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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2005
Historic Change in Nursing
Homes Burgeoning in Illinois
(Chicago,
IL) -- Today, Illinois nursing homes are taking
significant steps to put the “home” back in nursing
home. By
joining in a revolutionary shift in thinking about life
in long term care facilities – called the Pioneer
Movement – nursing home leaders and staff are
cultivating elder-centered communities that are more
life-affirming, satisfying and meaningful for residents.
Through
this growing national movement, thousands of health care
professionals from around the country are breaking free
from the institutional, hospital-like model that has
served as the blueprint for today’s nursing homes.
These professionals are:
- Making
the nursing home environment more home-like;
- Having
the same staff permanently assigned to the same
residents;
- Offering
buffet meals and restaurant-style service;
- Developing
spa-like settings for bathing;
- Creating
smaller neighborhoods within a larger facility;
- Bringing
in pets, plants and children; and
- Offering
further opportunities for community involvement,
daily activities and increased quality of life.
“Our
hope is that the Pioneer Movement will transform the
culture of aging in America,” says Myrtle Klauer, an
expert on Pioneer Practices and director of resident
services at the Illinois Council on Long Term Care.
The Council is a statewide association of nursing
home professionals whose members are leading the way for
the Pioneer Movement in the Midwest.
For example:
·
Residents
living at Capitol
Care Center in Springfield
now have permanently assigned staff that gets to know
them and better understand their health conditions,
needs and interests.
Residents also wake up, bathe and go to bed when
they want, instead of following a regimented schedule.
The facility is also creating separate
neighborhoods within the facility, each decorated with
home-like touches chosen by the residents.
·
Countryside
Care Centre
in Aurora
recently launched a fine dining program to replace its
standard tray-based food service.
Residents choose from expanded menus that include
soups and desserts; enjoy off-tray choices, linen
napkins and tablecloths; plan formal dinners that
include wine; and are greeted by a hostess during lunch
and dinner.
·
Residents
living at Sheridan
Health Care Center in Zion
enjoy buffet dining.
Individuals choose from a variety of hot and cold
foods; serve themselves or receive restaurant-style wait
service; and sit at tables covered by linen tablecloths
and napkins and decorated with flowers.
During breakfast, residents enjoy offerings from
an omelet station. In addition, this facility is
part of the Lake County Pioneer Coalition, in which area
professionals share success stories on creating
home-like environments for their residents.
Dozens
of Illinois nursing home professionals are members of
the Illinois Pioneer Coalition, a group dedicated to
changing the culture of nursing homes in Illinois. This
group is sponsoring the Illinois Pioneer Summit
on October 12 and 13 in Springfield, during which
Pioneer Movement experts from around the state will
discuss this historic change with hundreds of Illinois
nursing home representatives.
“We
want to advance from the standard model for nursing home
care to one that is more focused on the residents’
quality of life,” said Klauer. “Residents should
have more independence, being able to get up when they
want to, choose what they want to eat and go to bed when
they’re ready. We want the staff to know more about
the residents they serve and develop closer
relationships with them. The overriding goal is to make
Illinois nursing homes more like a real home.”
#
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The
Illinois Council on Long Term Care is a professional
association of nearly 200 nursing facilities committed
to quality residential health care in Illinois through a
productive and responsible partnership between the
private and public sectors. The Council represents more
than 26,000 nursing home professionals serving more than
37,000 residents. For more information on long term care
issues, please visit the Illinois Council’s Web site
at www.nursinghome.org.
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