Guide to Nursing Home and Assisted Care Coming Soon
Florida Pioneer Network (FPN) plans to publish “The Smart Consumer’s Guide to Quality Nursing Home & Assisted Living Care” to help consumers determine the level of person-centered care offered by individual homes.
The new guide reflects culture changes inspired by a decade-old national movement to re-invent nursing homes. This culture change movement focuses on transforming nursing homes and other long-term care communities from hospital-like institutions to more home-like models that embrace flexibility and resident self-determination. Culture change seeks to reinvent nursing homes and assisted-living communities so the voices of elders (and those working with them) are heard and respected.
A list of person-centered values and principles, as well as questions to ask of potential service and care providers, will be included in the guide which is due out late summer.
The guide, made possible with grant support from the Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF), will be published in booklet form and also as a PDF file. It will be distributed through hospitals, community-based aging services providers, faith communities, and AARP.
“Many guides exist on how to select a nursing home or how to select an assisted living community, but this one is unique because of its focus on person-centered care. The information contained in the guide will help consumers find the best place for themselves or their loved ones,” said Cathy Lieblich, a member of FPN’s Steering Committee and Director of Network Relations for the Pioneer Network.
The Guide was produced as part of a 21-month $94,402 grant from the Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF). The grant also enabled the FPN to educate area long-term care leaders on culture change principles through various means including scholarships to local and national conferences and the creation of ongoing learning communities.
