Monthly Archive

Congratulations to Morningside Ministries of San Antonio, for some wonderful media coverage in the San Antonio Express-News about their advances in design for the aging.  Though senior-friendly design and home-like environments are old news to most people working in aging services, we have a ways to go before the media and the public understand  that living in a senior housing community doesn’t mean living in a hospital. Every story like this one helps break down old stereotypes  of what growing old means for where you live and how you think. We like to see all the coverage like this that’s out there.

What are you doing to tell your story through the media?

In my letters to you, I usually tell the stories of how AAHSA members are working hard to create the future of aging services. Today is different. This letter is about how AAHSA member organizations are showing, and telling, their story in a new way.

Eliza Bryant Village began in 1896 as the first nursing home for Cleveland’s African-American seniors. Today, the organizations continueto live that mission under the leadership of their CEO Harvey Shankman. He and his dedicated staff work hard to ensure that residents like Mary Lou Williams can enjoy her daily walk and the “good food” in the dining room. But there I go storytelling again. Watch and hear from Mary Lou herself.

Take seven minutes out of your day and YouTube with Harvey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ5CQiUOzns).

In our increasingly complex media world, YouTube is a fantastic way for non-profit providers of aging services to tell how you live your story. Let me know if you already have a “YouTube story” of your own to share.

Larry

For the past two years, we’ve been all about storytelling here at AAHSA. Why? Because telling stories turns numbers into names and facts into faces about our members mission-driven work for older adults. And it makes a difference for members like Del Zook. Here’s an e-mail he recently wrote to Larry about a story in our FutureAge magazine he shared with his county’s tax appraiser.

What’s the “bottom line?” That telling your story can mean a happy ending in your community, on the front page of the newsletter, at the statehouse and even on your organization’s tax return.

Dear Larry,
Just an interesting happening to share with you. First, I appreciate so much AAHSA’s emphasis on the “mission” and “not-for-profit” focus. I sense a real connection with AAHSA to our mission where I don’t with other other organizations such as the local Chamber and other organization where I serve on the board.

I have been dealing with the Yamhill County tax appraiser on placing our new care center on the books the last few months. It seems when new appraisers are hired it is a whole new cycle of training about what “not-for-profit” really mean to a community.

Frustated after several visits from a new appraiser around the discussion of a 501-c-3 having “nothing” to do whether the care center is tax exempt, I picked up the July/ August issue of AAHSA’s Future Age. I turned to the short article “Home’s Focus on Community Ensures Public Trust” written about Rock of Ages regarding our fire suppresent system, walkways, and fundraising. I asked him to read the article and walked out of my office to regroup. When I returned in a few minutes it was as if a light had went on. A well paid tax attorney could not have said it better. He seemed far more sympathetic towards what Rock of Ages is all about and that there is a force (AAHSA) bigger than just us working to help communities just like Rock of Ages. The next morning I received a call from the elected Tax Assessor who said I need not worry about his position on the new care center’s tax exempt status. Thanks to Larry and crew for helping with our position. You, or at least I never know how AAHSA and it’s work may help school communities, including appraisers, what a mission focused, not-for-profit, organization can do for community.

Thanks Larry and hats off to the AAHSA staff for all your work and support for us “little guys” out here serving our communities.

Del Zook, CEO
Rock of Ages Mennonite Home

Sharing your story can also win you a trip to AAHSA’s Annual Meeting in Philadelphia! Submit your story online or print out a form to use. We also developed a form that you can share with your residents. Please fax all printed entries to us at (202) 783-2255. All entries from your organization will be entered in a raffle to win either an all-expenses paid trip to AAHSA’s 2008 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Philadelphia or free registration to this event for your entire board of directors. Submissions will be accepted until Sept. 10.

The fragmented care system in the US, particularly with respect to payment, has often been cited by field experts as one of the hindrances to a better quality healthcare, while single payer systems, similar to those available in Europe, are seen as conducive to “investing” in programs that reduce the cost of care and generally improve the quality of care for the majority of care recipients, including preventive health programs and technologies.  This comparison is sometimes perceived as advocating single payer healthcare system.  I have recently come across this very interesting article that offers a more balanced multi-faceted comparison between the US and the European healthcare systems, which I thought of sharing with the readers of this blog; enjoy!

