Archive for October, 2008

Honesty is something we expect from most people. We assume that the cashier will accurately give us our change, the police officer will protect us from criminals, and our boss will pay us on time for the work we do. Unfortunately, not everyone treats us fairly.

Yesterday someone close to me was robbed in Ocala. Two men wandered up to her property the day before, asking for farm labor. They claimed to be hard workers and would do a good job for her. Needless to say, she hired them on the spot. To her surprise the next day, all her lawn equipment and tools had been stolen, adding up to about $4,000. This left her feeling violated and extremely angry.

She stated, “How could they do such a thing? When no one would hire them. I gave them work and paid them fairly. Why couldn’t they treat me with the same respect?”

Later, she found out from the police that these men had long criminal records including assault. One of the men even had a warrant out for his arrest. Although this incident is truly upsetting, she is fortunate to be alive.

Honesty is something my friend expected, and they violated it. In long-term care, we often entrust strangers to provide quality care. But truly–how do we know they are honest individuals? And, how do we know they will do a good job? Hiring someone new is a gamble…that’s why people often look to an outside agency to provide quality workers, and also to take on the liability.

Most companies whether nursing facilities or home health agencies, thoroughly background screen their employees. If these dishonest men had worked in the health care field, they likely wouldn’t have been hired. At the same time, if my dear friend had checked into their background, she would have been aware of their dangerous history.

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long-term care

I recently read an article on unique living environments entitled “Finding the Perfect Niche” by Maureen Hrehocik. This article discusses the more recent popularity of niche housing for older adults needing long-term care.

One of the fastest growing senior housing niche markets are for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals (GLBT). A member of the new GLBT community points out that she feels “more at home with people who share her (my) values.” This is especially so for those abandoned or disowned by family due to their sexuality. With the rising popularity of these communities, individuals who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender now have somewhere to live and grow old with their peers.

Another area on the move is university-based retirement communities (UBRC). While living in Austin, the University of Texas was making plans to open one of these facilities on campus. Currently, there are about three dozen university based retirement communities (UBRC) open in the United States. Most of the UBRCs meet the following criteria:

- The community must be located within a mile of the main campus.
- At least 10% of residents are expected to have affiliation with the University, whether as alumni or retired faculty.
- The community should be a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) providing all types of care, whether it’s independent, assisted, Alzheimer’s and/or skilled nursing.

Various cultures have also created niches for themselves. For instance, one Asian American nursing facility in California has two stone lions marking their entrance. No where in this facility will you find the number “4″, which signifies death to some Asian Americans. Also, the color blue is absent from the decor, because it is considered “undesirable.” These facilities have gained popularity because some prefer to be among those that have similar beliefs or customs.

Some seniors choose more non-traditional methods of retirement living. Since the year 2000, Bea Muller has been living on the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship. Her “assisted living” choice runs about $100,000 dollars per year. This cruise ship visits twenty-five countries per year. A study done by the American Geriatric Society (2003) discovered that the average cruise ship only costs around $11 dollars more per month than an a assisted living facility.

These days it’s not uncommon for cruise ships to have a “Bea Muller” type staying long-term. A cruise line called Residen Sea, has introduced “The World,” a ship that allows retirees to buy high-end apartments. Since cruise lines already have nurses and physicians on staff, it makes sense why some consider this type of retirement living.

With the large number of Americans retiring, it’s no wonder the options continue to grow. There is no doubt that Baby Boomers will reinvent the previously generic term “retirement.”

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niche housing, older adults, long-term care, University of Texas, university based retirement communities, Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), American Geriatric Society, retirement living, Baby Boomers

Just a quick note to congratulate Jennifer Mikula who is Florida’s Nursing Home Administrator of the Year! I am proud to say she runs one of our local facilities, Palm Garden of Ocala.

Jennifer was nice enough to give me a tour of her facility a few months ago. With her visionary mindset, she has made many changes that have improved the quality of life of Palm Garden’s residents. For example, instead of having a standard hospital-like shower room, Palm Garden now has a Spa. These days residents who use to avoid bathing now line up to enjoy the beautiful tiled room with stained glass windows and a nail tech.

Palm Garden also has a quiet zone. In this silent area, residents can relax and enjoy the smell of fresh baked bread (also to eat), the sound of water flowing, and places to sit and nap if one so desires. According to Jennifer, residents who normally tend to be combative or act out, seem to change in this still and relaxing environment. In this comfy and cozy room, I don’t see how anyone could stay upset long.

For nursing home residents, I am glad to see these improvements and hope more Medicare/Medicaid nursing homes will join Jennifer in continuing to reinvest in their facilities.

Long-Term Living recently featured Palm Garden of Ocala in their magazine. To read this article, click on this link.

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Nursing Home Administrator, Ocala, nursing home residents, nursing homes, Long-Term Living

For those of you who are Florida Nursing Home Administrators or are health care managers in North Central Florida, I would encourage you to attend the Florida Health Care Association‘s (FHCA) district meeting. This is an excellent way to meet some of your peers, along with gain knowledge on important topics related to the field and our community. Below I have listed information pertaining to the meeting, which is also posted on www.fhca.org.

DISTRICT VIII
David Minnic, President
Hawthorne Health and Rehab of Ocala
Phone: (352) 237-7776
Fax: (352) 237-5551
District VIII Meeting Information
Date: 2nd Thursday of each month
Time: 11:30 AM
Location: Ocala Hilton, Ocala

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Florida Nursing Home Administrator, North Central Florida, Florida Health Care Association, Ocala