With the new atmosphere has come more control over daily activities like flexible times to eat, waking and going to bed, choices in food and beverages and control over when they will get their bath. There are also choices for activities made by the neighborhood residents themselves.
Staff has adopted the new philosophy eagerly, but not without a little resistance in the beginning, Baker said.
"Some thought it would be a lot more time-consuming. We had to do some education to show how it could work," Baker said. "But it really hasn't been time-consuming at all. And the staff has noticed the residents are much happier; and that makes the staff happier, too."
Janice Latvala was brought on staff as a team leader to help with the culture change at Live Oak. One of the new initiatives has been "learning circles."
"Residents from a neighborhood get together and talk about what type of activities they want," Latvala said. "We're talking right now about starting a happy hour for one neighborhood. Of course, we're checking on the appropriate amount of alcohol for each resident."
Other activities have included 50s week, a fishing tournament and a Las Vegas week with a talent show being planned for July.
Visitors have noticed the change, too. Bennette Daniel, a member of the Red River Hatters of Shreveport-Bossier, was at Live Oak as part of the tea ceremony Tuesday.
"It was quite different when my mother was in a nursing home. Most residents were bedridden," Daniel said. "Now many people prefer to live at retirement center because they feel safer and it allows them to still carry on their lives."
Bigger expansions into the culture change are in Live Oak's future. It will partner with Willis-Knighton Health System to remodel its health-care center and apartments.
Other area nursing homes also have begun the expansion of the culture change with new building designs.
The Glen Retirement System, which also offers a continuum of care like Live Oak, has built two cottages in a neighborhood environment. Each 11,100-square-foot cottage can house 15 residents in 370-square-foot rooms. The first cottage was filled in November; the second will be ready for residents in early June.
"It's assisted living for those (who) have dementia or Alzheimer's disease and will eventually need long-term skilled care. This is a transition for them," said Susan Skinner, director of development and strategic planning. "It's more of a social model with the rooms built in a ring around the main living room area and kitchen. There are no hallways. And they can have meals anytime they want. We want them to think of their apartment as their room."
The staff has noticed marked improvement in the residents.
"We had several come from a home setting where they had 24-hour care, and they have improved so much from just the socialization with other residents," said Sandra McGrew, director of assisted living at The Glen. "Some came from an apartment setting and their ambulation and mental status has improved. Several also came from a health-care environment and have put weight on and improved. The smaller setting allows us to be more flexible."
Residents in the cottages can help cook or clean if that's what they like to do.
"We want to give them things they would do at home," McGrew said. "We just had our first family picnic. And the staff brought the meat and bread, but the residents all made covered dishes."
Other culture changes in nursing homes in the area have been movie theaters, private dining rooms that can be booked for families and the removal of the central nursing station, said Kueker.
"The central nursing changes is one of the last vestiges of the hospital model," said Kueker, who gets excited when she sees the changes going on in long-term care. "It's recognizing the resident has to be in the forefront of all care. It's not enough to treat the physical body, you have to treat the whole body."
Now THAT is change. In the right direction, too. The nursing station sticks out like a sore thumb in every nursing home and assisted living facility that I have worked at, or visited. I think this signals the most significant change a nursing facility can make, and this speaks louder than any words or mission statement.
