Affecting Change in Under-Resourced Nursing Homes.

AALTCN Executive Director, Charlotte Eliopoulos just returned from the Pioneer Network Conference where she had the chance to network with professionals advancing culture change and present a session on Affecting Change in Under-Resourced Nursing Homes.

Charlotte has been involved with a grant project of the Beacon Institute in MD in which culture change programming and consultation are offered to nursing homes who primarily serve a Medicaid population in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. As part of the project, AALTCN/HEN offered several of its certification programs to the nurses. These programs assist with providing a solid foundation upon which culture change can be built. For many of the nurses, this was the first major opportunity they’ve had to advance their competencies in LTC nursing and obtain a credential beyond their basic nursing education. (For more info on the certification program http://www.healthed.net/long-term-healthcare-products.htm)

This project is significant because many nursing homes have lacked the resources to implement culture change practices. AALTCN/HEN believes there needs to be a greater number of opportunities for ALL nursing home residents and staff to benefit from culture change principles and practices.