Our Stories
A Playground, Angels, and Choices: Exempla Colorado Lutheran Home
More Than Curtains and What Time You Eat Breakfast: Sierra Healthcare Community
A Playground, Angels, and Choices:
Exempla Colorado Lutheran Home– Arvada, CO
Written by Christie Schler
Staff members from Exempla Colorado Lutheran Home (ECLH) were asked to share their culture change stories with the wider community so that we could hear their voices at our monthly gatherings and through our website. Staff from ECLH have presented at educational forums held by the CCCC, both in Denver and in Fort Collins at the Northern branch of the CCCC. Several interviews were conducted at ECLH near the end of 2007 in an attempt to find out more about their culture change journey. Those interviewed shared the following:
The administrator at ECLH, Susan Black, states that the Eden Alternative is the philosophy that drives their culture change journey. ECLH is an Eden registered home and the administrator herself is an Eden Mentor and Educator. Being an Eden Educator allows her to hold Eden trainings for her staff three times per year, and allows for many of the staff to be Eden Associates. When asked what she is excited about in doing the work of culture change at ECLH, she states she believes culture change is the “forefront” of the work in long term care these days and that it is about “doing the right thing for the right reasons.” Ms. Black has just been elected to the CCCC Board of Directors for a two year term.
In 2003, she and fellow staff members embarked on a road trip to tour and hear about other facilities’ culture change journeys. This trip became the beginning of ECLH’s culture change journey. Along with the road trip, Ms. Black has also had the experience of having been admitted to her own facility! This gave her the opportunity to gain a true feel of nursing home care from a resident’s perspective. More recently, she has been instrumental in the culture change journey through championing the building of a playground on the home’s grounds. During the interview she took this writer out the back of the facility to look at the playground… though it was a cold, fall day, this writer could easily imagine the sounds of children playing and those sounds entering the windows of the residents living there come the spring.
Local Home Receives Eden Tree
Christopher House in Wheat Ridge, Colorado is honored with an Eden Tree by Sandy Ransom, Eden Alternative Regional Coordinator in May 2005.
One of the residents whose window looks out on the newly built playground was also interviewed. She welcomed this writer into her apartment in the independent living section of ECLH and began to explain to this writer that she was the first resident to become an Eden Associate at the Exempla home. She read to me the Eden definition of an elder and the 10 Principles of the Eden Alternative. She explained to me that she is committed to Eden’s vision of eliminating the “plagues of loneliness, hopelessness, and boredom,” and stated, “I do my part in helping the elders from getting these plagues, which really helps me too!”
This elder proceeded to share with me a story of welcoming a new resident into their community. She also read to me the speech she gave at the playground dedication, and talked about how becoming an Eden Associate has improved her life. She stated “Eden makes my life more complete,” and explained that it is through the connections she has made with other people where she lives that helps keep her happy and having fun. She states that it is important to her to “stay busy, be friends with everyone, and say hi and speak to everyone.”
The Elder ended our interview by sharing a story with me about the nursing home care at ECLH. She stated that she spent three months in the nursing home after a surgery and she cried when it was time for her to return to independent living, as she states, “I had made so many friends.” While she was in training to become an Eden Associate, she states that the staff members from the nursing home were attempting to come up with a new name for the C.N.A.’s who have been traditionally called “floaters.” She reports that she felt she made a big contribution in suggesting that they be called “angels” and she stated to me, “because that’s what they are, angels.”
The final interview was conducted with a C.N.A. who has been at ECLH for over two years and recently became an Eden Associate. In regard to Eden, she states “I feel like I really agree with it and I have learned a lot.” She reports that when she was in nursing school in the Philippines she would dream about taking care of people, and now that she is at ECLH she finds this dream coming true. She’s realized a lot of what she has learned through Eden, “I can apply it even to myself!” She voiced to this writer that she likes that the residents have “more freedom, they feel like they are in their own home and they have choices.” She really emphasized that “the biggest thing is giving them choices,” and that the residents get to be “the center of their own care.” Looking at herself as a leader in the culture change journey at ECLH, she stated that “it can be hard to implement and explain sometimes, but you just have to take one thing at a time.” In her eyes, she feels like she can contribute though communication, team work, and sharing her talents with the residents.
