Families can be partners in individualizing care. Hear from families who have been actively involved in making Loomis House home to their loved one. These interviews were conducted by Lori Todd, Administrator, to share at the 2008 Pioneer Network conference. For more information, contact Lori Todd at ltodd@loomiscommunities.org

For families and staff, the first 24 hours after someone moves in to a nursing home is a crucial time for communication. If staff can know and support residents rhythms of daily life, residents will have a good start on their nursing home stay. This is important whether someone is moving in for a short period or for the foreseeable future.

Communicate about daily routines and schedules, about preferences and needs. Families may need to talk with staff over several days to make sure information is shared with care-givers.

Nursing homes can benefit from looking at how information about a new residents’ individual routines is communicated to the staff who need it when they need it. This is called “Just-in-time communication.” Make sure there’s communication between the social worker and hands-on staff, and that there’s a good hand-off from shift to shift. Families will have greater peace of mind, and residents will have a better chance of a good stay, when nursing homes have systems in place to make sure information about residents gets to the people who need it in time to put it to use.