Culture Change in Long-Term Care
/Culture Change in Long-Term Care: A Case Study from MaineGeneral Rehabilitation and Nursing Care at Glenridge
Film produced by the American Health Quality Association
This film provides insight into the How of Change, and the use of individualized care to drive clinical improvement. It is a useful resource for implementing changes based on revisions to the CMS Quality of Life Survey Guidelines.
The film was created by the American Health Quality Foundation to guide Quality Improvement Organizations and nursing homes interested in using a quality improvement approach to individualizing care and initiating culture change. Funding for this film was provided by The Commonwealth Foundation and Quality Partners of Rhode Island. B&F Consulting guided the production of this film as a model for an effective change process that starts with nursing, and relies on inclusive and empowering leadership.
It features the work of Connie McDonald, Administrative Director for MaineGeneral Rehabilitation and Nursing Care, in Augusta, ME, and her staff, in their successful efforts to transform from institutional to individualized care. They introduced Gentle Awakening to start off mornings according to each resident’s natural waking time. They individualized night routines so that residents could now get a good night’s sleep. In the process, they changed their food delivery, activities, reduced their use of suppositories and alarms, and made other changes in daily care to support residents’ own routines. Residents have thrived and so have the staff members.