Conference Intensives

(INT 1)
Getting Started
This intensive is designed to provide practical assistance to formal and informal leaders across care settings who are in the beginning steps of cultural transformation. Veteran culture change professionals will lead a daylong process to explore the steps of tying personal values to care practices and workforce and organizational redesign. Begin the process of de-institutionalizing services and individualizing care.

Your guides will share realistic and resourceful suggestions that you can use immediately to practice the values in your organization and create the environment where your elders can live their best lives. In addition to exploring actual, first-hand culture change experience, this workshop will draw upon exercises and tools developed by leaders in the culture change movement.

This intensive is designed to provide practical assistance to individuals in large multi-facility corporations or stand-alone homes.

Intended Audience: Formal and informal leaders across care settings who are in the beginning steps of cultural transformation.

Guides:
Susan Misorski, National Director of Training and Organizational Development, PHI and Pioneer Network board member Pioneer Network
Joanne Rader, Owner, Rader Consulting

(INT 2)
Culture Change: Sustaining the Journey
Not only is change difficult, but it turns out that sustaining that change can be even more of a challenge. We have heard the stories of culture change initiatives that have struggled with momentum, become stuck or even had major reversals. Many have asked why these events happen. What does it take to prevent such slowdowns or setbacks? Join this experienced team of guides, and the experienced and committed participants to eek out the most important elements of sustaining change. Come away with ideas to sustain change that you care deeply about in your world. This energizing session will utilize real case examples from participants; small group work; stories, references and resources to delve deeply into what is, has, and can sustain change. This workshop is intended for experienced communities seeking to maintain the momentum of their work in sustaining and growing the desired culture.

Intended Audience: Experienced Communities

Guides:
Vonda Hollingsworth, Health Services Leader, Pennybyrn at Maryfield
Monte Coffman, Executive Director, Windsor Place
Team Members of Providence Mount St. Vincent

(INT 3)
Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care
We will explore the use of culture change to create a paradigm shift in the way in which we view and care for people who live with dementia. Our traditional biomedical approach is a deficit-based view that fails to see the whole person and to appreciate each person's continued right to well-being, autonomy and meaningful engagement. The traditional model follows an institutionalized approach to care that leans heavily on the use of potentially dangerous psychoactive medications.

Using the framework of the major culture change movements, a new "experiential" model is presented that views dementia, not as neurochemical abnormality, but from the standpoint of shifting human experience. This model provides a template for care that addresses unmet needs and preserves personhood throughout one's life.

The session will include the following elements:

Review of demographics of dementia and drug use and drawbacks of our biomedical approach
Examples of how ageism affects our view of people with dementia and the way in which we provide care
Paradigm-shifting exercises and a guided visualization
Introduction of an experiential approach
The use of culture change to operationalize this new philosophy of care
Tips for interpersonal interaction and improving communication
Application of the model to specific care scenarios

Participants will be challenged to re-think what they have learned about dementia. The session will be highly interactive and participants will be encouraged to share stories of success and to offer challenging cases for discussion.

Guides:
G. Allen Power, MD, Eden Mentor at St. John's Home in Rochester, NY; geriatrician, culture change specialist
Kortner Nygard, PhD, psychologist, culture change specialist, author and member of the Tennessee Edenizing Coalition and the Southeast Advocacy Center for Elder Rights

(INT 4)
When Renovation Isn't Possible: Culture Change in the Traditional Environment
Discussion regarding culture change often focuses on the physical environment that creates a sense of home, such as small houses and households. Yet, for most organizations around the country, new construction or substantial renovation are not financially feasible. This conference intensive will help participants explore how to make culture change happen in a traditional environment. Among the topics explored will be: shifting from departmental silos to teams, decentralized decision-making, resident and family involvement, consistent assignments, and analysis of communication flow. The facilitators will provide practical tips for developing the individualized medical pass, natural wake-up and other approaches supportive of change.
The day will be extremely interactive, leading participants through an analysis of their own environment and ending with an action plan for moving forward.

