(includes boxed lunch)

Moderator: Vickie Burlew

Vickie Burlew is a mentor and coach to LTC facilities in the areas of regulatory and clinical care. She advocates for the homes and their residents believing that providing person-directed care is the road to compliance. Currently she is employed by Lebenbom &Rothman Consulting working with you for the best outcomes for your elders.

Session Description:

All of us – residents and employees – have suffering greatly during this pandemic from the loneliness of confinement, the helplessness of constant change outside of our sphere of control, and the boredom of imposed separation from events, small and large, not within our nuclear families (home and work.) Listen a panel of your peers discuss how this affected health care workers in our communities and the residents they love. Discover how they identified psychological, emotional, and spiritual pain in their midst. Learn best and unique practices to combat this pain in our workplaces.

Panelists:

Eva Chmielewski, RN, BSN | Staff Development Coordinator, Martha T. Berry MCMCF

I started my nursing career in a skilled nursing facility. This is when I first experience the pain and suffering the elders endured. I just couldn’t put a name to its source. During my career I had many roles. I was a unit manager of a 40 and then 56 bed unit. In this role I attempted to alleviate this pain through multidisciplinary discussion and strategies. The medical model recommended to medicate but it didn’t seem like the right answer. I made a career move and became a DON. I was blessed with a very vibrant activities department with great community involvement, I saw the difference. I then had the privilege to work at Martha T Berry. I was presented with an opportunity that changed my life. I became involved in an improvement project called dementia beyond drugs and was introduced to the Eden Alternative. I then became Eden certified. I am proud to say that I am part of our Eden core team and that there are over 40 certified associates that are working under the leadership of our administration to bring this culture change to fruition changing the lives of the elders we serve and ensure they have a life worth living.

Therese Maupin-Moore | Director of Social Services, Thornapple Manor

I graduated from Western Michigan University in December 2000 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts – Criminal Justice with a minor in Social Work. After graduation, I began working for Barry County Substance Abuse Services as a School/Community Based Preventionist.  I spent seven years facilitating Substance Abuse Prevention/Community curriculums to local school sand groups.  I then began working for Barry County Commission on Aging as the Kinship Care Coordinator. I coordinated the Kinship Care Program for seven years with Relatives Raising Relative Children, mostly grandparents caring for grandchildren.  I assisted with court, non-court and other information and referral services, taught parenting curriculum, foster-care classes and facilitated many support groups. Most recently, I began working for Thornapple Manor in 2014, beginning as the Eden Coordinator and expanding my role as the Quality Insurance Performance Improvement/LEAN Coordinator. In December 2021. I was promoted to be the Director of Social Services. I am very passionate about working with people, whether it’s in the community, with the residents or my team, I enjoy them all.  

Destiny Wilkins from Jackson CMCF

Theresa DeLau from Pleasant View MCF

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to identify the signs of psychological, emotional and spiritual pain in their residents, themselves, and their peers and describe 3 best practices to overcome this pain.

1. Describe methods to identify the non-physical pain of COVID isolation in residents.
2. Introduce four best practices to address loneliness, helplessness, and boredom in our residents and how to care plan the same.
3. Discuss how to measure the morale of staff to identify psychological, emotional, and spiritual pain that could lead to burnout
4. Review four best practices to re-engage staff and increase their sense of security and belonging.
5. Identify 3 signs of pain leading to burnout in one’s self.
6. List What’s next – what does the future look like?