Someone I used to work with would often say “You’re putting the em-PHA-sis on the wrong syl-LA-ble.” It was a clever way to let people know that their efforts might be misdirected or that they weren’t looking at things quite the right way.
It was a phrase that echoed for me this week as I spoke with someone about our approach to elder care. The person was working on an article about the transitions that we’ve made in our long-term care setting. We’ve moved to a household model and to creating an environment that is specifically focused on being elder-directed. I was telling this writer about some of the great outcomes we’ve had as a result of the implementation of this new model. We’ve seen clinical improvements, like fewer falls and a marked reduction in weight loss. We’ve also seen increased interest in the services we offer, as this new approach changes both the environment and engagement.
The writer’s initial take on this was that our transition was in an effort to grow our census and strengthen the organization financially. While that is certainly important, we see it the other way around. We see the critical driving force as enhancing life and quality of care. We see it as “normalizing” the long-term care experience. We are committed to recognizing that this is the elder’s home in which we are privileged to work. It is not homelike; it is truly home. And we fully believe that everyone’s life can and should have purpose, regardless of age or stage, ability or disability.
We’ve chosen to partner with the Green House Project on this journey, incorporating their core principles and training into the work that we do. But choosing this direction is only the tip of a very big iceberg. What is below the surface is knowing, and believing, that this transition is not just words, it is not the “flavor of the week,” it is a fundamental change in how we see, and care for, elders.
When we tour people through our households, they often ask if we have “staged” what they see. They are surprised to see elders choosing from three or four diverse activities, from singalongs to cooking, games to manicures. They are surprised to hear the music and the laughter and to see the open space, designed to be more like home than residential facility. But this is how we are and what we do every day. Our approach is built on knowing and understanding each elder and honoring their needs and preferences, working to enrich their lives.
As in all things, we are not perfect and every day is not ideal. But the warmth, the energy and the commitment are all flourishing every day. This was not a moment of enlightenment that suddenly came to us. Rather, it stems from our search to constantly improve, to honor those for whom we care, to, paraphrasing Maya Angelou’s well-known quote, “do better’ as we “know better.”
There are many organizations that do, indeed, forget where the em-PHA-sis belongs. Yes, being financially viable is important. There is no question. But, at least for us, it begins with providing the right services and the right care. It begins with “doing good” which, as a result, enables the organization to do well.
Carol Silver Elliott is President and CEO of the Jewish Home Family, which runs NJ’s Jewish Home at Rockleigh, Jewish Home Assisted Living, Jewish Home Foundation and Jewish Home at Home. She joined The Jewish Home Family in 2014. Previously, she served as President and CEO of Cedar Village Retirement Community in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is past chair of LeadingAge and the Association of Jewish Aging Services.