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LaughterBoss – The Court Jester in Aged Care
The Humour Foundation is a charity dedicated to promoting the health benefits of humour. Founded in 1997 by Dr Peter Spitzer, a GP, and Jean-Paul Bell, a professional performer, the Foundation’s core project is the Clown Doctor programme. Clown Doctors visit paediatric and general hospitals, hospices and nursing homes. They have helped people find their smiles again in East Timor and Afghanistan.
The demand for Clown Doctors to visit aged care facilities was too great and could not be met by the Humour Foundation so, Dr Spitzer developed the LaughterBoss concept and first presented the model at The First National Conference on Depression in Aged Care: “Challenging Depression In Aged Care” at The University of NSW, Sydney, Australia, June 2003.
The LaughterBoss, a member of staff, can be considered as the court jester in the facility working directly with quality of life and psychosocial ‘coal face’ issues as they arise and as they need to be met. They must work in partnership with other therapeutic modalities. This position is supported by the management of the facility.
The LaughterBoss knows the people (residents, staff and families), the environment, the ethos and culture of their facility. The LaughterBoss can; create bonds, be nourishing, help with improved coping, be supportive, give cognitive control, provide positive diversion and increase the ‘smileage factor’.
The selected person attends an intensive one day training course together with follow–up workshops. Usually this person is either the Director of Nursing, registered nurse, nursing aide, diversional therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist etc. An overview of the training day will be presented. Feedback and results of surveys from training workshops held throughout Australia will also be presented. The LaughterBoss is not restricted to aged care. All organizations would benefit from such a person.
“It is the job of the LaughterBoss, via open-heart surgery, to touch the soul and give it room to smile and laugh.”
Dr Peter Spitzer MB BS, FACRRM, Churchill Fellow
Chairman, Medical Director Humour Foundation
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