Carry familiar routines through a change of setting

What we found in the news

NICE's 2018 dementia guideline (opens in a new tab) includes a recommendation about using a structured tool to understand a person's:

“likes and dislikes, routines and personal history”

— NICE, Dementia guideline, recommendation 136 in the full guideline

This is established guidance, which we are revisiting in the context of transitions. It does not mean a familiar object or routine can treat an acute change in someone's health. Its useful prompt is that personal context belongs alongside the professional information needed for care.

Why this matters to us

Imagine a person returning to a day program after a hospital stay. In this illustrative example, staff know the practical return arrangements. They may still need to check whether the person wants their usual quiet arrival, whether a favorite activity still appeals and what has changed since the last visit.

Familiarity can be an invitation. It should not become a fixed script that prevents a person from expressing a different preference.

At genus, we are interested in the details that help people remain recognizable to a team as their support changes. The person is more than the reason for the transition, and people who know them may have useful context to offer.

Ask what still fits

A record of preferences is a starting point for a conversation, not a permanent instruction about who someone is.

Where possible, ask the person what they would like today. Use their preferred communication approach and allow time. A chosen supporter may help explain a familiar routine, while staff continue to attend to the person's own responses.

For our day-program example, the person may enjoy seeing the familiar garden first. They may instead want to sit indoors for a while. Offer a manageable choice rather than expecting a return to the old schedule immediately.

Any new health concern or marked change needs the appropriate professional assessment. Do not explain it away as a reaction to surroundings simply because the person lives with dementia.

Pass on the detail that changes the approach

Useful personal context can be quite specific. A person may like staff to explain an activity before moving to another room, prefer a quieter place for conversation or want their glasses within reach before looking at written information.

Share relevant details through the authorized care process, with appropriate consent and information boundaries. Avoid turning a short profile into a collection of private family history that every worker can access.

Distinguish what the person has said from what someone else has observed or inferred. If a supporter thinks a routine is helpful, identify that as their contribution rather than presenting it as the person's stated wish.

The receiving team also needs to know where to ask a follow-up question. A document cannot anticipate every situation, and a new team should not be left guessing at the meaning of an old note.

Review the return, not just the transfer

A transition continues after the paperwork has arrived. The first day back can reveal a practical mismatch: a familiar chair is unavailable, a journey takes longer than expected or the scheduled activity no longer suits the person's energy.

Staff can record the observation and discuss appropriate adjustments with the person and responsible team. Avoid interpreting one difficult moment as a settled preference.

Managers can ask which personal details were genuinely useful to the receiving staff. Which were missing? Which were outdated? This keeps the profile focused on support rather than on filling every field.

A team may also need to review how information reaches workers who were absent when the person returned. Continuity depends on the colleagues who meet the person tomorrow as well as those present today.

The genus connection

Today, configured genus staff workflows can bring recorded activities and observations into review before a handover or next visit. Available family-facing summaries are reviewed by staff before sharing through an appropriate channel.

Those records depend on accurate input, suitable access and professional judgment. They do not diagnose a change, establish what a person wants now or replace a dementia care plan.

The useful role we see is helping relevant, reviewed context remain available as people move between staff and services. The conversation with the person still has the final opportunity to tell us that something is different today.

One question to take away

What everyday detail would help the next team welcome this person—and when did someone last check that it still fits?