Intended Audience: Administrators, Nurses, Social Workers, Recreation Therapists

Guides:
Jill Layne, Administrator of Care Center, Lutheran Senior Services at Lenoir Woods
Jeanne Heid-Grubman, Healthcare Administrator, The Holmstad Covenant Retirement Community

(INT 5)
Leadership: What You Do Matters
What you do does matter. This session serves both as a wake-up call to leaders who doubt their impact and as an affirmation to leaders who vigorously take up the challenge each day of making the most of their impact. Based on the real-life experiences of the presenters and other leaders in the field with whom they have worked, the session offers practical, commonsense, easy-to-implement practices that will yield immediate positive results. It shares research on what matters to employees, residents, and families, and practical strategies on how to create a positive and successful work and care environment. The day is interactive and will give participants the opportunity to explore approaches to stabilize staff, improve quality, and reinvigorate your culture change journey.

Intended Audience:
Administrators, Directors of Nursing, Corporate Staff, and others interested in growing their leadership skills

Guides:
David Farrell, Director of Quality Improvement, SnF Management
Mary Tellis Nayak, My InnerView
Barbara Frank, Co-Founder, B&F Consulting
Cathie Brady, Co-Founder, B&F Consulting

(INT 6)
A Meaningful Day
We've learned that "programs" are just band aids; one-to-ones can't sooth loneliness, activity programs often only fill time, and activity staff alone cannot truly engage people. It's time to move on from "activity programming" to meaningful days with meaningful engagement, momentous moments and more. Be reminded how Tag 248 requires a focus on interests, not problems and Tag 279 requires identifying each resident's highest practicable level of psychosocial well-being, something not always done. Be exposed to ideas on how to be compliant with the "new" (2006) interpretive guidelines for Tag 248 Activities, and their expectation that basically all staff support resident activity interests by co-guide Bowman, a former activity professional state and federal surveyor who served on the four year panel that developed Tag 248 and 249 interpretive guidance and co-guide Laughlin a certified activity director working as the activity lead in a household model.

Intended Audience: Anyone who works in a care setting

Guides:
Carmen Bowman, Owner, Edu-Catering: Catering Education for Compliance and Culture Change
Karen Laughlin, Activity Director and Household Coordinator, Perham Memorial Home

(INT 7)
Beyond Care: Exploring the Glorious Adventure of the Spirit
Meaningful change begins within individual hearts. In order to serve as agents of opportunity for elders, we must first glimpse our own potential and be able to conceive how we would like to evolve as we age. Participants in this full program will witness Pioneer Network Convenor, Carter Catlett Williams' 86-year journey as documented in her book, Glorious Adventure, and will take home a clear vision of what is possible, both personally and professionally.

One of the core values of Pioneer Network and culture change is "Respond to spirit, as well as mind and body," yet we often get caught up in efforts to transform care of the mind and body without considering the dimension and needs of the spirit in aging. Through the guidance of Bill Keane, Wendy Lustbader and Carter Williams, this unique intensive will give participants an experiential acquaintance with the potential for freedom and self-discovery in later life.

Intended Audience: Professionals seeking to root their commitments to cultural transformation in a life of the spirit and their own balanced journey in aging.

Guides:
Bill Keane, Project Guide, THE GREEN HOUSE Project
Wendy Lustbader, Affiliate Associate Professor, University of Washington
NOTE: Carter Catlett Williams, Pioneer Network Convenor, will only be participating by Skype. She is unable to attend the conference this year, but is looking forward to join in the conversation through the airwaves.

Registration limited to 50 persons; all participants will receive a complimentary copy of the book, Glorious Adventure, prior to the conference.

(INT 8)
The Realignment of Nurses for Success in Cultural Transformation
Cultural transformation requires a radical re-examination of every role within long term care settings. Nurses are challenged to realign their roles as they support a culture and organizational structure that is committed to relationship-based, person-directed care. At the same time they are challenged to build new relationships with team members as care partners, role models and clinical experts. A transformed culture requires new communication structural and organizational design. This intensive will explore organizations that have accomplished deep system change including the roles of nurses. Nursing leadership from organizations that have adapted the Household model and The Green House model will discuss the underlying structures and outcomes for implementing change. The discussion will go beyond these models to the fundamental roles of nurses across all settings implementing culture change and work to examine and plan for sustainable change in nursing transformation.

