We’re all universal workers, even though we have titles
Posted by Kim on December 29th, 2005 / Print This Post
It’s really too bad these models of care cannot be adapted to work in the nursing home environment. This stuff could work but staff are too stuck in their own ways to want to make change. We forget that nursing homes are a service, not a lifestyle, offered.
FORSYTH - Moving into a long-term care facility doesn’t have to mean losing your identity, which is the premise behind an emerging type of community in Forsyth.Hickory Point Christian Village, 565 W. Marion Ave., will open 18 private memory care suites called Haven House in February. The new option is for people age 55 and older with memory loss and who require supervision and assistance but do not require skilled nursing services.
Based on a “social model,” the furnished apartments and common areas boast of a homelike environment that encourages individuality, human interaction and holistic health.
“The focus is on their remaining abilities as opposed to their disabilities,” said Julie Evers, director of well being for Haven House.
Restaurant-style dining, for instance, allows them to choose items from a menu. The structure of the day also respects the residents’ preferences, such as getting up at 6 a.m. and making coffee or sleeping until noon and taking a bath at night. There are no visiting hours, as family and friends can stop by any time.
“It’s respecting their daily routine that they had in their community,” Evers said. “We are structuring the staff around them.”
The staff, from the administrators to the maintenance crew, is specially trained in memory care.
“We’re all universal workers, even though we have titles,” she said.