Bridging the gap between families and staff; how one facility focused on communication approaches that have made families allies rather than Adversaries - Cover feature

Nursing Homes, August, 2003 by Sandra Hoban

Has PIC training had an effect on customer satisfaction? "We benchmark our surveys with those of 18 other member facilities in the Alliance for Continuing Care Network," says Horn. "Looking at the positives and negatives, we've found that families are focusing on respect, dignity, caring, and compassion and, because we are communicating more effectively, satisfaction is growing."

Along with the PIC program, Morningside House supplements its partnership efforts through a program called FRAT (Friends, Relatives, and Administrators Together). "Three times a year, our administrator, Richard Zeitoun, schedules a meeting on a Sunday afternoon, so more families can attend. He presents a program, accompanied by myself and selected department heads, to let families know what is happening at the facility and what is going on regarding federal and state regulations and legislation," explains Horn. After the presentation, families are given the floor to ask questions or raise other issues of importance.

Because today's family caregivers are more knowledgeable about long-term care through media reports, new research resources, and networking, they have become a valuable resource to facility caregiving. The Morningside House approach recognizes this new reality. A family's involvement might have begun as a complaint, but through clear communication based on mutual respect with staff, they become partners, and the quality of care becomes that much better. NH

For further information, contact Clare L. Horn, ACSW, assistant vice-president of Social Services: phone (718) 409-8200, fax (718) 409-8281, e-mail horn@aiamsh.org, or visit www.aginginamerica.org. For information on Partners in Caregiving, contact Rhoda Meador, MS, at the Cornell Gerontology Research Institute at (607) 257-0236 or fax (607) 255-8767. To comment on this article, please e-mail hoban0803@nursinghomesmagazine.com.

MORE "FAMILY FRIENDLY" GLEANINGS FROM THE PIONEER NETWORK

Cartmell Home for the Aged, Palestine, Texas

Each quarter, a member of the nursing staff places a courtesy call to each resident's principal family contact to inquire about the family's overall satisfaction with the facility and offer reassurances, if necessary. The comments collected from these calls enable file facility to rectify situations that could become major problems. As a by-product, families' volunteerism has grown. For example, Cartmell has trained family members as nutritional aides through a special program called Mealtime With Friends.

For more information on Cartmell's family involvement programs, contact Peggy Cowland at (903) 727-8500.

Loomis House, Holyoke, Massachusetts

Loomis House, a full-service CCRC, communicates with family members through monthly neighborhood council meetings. Each campus neighborhood appoints a coordinator to serve as a family liaison. The councils also give families a forum to share their observations and, if warranted, change neighborhood practices--such as items on the daily schedules--to avoid conflicts. Realizing that not all family members can attend council meetings, the facility maintains information boards with the meeting minutes posted on them to keep families up to date.