Intended Audience: Directors of Nursing, Administrators, organizational staff involved in Organizational Redesign, Staff Development, Nurse Managers, Nurses, all staff.

Guides:
Anna Ortigara, RN, MS, FAAN – THE GREEN HOUSE Project
Emory Knight, RN – St Elizabeth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
Susan Frazier, RN, MA – THE GREEN HOUSE Project
Christine Mour, MA, LNHA - St Elizabeth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
Nate Sweeney, St Elizabeth Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

(INT 9)
Still Called to be Pioneers, Poets and Prophets: Reading the Signs of the Times in an Aging and Ageist Society
The history of Sisters in the U.S. reflects life-long, professional, compassionate and visionary service in ministry to others. Over the last three or so decades within Sisters' Congregations, there have been demographic changes which have forced increased attention and resources to the issues of well-being of their elder, frail members. This intensive will allow participants to visualize and articulate this present reality, not as an ultimate choice between ministry and maintenance, but as an opportunity, a call once again, to be "pioneers, poets and prophets" continuing Sisters' legacy of visionary, prophetic ministry.

Intended Audience: Sisters in elected leadership, particularly those who serve as liaison with their congregation's retirement program; Sisters who are in ministry, in any capacity, to their retired Sisters (coordinator, pastoral care, advocate, "family member," nurse, visitor, Activity Program Director, etc.); Lay personnel who work in Sisters' retirement centers.

Guides:
Sister Imelda Maurer, cdp, Sisters of Divine Providence, Gerontologist; LNHA; Founder, Director, Caring for Our Own
Sister Mary Breiling, SNJM, Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, Former Treasurer of SNJM Oregon Province; Chair of Board of Mary's Woods (CCRC)
Sister Agnes Johnson, OP, Congregational Vice-President; RN, Dominican Sisters
Sister Meg Canty, RSCJ, Administrator (during congregational study of future needs), Retirement and Elder Care Center, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Religious of the Sacred Heart
Ms. Laurie Sefton, RN, MSN, CHPN, Clinical and Life Services Director, Marywood Health Center

(INT 10)
Creating An Environment of Safety and Inclusion for LGBT Older Adults
In February 2010, Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)—in partnership with 10 leading organizations from around the country—received a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to establish the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging. The resource center seeks to improve the quality of services and supports offered to LGBT older adults nationwide.

This curriculum is part of the resource center's effort to empower and support providers within the aging network and LGBT organizations to make changes to better serve LGBT older adults and ensure that these older adults have necessary services and supports to successfully age in community. The purpose of this curriculum (for aging network providers) is to educate staff in aging services organizations about the existence and unique needs of LGBT older adults and about ways to address those needs within their organizations. This curriculum consists of two 4-hour workshops for staff of aging network organizations. The overall goal is to support participants in learning which individual and organizational practices need to be applauded, changed or emphasized in order to improve and expand the continuum of care and services to older adults who are LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender) so that they may be better served. We seek to do this by helping workshop participants achieve the following objectives:

Learn about LGBT older adults—their culture, their needs as they age, and their concerns. Consider why LGBT older adults are less likely to access health and social services.
Identify best practices for helping LGBT older adults to feel more included and safe in aging network organizations. Provide tools and education to better serve the LGBT older adults who currently access aging network organizations or are in need of the services offered by these organizations.
Identify health disparities between LGBT older adults and those who are not LGBT. Explore judgments and assumptions, myths and misinformation about HIV and AIDS, in order to enhance responsiveness to the needs and concerns of LGBT older adults around these issues.
Review policy and practice areas to consider how to increase inclusiveness and safety. Recognize that individual staff members are entitled to their own diverse opinions and beliefs but that their actions and behaviors must be consistent with workplace expectations in relation to inclusion and safety for LGBT constituents.

