From Ozark Health Nursing Center
Ozark Health Nursing Center in Clinton is taking part in a statewide program that will build on current efforts to make “person-centered care” a reality in Arkansas’ nursing homes. The concept is simple but challenging: Give residents more of a voice in daily decision-making, and strengthen relationships to make life in the home more like life outside one.
For several years, long-term care has been undergoing a transformation, referred to in the long-term care community as “culture change.” The goal is to increase resident’s involvement in decisions that affect their care, daily schedules and lifestyles to be more similar to their prior life outside the nursing home. With an approach based on a number of culture change concepts, such as the Eden Alternative, the Greenhouse Model, and the Pioneer Network, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care’s Arkansas Innovative Performance Program (AIPP) will work alongside a selected group of homes to assist with the application of these concepts.
AIPP, in partnership with the state’s Office of Long Term Care and the Arkansas Health Care Association, is working with 10 nursing homes and one assisted living facilities across the state for the third year of this intensive culture change program. The focus will be to expand the boundaries of how we define culture change, to go beyond a physical remodel of the building to the acceptance of a remodel of the heart within the staff. One of the concepts of culture change is consistently assigning staff members to care for the same group of residents, so they can strengthen relationships and immediately recognize changes in residents’ health or behavior.
This program began in September 2010. Those nursing homes taking part are:
Corning Therapy and Living Center, Corning
Craighead Nursing Center, Jonesboro
Fayetteville Veterans Home, Fayetteville
Lonoke Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Lonoke
Ozark Health Nursing Center, Clinton
Rolling Hills Nursing Center, Batesville
St. John’s Place of Arkansas, LLC, Fordyce
Trumann Health and Rehabilitation Center, Trumann
Westwood Health and Rehab, Inc., Springdale
Woodruff County Health Center, McCrory