Our History

Institutional long-term care was the entry point for the Pioneer Network. It was an especially potent point of entry because the traditional nursing home represents a microcosm of our country’s culture of aging.  In it, we see demonstrated the devaluation of elders and of their caregivers.  In both groups, most are women and most are poor.  We see the loss of control, loss of choice and the loss of relationships.  And we see the dynamics of death and dying in America, characterized by avoidance and isolation. 

For the past few decades a small group of early pioneers in the long-term care field have worked to fundamentally change the values, practices and culture of their organizations. They began to create places for living and growing rather than for declining and dying.  In pockets across the country, four early pioneering approaches were developed: the Regenerative Community, Resident-Directed Care, Individualized Care, and The Eden Alternative™.

Beginning in 1997 these nursing home Pioneers began to meet informally, defining common areas of endeavor and opportunities for research. In 2000, these reform leaders from around the United States established the Pioneer Network as the umbrella organization for the culture change movement.  The vision has gone beyond the walls of the nursing home to include home and community-based services and anywhere in communities where aging services are provided.

Timeline

1992

In Rochester, New York, LIFESPAN’s Ombudsman Program organized a stakeholder coalition to address concerns about quality of life and care in nursing homes and began inviting the Pioneers to daylong educational sessions on culture change.

1995

The National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform (NCCNHR), the nation’s largest nursing home consumer group, included a session on pioneering approaches at its national conference.  

1997

With funding from the regional Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation, LIFESPAN facilitated a meeting in Rochester, New York, inviting culture change Pioneersfrom across the country.  This was the first organizational meeting of a movement, the national Pioneer culture change movement.

Just as importantly, although not yet organized in a formal structure, the Pioneers began to spread the word through dissemination of the report of the 1997 meeting, speaking at forums and conferences and responding to requests for help in communities across the country, assisting long-term care professional organizations, facilities and their staffs in implementing change.

1998

In January, the second organizational meeting of the nursing home culture change movement took place in Seattle, Washington, with 70 attendees. Participants created a Steering Committee to promote the development and growth of the fledgling national organization. 

In August, the organization’s name, Nursing Home Pioneers, came out of the third culture change meeting in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Mission and Vision statements were crafted.

1999

The fourth meeting of the Nursing Home Pioneerswas held in San Francisco, where plans for the first national conference to be held that August were solidified. The conference in Rochester was titled, "From Frustration to Pride" and brought together 350 people from 23 states. The overall conference goal was to identify and mobilize leaders in the field of aging, to mobilize them and to expedite culture change in nursing homes and in the culture of aging.

2000

In January, the Pioneers met in Chicago and changed the organization’s name from Nursing Home Pioneers to the Pioneer Network and the organization dedicated itself to addressing the broader issues of aging in America.

In August, a “Pioneer Gathering” was held in St. Louis for the explicit purpose of bringing together people involved in culture change from all over the country to meet, share ideas and network.  This gathering offered a venue for free discussion and interaction, resulting in the formation of Work Groups that have become the basis for the key areas of the organization.  Many individuals participating in the St. Louis gathering have remain actively involved in volunteer work for the Pioneer Network -- a key element in the growth of the culture change movement. 

2001

The Pioneers met in San Antonio, Texas.  The first Board of Directors was elected and a strategic plan was created.

The organization was incorporated and received tax-exempt status.

The second national conference, "Everything Challenged/Everything Gained," was held in Rochester, NY, with over 300 people from 28 states, Canada and Australia.

2002

In January, the Pioneer Network Board of Directors met in Orlando, Florida to continue its organizational planning.

In August, the Pioneer Network hosted its third national conference, "Becoming a Champion of Change: Transforming Eldercare and Our Own Aging." This conference was a sold-out event, bringing together more than 600 participants from 34 states and Canada.

In September, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare hosted a 2½ hour session about the Pioneer Network, culture change values and practices. It was broadcast via satellite on September 27, 2002 and is available for purchase in video.

The Pioneer Network launched "Pioneer Networking," a national newsletter designed to share information and ideas from those involved in the culture change movement.

2003

The Pioneer Network hosted its fourth conference, "Charting Our Course: Renewing the Culture, Renewing Ourselves." This was an out-of-the-box conference experience, on board a cruise ship, for nearly 300 people from 25 states. Many organizations used this occasion as an incentive to recognize their individual "Champions of Change."

The Pioneer Network participated in the U.S. Senate Committee for Assisted Living workshop in Washington, D.C.

By the end of the year, nine states established active culture change coalitions: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington state.

Leaders in the Pioneer Network contributed several chapters in Culture Change in Long-Term Care, a book compiled by Audrey S. Weiner, DSW, MPH and Judah L. Ronch, PhD for the Journal of Social Work in Long Term Care.

2004

The Board met in Tempe, Arizona to develop a strategic plan for the next phase of the organization's development.

The Pioneer Network expanded its web site and published "Getting Started: A Pioneering Approach to Culture Change in Long-Term Care Organizations," a handbook to help nursing home providers with their culture change journey. We also published "The Sanctity of Life and the Sacredness of Death: A Journey of Putting Pioneer Network Values into Practice," a booklet that tackles the challenging issues of death and dying.

The Pioneer Network hosted its fifth national conference, "There's No Place Like Home," in Overland Park, Kansas. 840 professionals from 44 states attended this national event.

2005

 

Impact

In its first eight years, without a formal infrastructure and largely fueled by the Pioneers’ volunteer activities, the impact of the Pioneer Network has been experienced throughout the country.  A sampling of the rippling effect of the culture  change movement , based on anecdotal reports, includes:

  • Cultural transformation and Pioneering approaches have been presented at major national conferences, including AAHSA, AHCA, ACHCA, GSA, NCCNHR and ASA.
  • Nine states have formed culture change coalitions and many others are in varying stages of forming coalitions.
  • There is a marked increase in long-term care facilities starting on the path to culture change.
  • Several multi-facility organizations have committed their homes to culture change, among them are Apple Health Care, Pinion Management, AGE Institute Holdings, Inc. and The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society.
  • Research, looking at new ways of gathering and feeding back information about culture change outcomes, is being conducted
  • The work of the Pioneer Network has been covered by major news media, including the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, AARP Radio, Nursing Homes Long Term Care Management Provider Magazine, McKnight's Long-Term Care News, The Boston Globe  and Assisted Living Today.
  • Regulators are  taking notice of and developing interest in long-term care transformation. The Pioneer Network has a committee, Pioneer Regulators, that meets informally to encourage culture change and innovation. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has produced a video about the Pioneer Network values, principles and practices for surveyors in the country.
  • Providers are reporting improved  retention of direct care workers and are reporting positive outcomes in resident quality of care and quality of life.