A Way Back Home:
Three Components of Culture Change in Long Term Care
Action Pact, Inc. © 2008.
About the Kit:
Nursing homes: Even those providing
the best care would scarcely be considered "home" by those who live or work in them. But
now, a nationwide movement of caregivers, elders and their supporters are changing the
culture of long-term care institutions to create real homes for residents. "A Way Back
Home" shows how.
The video details the journey started with the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 known
as OBRA '87, federal legislation that guarantees rights to frail elders in nursing homes. It
describes the efforts by Lifespan of Rochester, NY, to pull together innovating leaders into
an organization that subsequently became the Pioneer Network. These visionaries included
Joanne Rader (Individualized Care); Charlene Boyd (Resident-Directed Care at Providence
Mount St. Vincent), Barry Barkin (The Regenerative Community at Live Oak) and Dr. Bill Thomas
(The Eden Alternative).
From this early group of pioneers grew a social movement that has brought about a
dramatic re-thinking of traditional nursing care. This video tells the story of six culture
changing organizations, that learned from these early innovators. Steve Shields, CEO of
one well-known culture change example, Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community in Manhattan,
Kansas, walks us through their transformational process.
"A Way Back Home" examines the current state of nursing home care, the core concepts
of culture change and practical steps for creating a home environment in your facility.
You will hear nursing home managers and staff tell how they changed physical and
organizational structures, routines and job descriptions - and why they would never go back
to the old way. You will hear elders and their family members describe the profound,
positive differences these changes have made in their lives. And you will hear
administrators and CEOs offer a solid business case for culture change.
If you own, work or live in a nursing home; or if you are merely an aging baby boomer
with the possibility of a nursing home in your future, "A Way Back Home" is for you.
Broad enough in scope for educating and organizing community support for culture change,
it is sufficiently detailed for staff in-services on implementing lasting changes in the
nursing home.
The companion workbook to the journey mapped out in the A Way Back Home DVD
will help you address the issues characterized by each of the "three Rs":
Renovating into home, Reframing the organization and Renewing the spirit.
Learning points, discussion questions, activities and practical suggestions
are used along with clips from the DVD to introduce the key concepts of each
"R" to your changing organization. The material is versatile enough that you
can build a whole day of training from it or do a 15 minute "touch-up" on a
specific issue. You'll see what the path back home looks like in the DVD and
the workbook will be your personal guide.
