AGE-u-cate Training Institute Blog

The stakes are different as the holidays arrive, especially in year #2 of the pandemic. While carols are playing, there are emotional minefields at every bend, especially for caregivers. This holiday season is a weary one for healthcare workers in the hospital setting to those serving in long-term care services. 

For many, the holidays are a time of celebration and gatherings, but let us not forget those working tirelessly amid unprecedented staffing shortages and the sudden surge in COVID cases.

Research consistently reports that caregivers report much higher stress levels than the average person; it is a certainty that CNAs, PSWs, nurses, and other caregiving staff feel the additional strain of the holidays. Their professional burdens often transfer to their personal lives, leaving a domino effect of anxiety to entire families.

What can we do to honor and support caregivers this holiday (and always)?

'Tis the Season for connecting with family and friends, and for some will be the first in-person visit in a very long time. For others, it might be long-distance communications, and now thanks to technology, there are many ways in which we can be more engaged than ever. I want to talk about the importance of reminiscing, especially with persons living with dementia.

For years, aging service providers have focused on the resident or patient experience. But, with staffing shortages at dangerous levels, leaders are quickly shifting their priorities. After all, the resident or patient experience is only as good as those providing care.  

The Validation method was developed by Naomi Feil in the 1970s and formalized into a method that she first published in 1982. Her pioneer work set off a massive change in elder care. I call Naomi, the godmother of ‘person-centered’ care.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the new year. Of course, I always look forward to dreaming of new adventures, possibilities, and the opportunity to open a new chapter. But, I've got to be perfectly honest. I'm REALLY looking forward to 2022!

I'm guessing that most of you who are reading this, no matter where you fall in the aging services spectrum, would have to agree the last umpteen months have been a doozy!

What I don't want to do is belabor the point. In fact, I'm not even going to bring up anything about what we've been through because that's all we've been talking about for far too long!

Starting all over again is not that bad...because when you restart, you get another chance to make things right.

When we restart, we put things in a new perspective, learning lessons from the past. But, when we look through a different lens, the ideas and creativity that start flowing are incredible! We've had the opportunity at AGE-u-cate to do just that. We decided late last year that we would look beyond the circumstances beyond our control and put our innovative heads together to do things better.

Don't let Fear and Uncertainty Stop You.

Being Stuck is about the most frustrating feeling in the world. Getting UNSTUCK is exciting. It means you are moving forward, even if in baby steps. Taking small steps is often hard for me, but thanks to a great team, they remind me that it's sometimes essential - and I'll be doggone - they are right! When we embarked on our Reveal Aging Micro-learning initiative, we had to talk with our partners, garner feedback, and take the time necessary to do it right.

Failure is Part of the Process.

Failure is NOT the opposite of success. It's a part of Sucess! How many times have you gotten off the ground with a new program or initiative only to hit a brick wall? Probably more times than you can count. As we know, things happen that are out of our control, and sometimes we don't think things through. It's Okay. Start again, and learn from your mistakes.

Stay Focused, and Keep your Eye on the End Game.

If you are in aging services, you have a mission, and it's an important one. What better work to do than that which has a higher calling? Is it easy? No. Can you solve all the challenges that lie ahead of you? Of course not. Can you make a positive difference in the lives of others? You bet, and that's where you need to keep your eye set.

We need to look ahead to all that we can do better in 2022. Right around the corner lies a world of possibilities for all of us to work together and make a difference in the lives of those whom we serve.

Let's Press Restart! Refocus and Get Started because 2022 is right around the corner - thank goodness!

With all due respect Len King, I never knew you were this cool!  You see, my high school band director (late 1970s) directs the Arizona Swing Kings Jazz Orchestra, and is still inspiring musicians to perform at the top of their game.   He is also the founder of the Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, back in the day.

Part of my responsibility as the VP of Grant Initiatives is to track the progress of Compassionate Touch® and Dementia Live® online coach training for the nursing homes that are participating in our Civil Monetary Penalty Grant (CMP) projects.  We have amassed an impressive list of nursing home staff in Ohio , Minnesota, North Carolina and Tennessee who have completed online training to become Compassionate Touch® and/or Dementia Live® coaches.

After months of reviewing training reports, this week I noticed something other than the number of new coaches, and that is the number of coaches since 2019 who are still with their facility.  

I need to preface by saying that this information has not been confirmed by participating facilities, but each time an email bounces back to me- the name is scratched off my list.  In Ohio, 99/124 Compassionate Touch® and 76/106 Dementia Live® coaches appear to be reachable with the same email address used to enroll in coach training, indicating retention of 79% and 71% respectively.

Admittedly, there is likely a margin of error in these numbers, but assuming a -10%, these numbers are impressive, considering the massive turnover that has occurred during the pandemic.  

Employee Engagement and Retention

While the recipe for retention is far more involved than just providing staff education, I believe I am justified in believing the human resource investment that these participating facilities made in Compassionate Touch® and Dementia Live® training may have contributed to the retention of these coaches.  Many of these coaches are still in touch with me and share their excitement about starting up training again.  

 National Commission for Quality Long Term Care, 2007

 Public Policy and Aging Report, 2017

 National Institute of Health, 2021

The above studies reveal that the reasons for voluntary separation include many factors, but lack of quality training and education, feeling ill-prepared, and absence of professional growth were consistent factors. 

