be)

Let’s explore what you want your “dash” to be by

considering how you want patients to remember

you.

I’d like to conduct a guided meditation to help

you visualize your aspirations of what you want

your patient care future to look like and to send

you back to work centered and rejuvenated.

(Guided Imagery)

1. Begin by giving yourself permission to relax.

2. Close your eyes and take some slow, deep and

easy breaths to let go of any tensions and clear

your mind.

3. Think about how you would feel if you were an

elderly patient coming to your office.

4. What would you want to experience?

Think about signage, parking, smiles, receptive

communication, etc.

5. Allow a moment or two for an answer to arise from

the wisdom of your mind, and take time to savor

and reflect on the answer.

6. Ask yourself, “What do our elderly patients

experience at our office?”

7. Now consider how you can enhance your office

atmosphere to be more AGESense friendly.

Ask yourself, “What is the best thing I could bring to

our elderly patient experience?”

8. Again, allow a moment or two for an answer to

arise from the wisdom of your mind, and take time

to savor and reflect on the answer.

9. When you are ready, open your eyes and take a

moment to reflect on what you have experienced

and learned. Feel free to write down any notes.

(Pause for note writing)

27

Closing

Do Say

1. Display slide 16: Thank you

2. Closing

Give them a round of applause

3. Display slide 17

4. Optional: Play Pachelbel’s Canon in D major

while participants leave the room

5. Stand at door

6. Thank each person individually as they file out.

Personalize the goodbye by touching on any

individual contribution or shared personal

information

1. (Slide 16: Thank you and closing)

We’re nearing the end of our time together so

I’d like to take this opportunity to express my

gratitude to you for your kind attention.

I know I learned, re-learned and re-committed

to improving the patient care experience for

the elderly today and I hope you did, too.

I’d also like to thank you on behalf of our

members, for choosing to share your

experience and expertise.

I sincerely wish you all the best on your elderly

patient experience journey.

28

Back-up activities For time fillers, etc.

Read aloud story: Choose your attitude

(Optional) Pair with this demo

Prep:

3 glasses filled ¾ with water

2 aspirin tablets

2 Bromo Seltzer tablets

2 Alka Seltzer tablets

Towel for clean-up

Do Say

1. Introduce

2. Place 2 aspirins in a glass and hold up

3. Place 2 Bromo Seltzers in a glass and hold up

4. Place 2 Alka Seltzers in a glass and hold up

5. Conclude

1. (Introduction)

We all want what I call “Alka Seltzer” healthcare

professionals.

2. (Aspirins)

What’s happening? (Expected Answer: Nothing)

This lack of responsiveness is analogous to a “do-

nothing” professional.

3. (Bromo Seltzers)

Note that this type of healthcare professional has a

great burst of initial enthusiasm but it quickly wanes.

4. (Alka Seltzers)

This is the best there is. The type of professional who

produces a strong but stable patient experience.

5. (Conclusion)

There are 3 types of healthcare professionals

today:

The Alka Seltzer type makes things happen.

The Bromo Seltzer type watches what

happens.

And the Aspirin type wonders what

happened :o)

29

Choose Your Attitude Story

She reached the mountaintop and saw in the valley far below her a hive of activity with many people

working. As she drew closer, she saw a line of people, each with a huge stone in front of them that they were

hammering and chiseling.

When she finally reached the valley floor she approached a man at one end of the line and asked, “What

are you doing?”

“Huh!” grunted the man. “I’m killing time until I get off work.”

Puzzled the hiker turned to second person, a woman, and asked, “Excuse me, but what are you doing?”

“I’m earning a living to support my family,” she responded.

Scratching her head, the hiker moved on to the third person and asked again, “What are you doing?”

“I’m helping create a patient experience,” came the answer.

“Ah!” said the hiker. “I think I’m beginning to understand.” Approaching the man who was next she asked,

“And what are you doing?”

“I’m helping people by helping create a patient experience.”

“Wonderful,” exclaimed the hiker. “And you” she called to the woman beside him.

“I am helping to create a patient experience in order to serve. I am seeking meaning through service to

others.”

Five people cutting stones. What a world of difference in their motives and in their lives.