---This anecdote involving lollipops may clear up what I’ve been trying to say. There was a nurse one time who use to come to the General Store on a daily basis. She bought bags of lollipops. At the time we were able to sell 25 lollipops per $0.25 bag at one cent per pop. A VERY GOOD DEAL INDEED.
---She was in charge of a very difficult unit at the hospital. We knew that. One day we asked her what she did with the pops? She found that dispersing them in a timely manner and using them as a reward mechanism for positive behavior, she was able to get the patients on her unit to focus attention and concentrate for increasingly longer periods of time.
---She was using behavior modification and found it working very well. She had a happier and more satisfied bunch due to using the lollipops wisely.
---The lollipops were doing much the same thing that I see the preferences are able to do. It is amazing what could be done with a one penny lollipop. When you swap the lollipop (which has an almost universal appeal) for something that the patient actually wants and desires (a particular preference) - one is able to easily see that getting the patient to behave in a more civil manner is very possible. Instead of being on the verge of tantrum and panic most of the time the patient is calmer and acts more reasonably.
---She was in charge of a very difficult unit at the hospital. We knew that. One day we asked her what she did with the pops? She found that dispersing them in a timely manner and using them as a reward mechanism for positive behavior, she was able to get the patients on her unit to focus attention and concentrate for increasingly longer periods of time.
---She was using behavior modification and found it working very well. She had a happier and more satisfied bunch due to using the lollipops wisely.
---The lollipops were doing much the same thing that I see the preferences are able to do. It is amazing what could be done with a one penny lollipop. When you swap the lollipop (which has an almost universal appeal) for something that the patient actually wants and desires (a particular preference) - one is able to easily see that getting the patient to behave in a more civil manner is very possible. Instead of being on the verge of tantrum and panic most of the time the patient is calmer and acts more reasonably.
---On the unit I stay, a man brings one pre-wrapped sugar free chocolate candy for each patient once a week. The mood created by the chocolate for a period of time is something to behold. Everyone smiles and is happier for a short period. The affect is much the same as stated above.
---If we use his own preferences (things that he/she has a desire for of sorts in the first place) the sky is the limit...so to speak. I feel the amount of behavior modification possible through the intelligent use of preferences has the ability to make big changes in the behavior of the underserved population. The objective of this (and I firmly see its possibilities) is to upgrade the countenance and demeanor of the patient and make him more prepared to receive the healing he is given. He acts positively to things and his automatic negative thinking seems interrupted. He now responds more positively.
Someone has to go into each person and find what he responds to. In this way, I think that more folks will receive the positive reinforcement that benefits them the most. Individually he/she will be happier and more satisfied and hence this will reap benefits for the hospital as a whole.
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