Compassionate Touch® and Dementia Live® coach training is high quality, relevant and fills knowledge gaps that move the ill-prepared to a place of confidence and competence.  These programs are also utilized as career ladder opportunities in many organizations, and that number is growing.

Everyone should take a moment and think of your accomplishments over this past year- I am sure there are many.  For me,  taking stock that perhaps our work at AGE-u-cate® has helped to in some way to keep employees engaged and retained is very rewarding.

This blog title is credited to a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Health Care Assistants (NAHCA).  I was enlightened after attending a symposium entitled, "The New CNA Workforce:  Frontline Lessons from the Pandemic" given by NAHCA. 

Career CNA board members and thought leaders shared their passionate pleas for significant change.  It really was quite moving, and frankly, sad.  Sad in the sense that they felt compelled to give everyone a piece of their mind about how, for decades, they have been treated by their superiors and organizational leadership.  

A stern warning was delivered, "We will not tolerate these conditions much longer", and seriously, who can blame them.

Lori Porter, Co-founder and CEO of NAHCA shared this startling reality- there are 425,000 fewer nursing home workers today than before the pandemic, and if serious change doesn't ensue immediately, this number will grow exponentially.

Why must change be driven through threats?  The answer is because nothing else seems to have worked.  

Don't think that it is only about the pay.  Yes, nursing assistants need, and deserve to make much more than they do, but what they also need is to be a valued and respected member of the team.  

I reeled hearing one CNA board member describe how in the middle of rendering care to one resident, a nurse knocked on the door to say that there are two more call lights going off and could she please hurry up. Seriously?  This unacceptable and disrespectful to the nursing assistant, and the care receiver.  

Wake up to Change

Change in this realm will include everything from a long-term national strategy to reform the long term care system to immediate, organization-specific actions.  But, one CNA board member laid it out, "We need to get back to the basics, and re-set."  My ears perked up, because this exact phrase has been our mantra at AGE-u-cate for months.   

We simply must take care of the caregivers, so that they can give their best to their care receivers.  The basics include respect, dignity, and appreciation for all.  When we get back to the basics, we can begin to rebuild a healthy organizational culture. 

It will be up to leaders to work in tandem with all employees create the path to a healthy culture.  Listen to what your staff have to say- you may be surprised how much thought they are giving to the issues at hand, because they deeply care.  So many ideas were shared, but one that stood out to me is the desire for more education and training that grows skills and leads to advancement.  The lack of a career ladder for CNAs is a detriment to the future of this workforce.

I heard so many great ideas from these passionate CNA thought-leaders and I crave more conversation.  We have to give them what they need, so I am grateful that NAHCA Board Chair Sherry Perry has agreed to meet with me next week to continue the conversation.   Sherry's profile on the NAHCA website includes this statement:

"Being a member of NAHCA has inspired me to be the best CNA I can be.  It’s helped me to realize that my voice can make a difference not only for other CNAs but most importantly the elders we care for.”

Thank you Sherry and to your colleagues for speaking your voice- I hope you know that you were heard by many, and I am honored to have been included.

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A Reminiscence program for ALL ages

Although my personal story of caregiving goes back decades, the message has not changed. My sweet mother, Jeanette, lived with Parkinson's Disease for many years. Our journey together as care partners included the highs of our incredible mother-daughter relationship growing even closer and the lows of experiencing the emotional roller-coaster of managing a disease that is ever-changing and often mysterious.

At 85, Jeanette's health had declined significantly due to the progression of her PD and complications from a broken hip. In addition, my sister was taking care of our mom in her home following a rehab stay, and the stress of 24/7 caregiving responsibilities took a toll on her physical and emotional health. It was time for a change, and a decision needed to be made relatively quickly.

Visiting one care community after another, I soon became embattled with my own emotions as I toured beautifully decorated buildings led by cheery marketing professionals. All the while, I was an emotional train wreck. What was truly important? I had some real soul searching to do.

A friend suggested I visit a residential care community that her dad had been in, so I arranged for a meeting with the owners, one of who was a registered nurse. The home was not in the most convenient area to my home, but was adequate for my sister and me to visit with a drive for both of us. The neighborhood was eclectic but safe.  As I drove to the house, my thoughts were on a single track.  

Entering the house, one of the care team members greeted me with a warm welcome and hug. The place was lively and bright, though far from fancy. Sitting areas in the large living room included residents, care partners, and family members.

As I made my way to another sitting room to meet with the owner, I noted the care team busy making lunch and chatting about the new recipe for the day. They stopped to say hello and asked if I'd like to stay. How could I pass up a yummy-looking Mexican dish?

As I sat down to talk, I could feel my emotions bubbling, and sure enough, tears started streaming. My decision of where my precious mama would live out her days played heavy on my heart. What did I want for her, for me, and the rest of my family? After all, we were all in this together.

All of the "things" that I thought were important started racing through my head. Within a short driving distance? Not really. Amenities? Somewhat limited. And this sounds so silly now, but at the time, I thought to myself, "this is just not mom's decorating style."

As I pulled myself from the depths of my crying episode, I felt incredible compassion and understanding embracing me. As I explained mom's health needs and history, it became clear what I was seeking.

Beyond the basics of cleanliness, safety, nursing care, I wanted my mom to be loved when I wasn't there. That sounds like a big ask, right?