These stories bring culture change alive! Can you hear their voices???
More Than Curtains and What Time You Eat Breakfast:
Sierra Healthcare Community- Lakewood, CO
Friday, June 22nd, 2007
Written by Christie Schler
This summer, a presentation was given to the CCCC by the mother of a resident at Sierra Healthcare. After her presentation she was interviewed at Sierra with her fiancé: She explained to me that she and her family went through numerous “different levels of failure” within the mental health/developmentally disabled communities before finally receiving the help that they needed from Sierra Healthcare. Her son (now 24 years old) was diagnosed with Asperger’s (a form of High Functioning Autism), medically fragile Severe Early-Onset Rapid Cycling Bi-polar Disorder, and Sensory Integration Dysfunction, and he experienced 5 court-ordered, locked-unit hospitalizations in the year prior to moving to Sierra. She reports that many in her family felt that the move into a nursing home would be the end for her 21 year old son, but now, after he has been at Sierra for over three years, she and her fiancé proudly proclaim that the move to Sierra was, “much more a beginning than an end.” Here is what they report about Sierra Healthcare Community and their Culture Change journey:
- “My son is now able to be independent from mom and dad … it is a cooperative effort between their staff and us … he has a ‘Care Team’ … they take into consideration his needs, sometimes rewriting the protocols … they are constantly helping him to empower himself.”
- They report that their son has not required hospitalization since admission to Sierra and is now attending college with a 4.0 GPA. They state that they see now that he “can be successful and grow as an individual … he is not lost to society like he could have been … what an accomplishment for our son and the staff at Sierra!”
- In regards to Culture Change, they specifically stated that they understand that “curtains and what time you eat breakfast” are important things, but that for them, it has been about “meeting our son’s unique needs … Sierra has gone out of their way to make sure his life has meaning.”
At the end of the interview they took me down to their son’s room to meet him. He greeted me warmly with a smile and a handshake. He had me sit next to him as he showed me his multi-media artwork on his computer. We viewed a DVD he created, showing some of the many activities he participated in last year, before he had to be off to his classes at Red Rocks Community College. As we walked out of his room and he signed out to leave, his parents showed me the store for the Community Members of his neighborhood. He proudly proclaimed to me, “I am the CEO of the store!” As we walked out and through the kitchen where he received a sack lunch to take with him he told me that he had once worked part time in the kitchen. I asked him, “not anymore?” He responded with a big smile, “Nope, I like to sleep in now!”
Finally, his mother informs me that “For my son, a life at Sierra - the medical supports they provide, and its efforts at Culture Change - means a life filled with hope… this is important, because for my son, or anyone for that matter, a life without hope is no life at all.”
Betty's B & B
Betty woke up with a faint smile as the sunlight streamed past her country-style curtains. She was an early riser, and liked to have her coffee the FIRST thing. Kelley always remembered her wish, and the steaming cup was already at her bedside. Next to it was the chocolate candy she had saved from the night before, which had been on her pillow, with the spread turned down, last night. "Thank goodness for the small pleasures" she thought to herself as she took her first sip of delicious coffee.
Betty changed into her comfortable house dress and slip on shoes, and came to the "Breakfast Nook." She was the first guest to arrive, but was brightly greeted by a young lady in a crisp apron who took her order. Soft music was playing as she leaned back in anticipation of her meal. Within minutes her soft poached egg, sausage, perfect pancake (all on a warm plate) with hot maple syrup were set in front of her, next to her fruit smoothy. The young lady smiled and asked if she needed anything else. "No" she responded as she watched her friends approaching her table "this is a perfect way to start the day."
