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

This is Episode 20 of our podcast and the last of 2021 and we have something a little bit different for you. Join the staff of Pioneer Network, Penny Cook, Cathy Lieblich and Joan Devine for a special holiday episode where they’ll review the year by sharing what’s been meaningful for to them in 2021 and what they’re looking forward to in the New Year.

Thank you for being part of our Network, for your support, your encouragement and for all you do on behalf of the older adults of today and the those of the future.  We wish you a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends, warmth and love and Cheers to 2022—let’s make it a great year!

Pioneer Network's President & CEO Penny Cook is pleased to welcome Lynne Katzmann, President & CEO of Juniper Communities as her guest. Lynne has been recognized for her outstanding leadership.  As someone who champions a spirit of innovation, she is a firm believer in the double bottom line: doing well by doing good.  Listen as she shares the work she and the team at Juniper have been doing over the past 2 years as they have embraced the interconnection between physical, emotional and mental health, supporting innovation in in every aspect of their organization, including clinical care and engagement.

Lynne is one of those leaders who can guide us as we look to the future.  We invite you to hear from other innovative leaders by joining us on Wednesday, December 8 for Pioneer Network's final symposium in the 2021 Envisioning the Future series, More to Do in 2022!  Click here to learn more.

Listen to Penny Cook’s second discussion with Kim Warchol, an occupational therapist and the President and Founder of Dementia Care Specialists at Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). CPI is part of the Pioneer Partner Network. Kim and Penny talk about what quality dementia care really means and the opportunities and benefits of family collaboration. They also have a lively conversation about shifting the paradigm to focus on the family care partner first (like putting on your oxygen mask before helping others!).

For most of us, the holidays are a time to gather together with family and friends to celebrate, share traditions and make memories. But for someone living with Dementia and their Care Partners, the holidays can present new challenges. In this podcast, Carrie Chiusano, Exec Dir, Dementia Care Center of Excellence, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network shares her experiences and provides insights into how, by setting shared goals, we can support residents and care partners in having the best possible experience over the holidays.

After listening to the podcast, join Carrie for a virtual learning circle on Wednesday, November 3rd at 2PM EDT where together we’ll explore this topic further, identifying more ideas that will help as you prepare for the up-coming holiday season.  

Click here to register for the Virtual Learning Circle.

Who benefits from using volunteers in nursing homes? Everyone! Join Penny Cook and she talks with Dr. Paul Falkowski. Paul is an author, musician, entrepreneur, teacher, public speaker, and consultant who strongly promotes and advocates for expanding the role of volunteers in long-term care. Paul is the speaker for Pioneer Network’s up-coming Growing Person-Centeredness Webinar, Someone Just for Me: Recognizing a Critical Role for Volunteers being held on Thursday, October 21 from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST. Click here to learn more and to register.

And for more, check out Paul’s recently released book, Creating a Volun-Cheer Force, describing how you can create a robust volunteer program that will act as a conduit for attracting new workers while undoing the negative stereotypes associated with aging and long-term care.

Join Penny Cook as she talks “behaviors” with Kim Warchol. Kim is an occupational therapist and the President and Founder of Dementia Care Specialists at Crisis Prevention Institute. Dementia Care Specialists offers a person-centered, abilities-focused model of care for those living with Alzheimer's and dementia. Kim delves into many topics including normalizing the word “behavior,” how we can prevent and intervene with “distress behaviors,” and how this knowledge is beneficial for people living with dementia and both their personal and professional care partners. This is the first of two special episodes that you won’t want to miss.

Biophiliac & Longevity Expert and Founder & CEO of Biophilia Pharma (Nature is the New Pharmacy) Tammy Marshall joins us for the latest episode in Pioneer Network’s Listen, Learn, Explore series where she challenges you to listen to your body’s desire to be in nature (When you feel the pull to be outdoors, respond to it); learn the positive impacts that nature can have on your health; and explore areas in and around your environment where you can immerse yourself and the residents in nature.

After listening to the podcast, we invite you to join us on Thursday, October 7 at 2 PM EDT for a virtual learning circle in which we will further explore this topic with Tammy, and as an attendee, you could even will a copy of the book that Tammy references in her talk, Biophilia: You + Nature + Home by Sally Coulthard. Click here to save your spot in the circle.

As we work to provide quality of life for residents living in care communities, we can all agree on the value of knowing each person and understanding their preferences around daily routines; preferences that support meaning and purpose in their life. We know we need to not only find a way to collect this information, but we also need to have a process to share it with all team members, incorporate those preferences into each resident’s plan of care, and identify if we are honoring those preferences.

Quite a challenge, but we believe that PELI (Preferences of Everyday Living Inventory) may be just what you are looking for to meet that challenge!

Join Katy as she introduces you to PELI and the PAL Cards and shares how your team can use these tool to support knowing the person -  and more! And there’s more! You will also learn about ComPASS-16, a tool that can help you evaluate how well you are meeting resident preferences, and the Individualized Positive Psychosocial Intervention (IPPI), an evidence-based intervention to help engage with residents living with dementia in day-to-day activities. And everything Katy will be sharing is FREE!

After listening to the podcast, we hope you will join us for a virtual learning circle on Tuesday, September 14, at 1:00PM – 2:00PM EDT, where you will have the opportunity to meet Katy and learn more, ask questions, and even participate in a short demonstration. Click here to register. 

Listen to Dawn Worsley, Certified Activity Consultant, Regional Clinical Specialist, Owner of 'Dawn on the Horizon, and Board President of NCCAP, the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals, as she talks to Penny Cook about the current state and future of engagement and activity professionals. Among other things, you’ll learn how COVID has helped to change the world of the activities calendar and what it means to support residents to have a truly enriched life.  

To explore further the topic of engagement further, Pioneer Network invites you to join us on September 22 for a virtual symposium, Envisioning the Future:  Finding Meaning & Purpose.  To learn more, click here.  

Are you looking for those “a-ha” moments, the little things that can make the dining experience for individuals living with dementia meaningful as you support their nutritional needs? Then you’ll want to join Toni Fisk, CDM and author of the book,  #dinewithdignity: Unlocking the Mystery of Dementia & Dining as she shares practical ideas that you can put in place to support the well-being of individuals living with dementia and their care partners.

After listening to the Podcast, click here to sign up to join us on Tuesday, August 24 at 1PM EDT for a virtual learning circle as we explore the topic further with Toni.

Toni Fisk has been engaged in the food and hospitality industry for over 35 years, her professional career encompassing Walt Disney World/EPCOT Center and Marriot Hotels before transitioning to Healthcare and Senior Living. Toni has always embraced the “Servant Leadership” model as she has ascended the ranks during her career; whether being a Server of Dining General Manager, Executive Chef or Operations Vice-President, she has always practiced inclusion, communication, and professionalism.

Toni’s daily operational engagement at Senior Living Communities across the US stoked a concern regarding the care, training and tools that were accessible to all the pillars of support services who are caring for elders, particularly those living with dementia. This as the foundation for her consulting firm, DinnerWEARhc, Inc.

Toni holds certifications as a Dietary Manager, Montessori Dementia Care Professional, Dementia Care Practitioner, Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care Independent Trainer, and Second Wind Virtual Dementia Tour Trainer. She provides dementia education and training for family caregivers and residential community staff on topics related to enhancing dining activities.