Signature HealthCare of Rogersville recently hosted a gala event for Elders from six Signature HealthCare communities in the East Tennessee area.
Elders traveled from all over East TN in their formal attire to dance the night away. This year’s event theme was “Time Of My Life” and many Elders did in fact have the time of their life. The scene was set with perfect decor, great food, and an atmosphere of excitement as the night got started.
Connectedness, one of the The Eden Alternative’s Domains of Well Being is vital for all humanity. Connectedness is something that not only brings us closer to those around us but gives us the sense of belonging to a greater community.
I have been thinking a lot lately about gifts and talents in our lives. I think about how many of the ”talents” that I have took much time and effort to cultivate into something useful. We have all heard if you don’t “use it” you “lose it” spoken of many things during the course of our lives.
“You had me at hello” is one of the most famous movie lines that I can remember. Isn’t it true that when we first meet someone there is potential for either a positive or negative relationship with that person? The first impression is in fact a moment in time that we can never take back.
I think back to my first impression of nursing homes. I can remember the first time I walked in a nursing home at the age of 10 or 11 and Elders were yelling for me to help them from their rooms. I can visually remember restraints and the overwhelming feeling of sadness that accompanied my visit. I was only there with a church group, walking through to sing Christmas carols but yet it left a mark on me.
I wrote an article for ChangingAging recently entitled, I Hate Bingo. I have had a few days to really reflect on my article and some of the comments that were sent my way by various readers.
Looking at what it means to be institutionalized, it reeks of activities like bingo, ball tosses, and the dreaded laundry folding. While all these things may have their place in life (I suppose), I can’t imagine waking up one day and saying, “I can’t wait to go to ball toss today” OR “It’s time to fold towels all day”. The sore point is that typically the balls aren’t even fun balls that are being tossed about and the towels are typically only white towels with no color. While there may be a level of engagement in some of these things, have we ever stopped to question ourselves on why that is? Is it because the Elders have become so rigid in the thought that it is all they can do? Is it because we have placed limitations on them without knowing their capabilities?
Home sweet home. The words have a nice ring to it, don’t they? There are so many things that I associate with home. For instance, my favorite chair, my family, curling up with a good book, and of course my beautiful labradoodle. The buzz words in long term care right now all seem to revolve around the terms “culture change” or “homelike” and it seems everybody is on a bandwagon to ”do” these things. The truth is there is a huge difference between what is “homelike” and what is home!
Geneva, who lives at Clinton County Care and Rehab in Albany, Ky speaks quite a bit about what it means to be at home below:
“I liked it, it was just the special feeling that you got”, said one of the Elders who call Signature HealthCare of Fentress County their home. This beautiful quote was used in relation to the new family style dining experience the home kicked off last week.
January 16th was a day the Elders and Stakeholders of Riverview Healthcare Center in Prestonsburg, Ky will hold dear to their heart. After much planning and over a year of persistence in this matter, the home was able to celebrate a victory in their culture change journey as they watched one of their nurse’s stations go away.
You may ask, why remove the nurse’s station? The nurse’s station symbolizes everything that is institutional. It reminds us of a hospital, not a home. The nurse’s station is often the ”center” of activity in long term care facilities. In my home, the kitchen is the center of activity. When I am cooking, my family is always there. We have many good memories in our kitchen. The kitchen table is a place where we have sat down for many dinners, played many family games, and had many great bonding experiences.
My friends who know me (and I mean really know me) know that I am extremely picky about my food. For example, my eggs must be over medium, I only drink decaf coffee, I hate for my food to touch on the plate, and I treat myself to one soda a day (preferably a root beer). When I get to a restaurant late and they have ordered my soda or coffee for me, it makes me always feel special that they remembered just the way I like it.
Knowing another’s likes and dislikes is so much more than completing an assessment in a rushed state because there are five more waiting. It has to be about true friendship. Friendship is the one thing that makes us feel loved, special, and human. When we become friends, it means that you are willing to give up your time, love, and energy to share parts of your world with me.
It’s the time of year when traditionally I do quite a bit of thinking about the year that is about to come to an end, the year that lies ahead full of possibilities and endless dreams, and the many resolutions that I may or may not keep.
As I sat down to really reflect on the year with all its ups and downs, I realized this year I have had such a wonderful opportunity to grow and learn from some amazing people who influence long term care across the globe. However, I also realized I learned the most this year from the Elders who came in and out of my life over the past 12 months.
