Long Term Care: Culture Change

Program Description:
“Quality of life” in a long term residential facility is a function of the decision-making environment and the degree to which the resident is actively involved in the decisions that shape his or her life. Concomitantly, a stable and quality work environment is one in which staff are recognized for understanding resident needs, lifestyle and preferences; it is where staff are empowered to alter work activities to suit the varied needs of the resident population. This transformative paradigm is called “Culture Change” which is borne out of the changing demographic of the elderly and a desire to “awaken” and engage residents in life in a nursing home. Culture change teaches homes to move away from strict, institutional policies that largely ignore resident needs and preferences. Physical restructuring for culture change emphasizes that the resident community is vital. Renovation/construction creates excitement, supports organizational change and allows serious consideration of creating households specific to resident care needs and preferences.