Retirement News : Seniors : Nursing homes going through 'culture change'

Nursing homes going through 'culture change'

Date Added: 25-10-2005

The "pioneer movement" is making a lot of progress in American nursing care, overcoming the three plagues of long-term care: Loneliness, helplessness and boredom.  Read the excerpt below:

Sunday, October 23, 2005

By Kelly Wilson

Quincy Herald Whig - Quincy,IL,USA

When it's time for Paula Connell to go to a nursing home, she knows what she wants.

She wants a dining room with tablecloths, linen napkins and a restaurant-style menu.

She wants a spa that offers massages.

She wants to make her own decisions — about when to get up and when to go to bed, about when she'll take her shower or bath, about when she'll eat and when she'll take her medications.

She wants to stay in a "neighborhood," not on a "nursing unit."

Above all, she wants to continue to live life to the fullest — to enjoy spontaneous activities with family and friends, to continue learning new things, to be involved in her community.

Sound like an unrealistic scenario?

Connell says it's definitely a possibility as nursing homes throughout the country are beginning to embrace a new philosophy called "culture change" that aims to make residents' lives more satisfying and meaningful.

The goal of this "culture change" movement — also called the "pioneer movement" or "person-directed care" — is to combat the three plagues of long-term care: Loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

Read the entire article: http://www.whig.com/284535486461798.php