What is Culture Change?
- A PersonFirst approach to care
- It requires knowledge of our residents’ preferences and life stories
- It needs facility systems that support our staff in providing care on our residents’ own schedule and preferences
- It requires empowerment of our staff in self-directed teams so that they can make decisions in the moment, for our residents
The Cedars has been on the Culture Change journey for a while. And now we have a company called Action Pact to help us. They are experts on Culture Change and provide trainings for staff in all departments, volunteers, family and residents.
The PersonFirst Approach
In order to make home, we must start by knowing and honoring an individual’s life, stories and desires. To create a meaningful life, we all have five human needs that must be filled:
- Inclusion: we all need to be part of a larger group, to be included in life around us.
- Comfort: provide warmth, strength, a feeling of security to help us hold it together when we are in fear of falling apart.
- Identity: to know who we are and where we came from.
- Occupation: to be involved in the process of daily life, drawing on our abilities and powers. It’s the opposite of boredom.
- Attachment: to bond with another human being helps us feel safe.
What Makes Your Home a ‘Home”?
Clinical studies have shown that nursing home residents have the same environmental stressors as homeless individuals. Traditional nursing homes lack private spaces, and have many noises and routines that don’t fit what we do in our own homes.
One goal of the Household Model is to create a place that looks and feels like home—so that it can become our residents’ home—a sanctuary and a space where visitors want to stay and visit, and experience the comforts of their loved ones at home.
The Steering Team
This is a group of 15 staff from all departments and volunteers that meet weekly to make immediate changes that will further the adoption of person-centered care and prepare us for the move into our new Households.
Our Mission: To create a home that empowers seniors and staff by facilitating an open and inclusive community that honors all individuals and their life’s journey.
To find out more, visit actionpact.com/resources
Grow bold with us.