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"Everything Challenged... Everything Gained"

Caregivers Corner
September/October 2001

Four founders of �pioneering� approaches to changing the culture of long term care were invited in the fall of 1995 to speak at the annual meeting of the National Citizens� Coalition for Nursing Home Reform in Washington, DC. What began like a small drop of water in a large pond has since created a ripple effect throughout a growing number of nursing homes from coast to coast.  In a few short years, this small culture change movement has gained momentum and given birth to a not-for-profit organization known as the Pioneer Network.

This organization supports a fundamental shift in values that can transform nursing care and other environments where elders live into better places. The network provides a supportive framework for elders, family members, administrators, nurses, nursing assistants, resident assistants, physicians, social workers, educators, researchers, ombudsmen, advocates, regulators and architects to build loving, elder-directed communities. The Pioneer Network concentrates its efforts in the areas of education, outreach, public policy, public relations and serving as a resource to those wishing to effect change.

Professionals from many nursing homes have already made tremendous strides toward building loving, resident-centered communities and have been eager to share their insights and experiences with colleagues who also are convinced that the traditional medical model of care holds little promise for improving the quality of life for our elders.  Very appropriately, the theme of the third national Pioneer Conference held in August 2001 was �Everything Challenged� Everything Gained.� The conference held in Rochester, New York had four major goals:

Here, nearly 300 participants from 28 states coast-to-coast came together to discuss strategies for transforming many of the existing systems in which our elders are often forced to surrender freedom and control in order to get the fundamental human support and services they need.  Carol Tschop, chairman and president of the Institute for Caregiver Education, said about this year�s conference, �One center at a time, one person at a time, the message is getting out that we can indeed make a difference.�  Session after session, conference presenters provided a wealth of examples and implementation strategies for creating a greater sense of community, promoting quality of life through opportunities for individual choice, and respecting the dignity and value of the elders in our care.