So where is this delightful bed and breakfast? It could become a reality in any of our facilities, if we so choose. A few components are:
- The resident was allowed to wake up on "her own time"
- Special desires were catered to (e.g. coffee at bedside)
- An attractive dining atmosphere was created
- "Open dining" was available for breakfast, which allowed residents to be served breakfast at any time within a2 hour time span
- Pleasant servers, clean and courteous, unrushed
- Delicious food, choices available, temperature correct
The task before us: to anticipate, meet and respond to our residents' dining needs
Mary Lynn Willis, RD, Piñon Management,Inc.
San Luis Care Center - Alamosa, Colorado
Carol Riggenbaugh, NHA and her team
Presented at the CCCC on July 22, 2005
San Luis Care Center has been transforming their culture for 8 years. Carol Riggenbaugh, the Administrator became an Eden Associate in 1997. They now have "universal workers" and each hallway has two neighborhoods or houses. The staff and elders named the houses, and the same team is assigned to each house. Carol, NHA said this promotes relationship-building and it is much easier to problem solve.
Here are a few quotes from their staff and elder resident presented to the Colorado Culture Change Coalition's Educational Forum on July 22, 2005:
Carol Riggenbaugh, Administrator
“We schedule ourselves around the elder, not them to us.”
Lane - Maintenance Director
“We need to change ourselves.”
“Go slow.”
“Go with the flow.”
Betty - Elder
“We've gotten closer together.”
“We got to know each other (in our house), we've had a lot of fun together.”
“It's meant a social change in our whole atmosphere.”
“It's just been marvelous.”
“Has given us all more purpose.”
“We're happier.”
“I think it's nice the housekeepers are aides now, they get to talk to us more.”
Isabelle - former housekeeper, now CNA Assistant
“I watch TV with them, I read to them.”
“I helped to name our home, Tender-Heart Cottage.”
“We have a lot of fun together.”
“The changes were hard for me, I'm not into changes.”
“One time this change made me cry, I'd never done the CNA stuff before.”
“The elderly are the best to listen to.”
Before - “we didn't get into each other's way.” (CNAs and housekeepers)
Now - “we all share our work together and we all thank each other.”
Alice - Head Cook
Before - served 3 meals at 7:00, 12:00, and 5:00 with a 5-week menu cycle
Now - restaurant style
“Carlos eats little meals all day long, we give him whatever he wants.”
“I'm part of one house - I talk with elders, sit with them.”
San Luis Care Center
240 Craft Drive
Alamosa, Colorado 81101-2274
719-589-9081
Holly Nursing Care Center
LaVonda Cathcart, NHA and her team
Presented at Colorado Culture Change Coalition on August 26, 2005
Holly Nursing Care Center is located in southeastern Colorado in a small rural community. The home recently became an “Eden Alternative” registered facility. The facility serves 45 Elders, staff and family members.
LaVonda Cathcart, NHA, an Elder, Jo and members of the staff presented to the Colorado Culture Change Coalition on August 26, 2005. The panel discussed their Eden journey, called; "A Life Worth Living". The panel members and LaVonda discussed their loving companions (dogs, cats and birds), putting meaning into the life of elders, changing how we do things, like schedules, and the need for "home" and "fun". We learned about the neighborhoods they developed, without the structure of nurses stations, how elders participate in setting tables for meals and taking meal orders from other elders. The panel talked about "putting passion and compassion back into their lives. A great power point presentation full with pictures of the home, elders and staff showed their culture change journey.
Testimonials from the panel members were:
RN: “I didn't go to RN school to cook, but I realized I too get up in the middle of the night for a snack. Now in our home you can go into the pantry and make a snack 24/7. It's great. I really enjoy talking with the elders and building relationships. The wonderful thing about culture change is all being a family.”
Dietary: “Whole kitchen is driven by the residents.”
Resident: “It's not a nursing home it is a CARE center.”
Dietary: “It's a whole different atmosphere because of hugging.”
Holly Nursing Care Center
320 North 8th Street
Holly, Colorado 81047
719-537-6555
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