Bringing Life’s Simple Pleasures to Our Residents

Ed McMahon | posted September 15, 2009 |

We are committed at Golden Living to patient-centered care. Our goal is to create a home, not a “home-like” environment for all of our LivingCenter residents.  One step we have taken in this initiative is called “Life’s Simple Pleasures.”  A pleasure is defined as anything identified by the resident or responsible party that enhances the quality of life and brings joy to the resident. It might be: a newspaper delivered with a hot cup of coffee when they wake up, or, an English muffin and cup of tea at 10:00 A.M or, a walk outside, or, a beer or glass of wine before dinner. 

The staff at the participating LivingCenters singles out a simple pleasure for each resident, and then provides for that pleasure at least five times a week. The entire LivingCenter staff is involved in it one way or another.

Since many of these “simple pleasures” revolve around food, we have liberalized some diets.  We’ve also found we sometimes need to rearrange schedules to accommodate the wishes of our residents. Response to this program has been very favorable from both residents and staff.

At Golden Living we have taken to heart the words of Rose Marie Fagan, the executive director of the Pioneer Network.  “When we transform nursing homes into human communities, places for living and growing, we will ultimately change the very nature of aging in America.”

Our commitment at Golden Living to patient-centered care has led us to adopt the following values and principles of the Pioneer Network:

• Know each person
• Each person can and does make a difference
• Relationship is the fundamental building block of a transformed culture
• Respond to spirit as well as mind and body
• Risk taking is a normal part of life
• Put person before task
• All elders are entitled to self-determination wherever they live
• Community is the antidote to institutionalization
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you—yes, the Golden Rule
• Promote the growth and development of all
• Shape and use the potential of the environment in all its aspects:  physical, organizational, psycho/social/spiritual
• Practice self-examination, searching for new creativity and opportunities for doing better
• Recognize that culture change and transformation are not destinations but a journey, always a work in progress