Intended Audience: This curriculum was developed for the staff, administrators, and volunteers of aging network organizations that are interested in improving and increasing the continuum of person-directed care services to LGBT older adults. Limit: 30 participants

Guide:
Kate Waldo, Organizational Culture Change Specialist, PHI
Hilary Meyer, Director of The National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

(INT 11)
Psychosocial Assessment in the Age of Culture Change: Getting to Know Your Residents
Long-term care is ever evolving and social workers are in a unique position to help guide that change. As stewards of the psychosocial assessment, social workers can help ensure it is a living tool for providing person-directed care. In this day-long intensive we briefly review the shift in long-term care from institutions to individuals; discuss evolving medical and social models of care and the implications for social workers; and, contrast disease-oriented and strength- based ways of assessing residents, including those with cognitive impairment. This learning intensive provides an opportunity for participants to practice using an assessment tools and to explore new technologies for involving families and friends in a resident's life.

Intended Audience: Social Workers, Administrators, MDS Coordinators, Creative Thinkers

Guides:
Susan Wehry, MD, Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living
Christina Cosgrove, LICSW, Director of Social Services, Vermont Veteran's Home

NOTE: Please bring lap tops, iPads, digital cameras, smart phones or other devices to share your favorite technology or connecting app! (This portion of the day promises to be fun and informative whether you are a technophobe or technophile)

(INT 12)
Living and Working in Households: A Site Visit to Meridian Village
Please join the residents and staff from Meridian Village in Glen Carbon, IL to experience work and life in households. This organization has taken on the challenge of transforming life and work from a traditional nursing home into households where staff, residents and families work closely together to create good daily life and satisfying work. We'll have the opportunity to hear from Meridian leaders about the journey home as well as to meet with residents and staff in the houses to understand how daily life occurs, what uniqueness households provide, as well as outcomes achieved.
Intended Audience: Anyone wanting to learn about households

Attendance Limit: 50

Guides:
Megan Hannan, Lead Consultant, Action Pact
Jacque Bogner, Administrator, Meridian Village
A team of residents and staff, Meridian Village

NOTE: This session will be at another site Meridian Village which is 35 miles from St. Charles. Bus will be leaving at 7:30am am from the Conference Center

(INT 13)
Dining With Friends:
An Innovative Approach to Dining for People with Dementia
People with Alzheimer's disease have unique challenges that compromise their nutritional status, limiting their ability to enjoy the company of friends and the sounds, smells and tastes of a good meal. In a long-term care setting, the typical dining experience is chaotic, noisy, unpleasant and hurried. Many people with dementia develop an impaired ability to chew and swallow. They wear plastic disposable bibs and are served pureed baby food on plastic trays with plastic spoons and frequently eat alone, isolated in their bedrooms. Given these circumstances, it is not surprising that people with dementia experience weight loss, malnutrition and dehydration in greater numbers than the general population in long-term care.

It is our experience that long-term care providers are looking for tips and training to improve their dining programs for people with Alzheimer's disease. Long-term care providers are directing limited resources as they react to the effects of weight loss, malnutrition and dehydration. They are in need of proactive and innovative approaches to improve dining programs and nutritional outcomes. A shift of resources needs to occur to achieve better resident outcomes, improve an organization's five star rating, and respond to new CMS guidelines for "promoting resident independence and dignity in dining" (F tag 241).

Attendance Limit: 50

Guides:
Eileen Smith, BSN, RN-C, Director of Nursing, Alzheimer's Resource Center
Michael Smith, Executive Director, Alzheimer's Resource Center
Kelly Papa, MSN, RN, Director of Education and Consulting, Alzheimer's Resource Center

NOTE: This session will be at another site, Brooking Park, in order to use their kitchen. Bus will be leaving by 8:00 am from the Conference Center which is 15 miles from St. Charles.

2011 Conference Home Page

Conference Overview

Conference Intensives

Conference Features

Plenary Sessions

General Information

Schedule at a Glance

Welcome to St. Charles

Hotel Information

Sponsorship and Advertising

Register