When you walk into a nursing home, what do you expect to
feel? Think about the sounds, the
smells, the atmosphere of the building.
Most people expect to hear the buzzing of bells, the
whirring of machines. They expect the
smell of antiseptic and a very sterile environment. The atmosphere is very institutional – more
like a hospital than a home. They
imagine a place where the residents cannot walk, talk, or interact with
people. Most people are bed ridden, and
those who aren’t bed ridden are unable to carry on a conversation.
Now I want you to imagine what you would want if you were to
go into a nursing home. Imagine how you
would want it to sound, smell and look. Imagine
children coming and going, live plants through the building being tended by the
residents, pets that live in the home and that staff members bring from their
homes. Think about residents and staff
members laughing together, crying together, and creating lasting
relationships.
At our homes we want you to be a person, not a number. We want you to be known for your personality
and your story, not your diagnosis or condition. Just because someone needs to go into a
nursing home for medical care doesn’t mean they want to stop living. They crave companionship and the feeling that
they can make a difference, just the same as anyone else. They want to be able to do the things they
did before living in a nursing home.
We recognize that we need to care for more than the medical
portion of a person – we need to care for his or her spirit or soul. That’s why each of our buildings has a
chaplain on staff. They also hold weekly
worship services that you are free to attend if you feel so moved. Some of the residents in our homes are there
for short-term, after hip or knee replacements, or receiving therapy for an
accident. We make sure to care for these
people too.
Tabitha Sperring, Cultural Coach
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