Pioneer Network: Changing the Culture of Aging, Care and Support

Kim Warchol, an occupational therapist and the President and Founder of Dementia Care Specialists at Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) joins Penny Cook to discuss the power of person-centered care, especially for those who identify as LGBTQ+. CPI is a member of the Pioneer Partner Network. Kim and Penny talk about how to empower the broader team (families, clients/residents and staff working together) to work together to support our elders and those living with dementia and focus on their behavioral and emotional wellness.

Join Joanne Rader in a conversation with João Partel Araujo and Yves Gineste in a conversation about the Gineste-Marescotti® Care Methodology, also known as Humanitude®.  In this podcast, you will learn the story of what inspired Humanitude, what it is all about, and how the team from Humanitude is working to bring it to the US.

A multimodal care methodology for any vulnerable dependent person, such as those living with dementia, post-stroke dependency, physical or mental disabilities, etc. It is comprised of more than 150 care techniques based on four pillars: gaze, speech, touch and verticality.

Pioneer Network is pleased to have Joanne, João and his colleague Franck DeVivie present “An Introduction to Humanitude® Care”, at Pioneer Network’s annual conference in Denver July 27-30 for a session.

http://www.humanitude.pt/

Being a Learning Organization is key to growing and supporting a person-directed culture. Educators Anna Ortigara, Marla DeVries, Tim Knight, Jacquie Hurt, Carrie Chiusano, and John Hobday have developed four outstanding sessions for the Pioneer Network 2022 Pioneering a New Culture of Aging Conference being held in July, but we can't wait until July for the learning to begin.  And so, in this podcast, they will share some insights including challenges organizations face as they create and deliver education, why supporting Learning & Development is so critical, learning as a process versus an event, and other ideas to help you create a learning organization .  

After listening to the podcast, click here to join them for a virtual learning circle/discussion on Thursday, May 19 at 2PM EDT for further learning and exploration on this important topic. 

Research shows the significant benefits of joy, to our minds and bodies - so why not apply a creative, joyful lens to the work you do?  Join Jessica McCracken and Katie Wade from Creative Spark, a Front Porch program, as they share thoughts about joy in the workplace.  And then be sure to join Jessica and Katie on Thursday, April  21st at 1PM EDT for further discussion.  They will also conduct interactive exercises to guide you as we create, connect, and share. And we won't forget to throw in a dash of humor!  Click here to save your place.

Leslie Pedtke is currently working as an adjunct professor at Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo. A long-time advocate of person-directed care (you may be familiar with her book, What Living as a Resident Care Teach Long-Term Care Staff), Leslie was taken aback when 13 students in her Gerontology class shared that they felt that although person-directed care was a wonderful idea, it was not realistic, especially given the climate of the staffing shortage in healthcare.

It seemed to Leslie that she had some “explaining to do”! And so, Leslie invited Pioneer Network staff members, Penny Cook, President & CEO and Joan Devine, Director of Education, to join her in sharing with her students just what Person-Directed care is – and how it can and needs to be a part of the future.

The lessons and stories shared in the interview will hopefully convince Leslie’s students that person-directed care is real and can thrive, even in today’s climate, and we hope they will also inspire others to continue their work in growing person-directed cultures.

Blogs referenced in the interview:

In the culture change movement, we always talk about the resident voice – the value, how it needs to be heard in all aspects of our work. And who better to share their expertise on this topic than a resident who has actually been a member of her community’s board of directors.

In this podcast, Jan Spalding, shares her insights and experiences as a resident at John Knox Village in Pompano Beach, FL, and former member of their Board of Directors.

After listening to the podcast, we invite you to join Jan along with Gerry Stryker and Monica McFee from the Administrative team at John Knox Village, for further discussion.  Wednesday, March 23 at 1:00 PM EDT.  CLICK HERE to save your spot!

Perhaps there's a spot on your organization's board for a resident!  

Conversations and considerations of COVID-19 have and continue to dominate a large part of our long-term care communities, often dictating how decisions are made. From dining to visitation, just about every aspect of life in these communities has been affected and changed by the pandemic. Now over 2 years later, it is time to adapt and adjust our way of thinking and figure out how we can once again prioritize resident voice in our decision-making. While the culture change fundamentals of a decade ago remain valid and valuable, they nonetheless need to be reimagined in order to be effectively implemented in today’s reality of staffing shortages and other challenges.

Heather Riley, a Licensed Master of Social Work and Licensed Nursing Home Administrator with over 20 years of experience working in long-term care. Heather has worked throughout her career to incorporate culture change principles and person-directed care practices into the communities she worked in and consulted with. 

In the podcast, she shares ideas on how we can reimagine consistent assignment, a core element of culture change, share ideas for improving new and/or agency staff orientation, and offer solutions such as the creation of resident preference cards and other ideas that individually and/or implemented together can positively impact a community while simultaneously prioritizing resident voice.

Though like all of us, she doesn’t have all the answers, she’ll share her thoughts, and then invite you to join her for further conversation and exploration of the question, where we go from here?  

Join us on Zoom March 15 at 2PM EST. Click here to save your spot.

Join Emily Lerner, founder of Perfect Pair, an organization dedicated to creating one-on-one connections between seniors and college students. Learn how Perfect Pair came to be, meet a "perfect pair", and find out how you can get involved.

Then join us on Tuesday, March 1 at 3PM EST when we'll join together in a virtual learning circle to further explore Perfect Pair with Emily, Lizzie and Bobbie Jean.  

Click here to save your place at the circle

When asked about what is keeping long-term care leaders awake at night, one of the top answers is the workforce crisis  - how am I going to hire and retain the best staff?  Pioneer Network is pleased to have Cara Stiletto as our guest for this latest podcast in our Listen, Learn, Explore series. As President and Chief Retention Officer of Magnet Culture, Cara is a workforce thought leader.  Her job is to change leaders’ perspectives to ensure they are successful as workforce trends and demographics change. Cara serves as the voice of the new workforce, offering insight into the mindset of today’s evolving workforce.

After listening to the podcast, Pioneer Network invites you to join Cara for a lively Learning Circle/Discussion on Tuesday, February 8, 3PM - 4PM EST, where you can explore further the topics shared on the podcast. To save your place at the learning circle, click here.  

Bring in the New Year with an episode that is sure to inspire you. Join Linda Cohen, the “kindness catalyst,” as she joins Penny Cook in a conversation about the benefits of kindness, the importance of it in the workplace and how we can all be catalysts of kindness, not only for the good of others but also for ourselves.  And then plan on joining Linda and Penny for a virtual Learning Circle, Let's Talk About Kindness, on Tuesday, January 18 at 2:00 PM EST. Click here to save your spot at the circle.