Guest Blog: "The Resident Experience"
This is a guest blog by Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC:
I have contended that not every nursing facility can become a Green House, small homes that cater to residents where the home is primary and nursing facility secondary in the equation. I believe that traditional individual facilities can enhance the experience themselves. The new Gables Care Center at the Boutwells Landing senior housing complex in Minnesota is an example.
The 108-bed care center is believed to be the first in the nation designed around the "Liberty" concept, which enables residents to do what they want to do when they want to do it.
Residents have autonomy over how they lead their lives -- when they wake up and go to bed, when and what they eat, and when and how often they receive personal care. Every aspect -- from design to services to technology -- has been designed around the experience.
I had the opportunity to write an article for Health Leaders entitled The Chief Experience Officer that looked at having someone in a hospital or long term care facility responsible for how the health care experience is delivered, spiritually, physically, clinically. As a marketer, I wrote it simply to support the notion that if you provide a great experience for people, they will talk about it. Simple, no brainer, word of mouth marketing is the cheapest and best marketing of all. As a result of that article the Cleveland Clinic created just such a position.
I do believe that nursing homes need (and some are) to change their approach to residents so that it is about their needs, on their time, at their convenience.
Sunny Hill Nursing Home in Joliet, IL is another example of a facility that is changing and was written about in The Chicago Tribune on Jan. 28.
Schedules once rigid are now flexible. Residents decide when to wake, eat, bathe and exercise. Residents have one assigned nurse and residents and their families can have input about who they want as caretakers. Residents also can have a say as to who is hired.
"No duh!" you might say, isn't that the way things are supposed to be? Well sorta. Nursing homes are perceived as too much like being a hospital for the long-term and not a place to live another chapter in your life in quality.
The Commonwealth Fund reported last year that a third of the country's roughly 16,000 nursing homes have adopted cultural-change practices and that another quarter are moving in that direction. The federal government has now included a segment on cultural change in Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home.
At Sunny Hill, the physical additions are all contributing to the experience as well, creating a soothing environment and one that encourages socialization. And because of these additions the facility has actually reduced its capacity to 238 beds from 300.
So when evaluating your own facilities, consider the experience.
Are specific care-givers assigned to residents?
Can residents and families choose their care-givers?
Can residents do things on their schedule?
Do residents have a say in hiring, even interviewing or meeting candidates?
Does the physical environment support the resident experience?
Anthony Cirillo, FACHE, ABC is a healthcare consultant, ombudsman and expert blogger for Wellsphere in the area of aging and senior health. He consults with long-term care facilities and is available for management retreats and association keynotes. His is the author of "Who Moved My Dentures?" a book that dispels myths about long-term care. To read more, go to http://www.4wardfast.com/ and http://www.anthonyssong.com/