Edwin Fonner,
Jr., DrPH
The proposed initiative summarized here may have a significant beneficial impact on long-term care in Kansas. Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community (MHRC) is at the forefront of making changes needed to be exemplary in long-term care. We are transforming our delivery to a person-centered model. Our culture change process needs to be completed, documented, refined, packaged, and made available to other facilities in Kansas. We are requesting a $250,000 grant from the Sunflower Foundation to work toward these goals in 2002. Funding this initiative will place the foundation in a prominent position for enhancing quality of life among the elderly in Kansas.
MHRC recognizes the growing needs of the elderly, the fragile condition of community-based eldercare services, and the outmoded nature of institutional long-term care. Our culture change process is applicable in other settings. Our objectives are (1) to complete and refine the transformational process, and (2) create a basis for modeling MHRC’s change processes in other long-term care facilities across Kansas (see Figure One).
Objective One involves establishing data based benchmarks, conducting a thorough inventory of work and accomplishments to date, identifying and addressing gaps in effective transition, reinforcing staff education, and creating a formal change model.
Objective Two involves allocating resources to a regulatory workgroup for reviewing and recommending updates to facilitate culture change in long-term care. A work plan and time line will be established for pursuing needed changes.
Objective Three involves defining the elements of the replication process, refining assessment tools, specifying how replication will take place, and eliciting initial feedback from selected prospects. Several ancillary programs will also be designed in more detail. These relate to medication management, delivery of support services to independent-living elderly, and advocacy for regional planning.
Outcomes and benefits of MHRC’s culture change process include making improvements in the quality of patient care and quality of life in long-term care facilities. Other benefits include improved staff relations, more and better data for performance evaluation, strengthened financial position and administrative ability, and improved linkages with resident’s families and communities. MHRC will also be able to easily comply with new quality-of-care reporting requirements to be implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2002. Finally, we will be positioned to work with state government in updating regulations to facilitate the culture change process. [Back to Main Page]