The value of asking ‘What Matters to You?’
- Written by: Tommy Whitelaw — National Lead for Carers and Outreach
- Published: 28th June 2022
Tommy Whitelaw reflects on What Matters to You Day 2022, and how we can continue the conversation year-round.
What Matters to You Day is a fantastic opportunity to communicate the key message that active listening, and treating people as experts in their own care, creates opportunities to connect and understand what is important to patients, carers and their families. This improves patient outcomes, improves relationships between patients and professionals, and gives people power and dignity in times that they need it the most.
For What Matters to You Day 2022, which took place on the 9th June, ALLIANCE Director Irene Oldfather and I hosted a stand with the Person Centred Care (PCC) Team at Crosshouse Hospital NHS Ayrshire and Arran. This was a chance to connect and ask staff, families and patients, ‘What Matters to You?’, and created a WMTY wall for people to share their stories. We had a brilliant day listening to and connecting with people, and send our great thanks to all who came and spoke with us.
But What Matters to You? isn’t just one day a year. It is about everyday culture change, embedding it within workplaces, relationships and passing interactions – it is about creating the time and space to truly listen with kindness.
The question can be asked in many ways which can help initiate a conversation, for example:
- When you have a good day, what are the things that make it good?
- It there anything else you want to tell me that I haven’t asked about?
- What are the things that are important to you at the moment?
At the ALLIANCE, we asked staff this question too. Thanks to all who took part for the wonderful, words, photos and for sharing the people, pets and places that matters to you – you can watch a short video on it here (this link will take you away from our website).
What Matters to You is today, tomorrow, the next day and everyday. Anyone can get involved by visiting the WMTY website (this link will take you away from our website).
If you would like to share your story, or for me to visit your workplace to talk about What Matters to You, please contact the Carer Voices team by email at carervoices@alliance-scotland.org.uk or on Twitter at @ALLIANCECarerVo.
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