Is it in the plan?IN THE CLASSIC STORY OF ALICE IN Wonderland Wonderland See also Heaven, Paradise, Utopia. Annwn land of joy and beauty without disease or death. [Welsh Lit.: Mabinogion] Atlantis fabulous and prosperous island; legendarily in Atlantic Ocean. [Gk. Myth. , at one point Alice asks for directions. Where do you want to be, she is asked; it doesn't much matter, she replies. Then it doesn't much matter which way you go, she is told. Some, like spiritual author Shakti Gawain, call it "creative visualization Creative Visualization refers to the practice of seeking to affect the outer world via changing one's thoughts. Although various spiritual traditions claim that our thoughts affect the outer world, the phrase "Creative Visualization" came from the New Age Movement. ." Others call it, simply, proper planning. What's so important about having a plan? It is often the difference between being a winner and an also-ran. Just ask the five winners and eight "best practices" recipients of our annual "Order of Excellence Awards in Architecture and Interior Design", whose facilities appear in the Senior Living Design supplement that accompanies this issue of Contemporary Long Term Care. (See our Newsfronts item on page 10 in this issue, which lists the winning facilities.) You'll find award-winning renovation and creative use of both interior and exterior space from people who planned their work and worked their plan. But you need more than innovative floorplans to assure success in the long term care industry. You need a curriculum! That's right. You need to take your potential residents-- and their adult children, who more often than not become the decision-makers for your potential residents--to school. You must educate them not only about your particular venue specifically, but about the niche of the profession in which you practice in general. Our cover story, "Back to School: Your growth lies in educating the public about LTC LTC abbr. lieutenant colonel options," starts on page 28. It examines the results of a survey of adult children and how they go about making decisions for a relative's long term care needs. It would seem that most people are of the opinion that they would like to leave mom or dad at home as long as possible, serviced perhaps by a "Meals on Wheels n. 1. A program that delivers hot meals to persons, such as the elderly or disabled, who are confined to their homes and unable to cook for themselves; also, the meals thus delivered. Such programs are usually conducted by governmental or charitable organizations. " or "Visiting Nurse vis·it·ing nurse n. A registered nurse employed by a public health agency or hospital to promote community health and especially to visit and administer treatment to sick people in their homes. Service" program until such time as they have to be shuttled off to a nursing home. Most are unaware of the assisted living as·sist·ed living n. A living arrangement in which people with special needs, especially older people with disabilities, reside in a facility that provides help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing, and taking medication. options available for their relatives. Compounding the problem is the fact that most don't care
"Don't Care" is a 1994 (see 1994 in music) single by American death metal band Obituary. to learn about their options until a crisis occurs and a snap decision needs to be made. So you have your work cut out for you. Plan to educate the public at large. It should yield award-winning results. Mark Zacharia Editor-in-Chief |
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