During a recent senior living conference, I was staying at the well-appointed Embassy Suites in Norman, Oklahoma. The key card to open the room came in a small folder. When I took out my key I found a statement on the folder that struck me as being completely relevant to long-term care and an excellent way to view senior living residents:
Our Guest
You are the most important visitor on our premises. You are not dependent on us. We are dependent on you. You are not an interruption to our work. You are the purpose of it. You are not an outsider to our business. You are part of it. We are not doing you a favor by serving you. You are doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.
I wrote about the White House Conference on Aging last October, noting that it was a “once-a-decade” national conference about the needs of our aging population.” (McKnight’s LTC News, October 2014)
Below, LeadingAge summarizes the 2015 White House Conference on Aging, which took place on Monday:
After a year’s worth of collecting data and opinions, experts from the field of aging presented new ideas and initiatives at the 2015 White House Conference on Aging (WHCOA).
The White House Conference on Aging facilitated a national conversation on growing older in America through live-streaming social media. LeadingAge hosted a watch party and found the following highlights noteworthy:
A Call for Caregiver Support Systems: Panelists stressed the importance of establishing support systems for the nation’s 50 million professional and family caregivers, whose numbers will double by the year 2050.
CMS Proposed Rule: CMS proposed Reform of Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities, which would affect more than 15,000 nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities. A element of the proposal is new standards for coordinating facility-to-facility patient transfers in order to improve quality of life, enhance person-centered care and services for residents in nursing homes, and improve resident safety.
HHS Secretary Announces Funding for Workforce: Sylvia Burwell, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $35.7 million for a new Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, preparing the health care workforce to respond to the needs associated with advancing age.
Dementia Friendly America: A coalition of private sector organizations announced the Dementia Friendly America initiative, which was created to foster communities that are equipped to support people with dementia and their families. There are currently plans to build 15 new pilot sites across the country.
Here’s an interesting, thinking-outside-the-box idea:
Dutch students choose to live in nursing homes rent-free (as long as they keep the residents company)
NINETY-TWO-YEAR-OLD Johanna beams at the 20-year-old stepping into her room — not a visiting grandson, but rather a housemate at her retirement home.
Town planning student Jurrien is one of six who have chosen to live in the yellow-brick home in Deventer in the eastern Netherlands as part of a unique project that benefits everyone.
The university students pay no rent and in exchange spend at least 30 hours a month with some of the 160 elderly who live here, doing the things professional staff cannot always do — such as just hanging out.
“They go see the pensioners for a chat, they play games, go with them to the shopping centre, (and) do shopping for those who can’t,” says activity coordinator Arjen Meihuizen.
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through long-term care,
Decorations sparkled and twinkled — no wall was bare.
The recreation department had concerts galore,
The residents enjoyed it — they clamored for more.
The maintenance guys put up outdoor lights,
Vendors sent cookies and other delights.
The nurses wore holiday tops and bright pins,
Each floor had menorahs and dreidels to spin.
Kwanzaa candles were set out next to the trees,
Poinsettias brightened the desk of Security.
IT staff donned elf hats, the business office did too,
Rehab wore red sweaters, with bells on their shoes,
Environmental services polished ’til the whole place gleamed,
Everyone had seasonal spirit, it seemed.
Outfits were chosen by residents with care,
Make-up and hairdos were all an affair.
Aides helped as needed with jewelry and ties,
To make sure “their people” looked fetching and wise.
Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, I take a special moment for gratitude and to reflect on the many blessings of my life. I owe a lot of them to working in long-term care, and my LTC career is a blessing in itself.
1. I get the chance to learn from experience — other people’s experience. Talking to elders gives me insight about what leads to happiness and what doesn’t. I’d like to think this has spared me a few mistakes along the road.
2. LTC has improved my perspective. On days when I feel the weight of too many tasks to accomplish, I remember how lucky I am to be physically capable of taking care of my responsibilities. This allows me to focus on constructing a life I’ll be able to look back on with satisfaction when I’m 85 years old.
3. I’m told regularly how much I’m appreciated. Residents express their gratitude for my assistance in various ways. It could be a beaming smile at my approach, finding out from a family member that I’m talked about all the time, or a warm comment like, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” It’s a good reason to get to work every day.
4. Little things make people so happy. Cleaning off a pair of smudged eyeglasses or changing a clock battery can turn me into a hero. It’s really easy and feels really good.
Signature HealthCARE alerted me (via Tweet!) about their Quality of Life program where they recognize outstanding residents and others in their community. On October 9th at 6pm ET, Signature HealthCARE will simultaneously induct over 350 distinguished individuals in 87 care centers into their Hall of Fame.
The Signature Hall of Fame website contains a gallery of photos and stories of the accomplishments of inductees in various areas of life such as leadership, public service, and volunteerism. I particularly like the section on personal accomplishments. See the video below (or click here) to find out more about the program.
As a psychologist I’ve heard many very private stories of residents who have lived for years with persistent pain, came through a childhood of prejudice, abuse, and/or poverty, and work hard to keep a positive attitude despite disability. As I’ve told some of “my” residents, I don’t find celebrity interviews nearly as interesting or impressive as hearing their stories.
If your facility has found a unique way to honor residents and staff, please share it in the Comments section.
As a psychologist, I have the privilege of hearing the perspective of residents on a regular basis. For those of you who aren’t so lucky, here’s an insightful video by a resident of an assisted living facility. Dick Weinman, retired professor of broadcast communications at Oregon State University, author and former radio personality, provides a moving account of his experiences as a resident.
This article and accompanying video from the New York Times shows the power of a compassionate and inspirational leader and the willingness and dedication of a student (who happens to be 90). Falls prevention at its best. Be sure to check out the photos in the article. And now please excuse me, I’m going to go work out.
