The Anatomy of Change The Anatomy of Change - LeadingAge

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attention. Describing their service coordinators, Higgins and Adams use the same word: resourceful. Whether residents lack resources for healthy dinners or a ride to the doctor’s office, their staff work rigorously and creatively to fill the gaps, finding free services in the community and arranging for affordable food and transport. At Christopher Homes, for instance, service coordinators work with low-income residents to make sure they can afford the in-house nutrition program. At NCR, one simple measure taken to ensure that residents recognize their service coordinators is instituting a uniform shirt that’s bright red. According to Higgins, residents are now more likely to approach service coordinators and express their needs. When Listening Is the Best Medicine Of course, not every need can be met. Try as they may, stretch funding as they do, providers can’t possibly meet the expectations of every resident. While Adams acknowledges this, he maintains that hearing out individual residents is more crucial. “We need to make it clear that we hear them,” he says. “Often- 14 LeadingAge magazine | March/April 2011 National Church Residences NCR's The Commons at Grant is a 100-unit housing complex for formerly homeless people in Columbus, Ohio. The opening of the complex created controversy and required sustained public education by NCR staff. times the great need of the underserved is just to be heard.” This was a lesson he and colleagues learned in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. “Oftentimes, [residents] just wanted someone to sit down and listen to them and hear their story,” recounts Adams. He tries to reiterate the importance of listening during staff meetings, so staff members know they have the permission to slow down and hear out individual people. “Yes, we all have our responsibilities, our duties,” Adams elaborates, “but we’ve got to give time to listen to our residents.” Additionally, he tries to lead by example: “I always leave my office door open, so the staff knows I’m here to listen to them.” Listening is the central theme of the advice these providers lend to colleagues in the field, specifically to those reaching out to the underserved. “Keep your ear to the ground,” advises Higgins. “It really comes down to grassroots knowledge as to how seniors will stay at home as long as possible. Know what’s going on in your individual residents’ lives.” According to DeVito, openness is another key component in working with the disadvantaged. “[It’s] a matter of ensuring a nonjudgmental and welcoming environment so that [underserved people] can engage in their care and partner with us as providers,” says DeVito. “Poor experiences will only drive such populations further away.” Treatment of staff, she contends, should rise to the same high standard. “Village Care provides family benefits to spouses or domestic partners of its employees,” she explains, “in part to put its money where its mouth is.” The greatest job benefit of all, say Higgins and Clark, is the gratification that comes from attending to people with a history of neglect. They both note how grateful many of their residents are for the most humble living arrangements and basic services. Adams, who used to work at a private golf course, found the gratitude especially startling. Years ago, when he took a job at Christopher Homes, a press release titled “From Riches to Rags” reported his career shift. If you ask Adams, though, providing for the poor elderly of New Orleans during its most traumatic hour has meant the greatest rewards of his career. Colleen Kinder is a writer who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Resources National Church Residences, Columbus, Ohio Contact: Patrick Higgins, vice president of communications, phiggins@ncr.org or 614-451-2151. Christopher Homes, New Orleans, La. Contact: Dennis Adams, executive director, dfadams@christopherhomesinc.org or 504-596-3460. Village Care, New York, N.Y. Contact: Emma DeVito, president and CEO, Emmad@vcny.org or 212-337-5763.
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Page 1 and 2: magazine March/April 2011 VoluMe 1,
Page 3 and 4: American Data presents: ECS (Electr
Page 5 and 6: Well Spring Christian Care Communit
Page 7 and 8: Responding To Change, Making Change
Page 9 and 10: ehab and affordable housing; 24 per
Page 11 and 12: How will HealtH RefoRm affect my Se
Page 14 and 15: Reaching the Underserved As relentl
Page 18 and 19: The Anatomy of Partnerships For the
Page 20 and 21: University of North Carolina-Greens
Page 22 and 23: The ACOs Are Coming … Accountable
Page 24 and 25: “Successful post-acute care organ
Page 26 and 27: A Switch (Just) in Time How and why
Page 28 and 29: were being played off one another b
Page 30 and 31: Celebrating Our 50 th A look back
Page 32 and 33: senior as a individual who should h
Page 34 and 35: LeadingAge Public Policy Objectives
Page 36 and 37: ■ A federal pilot training progra
Page 38 and 39: Self-Scheduling for Nursing Assista
Page 40 and 41: Self-Scheduling Guidelines Used at
Page 42 and 43: Evidence-Based Programs Are Core of
Page 44 and 45: making regular trips to the vet or
Page 46: Don’t miss four days of exception

The Anatomy of Change The Anatomy of Change - LeadingAge

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