Culture Change in Action

Change is happening in the Nursing Home industry. For an industry that was built as an extension of the hospital many years ago the change to become more homelike has been often scoffed at. The basic medical model is flawed. We have tried for years to improve it, when what we really need to do is transform it to something new-an alternative. Colorado has embarked on a journey to make Long Term care settings more Elder-centered communities rather than institutions.

The old mind set was to bend the elder's schedules around the facility and staff believing that our routine made for more efficient care and services. Culture Change is changing this mind set in that no more overhead pages, no more slick cold floors and no more 5 a.m. wake up calls will exist. Choice is key in a facility pursuing Culture Change. One of the philosophies being pursued to reach this goal is The Eden Alternative. This is trying to improve the Elder communities by addressing the three plagues they have identified in Long Term Care. They are loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

Keeping decision making close to the elders is important and contradicts the institutional model. Allowing elders to continue being involved in decision making allows for them to maintain their dignity and abilities regardless of physical or mental limitations. Eden Alternative encourages growth and antidotes to the three plagues for both elders and front line staff. I t also guides away from the rigid structure of institutions that can't care for individuals in a manner that will help them grow. Institutions don't respect diversity or individual choices. They discourage variety and spontaneity because it disrupts the order of the facility. However, who wants to live that way? We all want to feel needed, we want choices in our lives and we want to pursue our likes and interests that we enjoy individually.

There are four facilities in Colorado who have accepted the challenge of change and become Eden Alternative Certified, two of which are in Northern Colorado. Visiting an Eden Certified facility is highly encouraged in order to see the future of long term care. The two Northern Colorado facilities are Fairacres Manor in Greeley and Ft. Collins Good Samaritan Village.