- Majd Alwan

AAHSA’s vision for long-term care is a “healthy, affordable and ethical” system of aging services. Today, those three criteria are far from reality. Few would argue that health care in general, and aging services in particular, reflects well-defined, healthy outcomes. Nor do I know any expert who says what we have today is affordable. Many countries spend far less and have better outcomes. Public outcries related to health care scandals have questioned health care’s ethical underpinnings. And now, Congress and the IRS have their sights focused on not-for-profit ethical behavior and accountability.

Recently, I met with a leading consumer advocate about the state of nursing home care in general and the future of aging services in particular. I asked her what AAHSA’s and the nonprofit role should be in getting beyond where we are today. She said she believes our responsibility is two-fold: continue to create a vision of what the continuum can be for older people in our society and create trust in our work. A provocative perspective succinctly stated.

I submit for your consideration that the vision so badly needed in our field and the trust so hard to earn begins and ends with ethics.

Oh, I’m sure most of us could say with confidence that we are corporately ethical. Our intentions have been noble and honorable for generations. But without a disciplined process of ethical reflection as organized as our processes for financial analysis, it is easy to drift ethically. Ethical lapses lead to crises of trust reflected in headlines that are etched in the public’s mind for decades.

What do ethical lapses look like and how do moral imperatives manifest themselves in difficult times? Let’s use a couple of human resources (HR) examples from real situations. I use human resources because AAHSA’s Ethics Commission, under the leadership of Audrey Weiner from the Jewish Home and Hospital Life Care System in New York, will soon publish a Quality First white paper entitled Our Moral Imperative: Creating an Ethical Workplace. It has guidelines for human resources ethics. It should become part of your corporate ethics tool kit and library, along with corporate compliance, codes of ethical conduct and social accountability material - examples of which AAHSA has available for our members.

In fact, AAHSA’s annual meeting in Orlando this fall is themed “Living Your Story” with daily themes of “A Life of Conscience,” “A Life of Community,” “A Life of Integrity” and “A Life of Legacy” - driven by the AAHSA Ethics Commission’s work.

Back to the human resources lapses and imperatives. Years ago, I visited a colleague’s facility to share solutions to common problems. My organization faced a much higher food service cost per meal than others I compared with. The colleague’s facility had a particularly low-cost program, with labor costs less than half of my facility’s costs. I asked the food service director his secret. He smiled and replied, “It’s simple. Our community has lots of immigrants who need work, so I don’t have to pay more than minimum and I don’t have to offer vacation and other benefits. And if they don’t like it, I can replace them immediately.” Stunning! I wonder: was that an HR policy sanctioned by the board? Did the board even know? Was this an ethical lapse under the board’s radar or corporate intent?

Contrast that with the ethical imperative loudly stated in the actions of Boston member Mary Immaculate Health Care, whose CEO is Barbara Grant. Mary Immaculate experienced a river flood that could have been an even worse disaster. Fire and rescue, local hospitals and nursing homes all responded nobly and quickly, resulting in no injury, no loss of life as the facility succumbed to the river. Perhaps most inspiring was the employee response. Employees on site stayed, others came in to help. All followed their residents to various facilities that took them in. Immediately post evacuation, with a now uncertain future for the facility, the board of Mary Immaculate reassured the staff that no employee would miss a paycheck! A moral imperative, from their perspective.

Our ethical imperative is the leadership dynamic of transformation needed in long-term care. Recently retired CEO Dick Lamden from Wexner Heritage Village in Ohio testified at a state legislative hearing in which conflict about a public policy objective was apparent. Dick’s recommendation to this committee contrasted significantly with the profit sector’s recommendation. After discussion, a prominent elected official stated that he trusted Dick’s recommendation because of Wexner’s history of quality and doing the right things for the right reasons. Unanimous approval.

The Kendal organization in Pennsylvania calls it “One Common Interest” on the cover of its 2006 annual report, which quotes John Woodman, who, in 1763, said:

“Here we face the prospect of one common interest from which our own is inseparable, that to turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of universal love becomes the business of our lives…”

Yes, we have an ethical imperative. It begins with corporate leadership, including the board. It should pervade all aspects of our work. It should encompass all groups of people with whom we have relationships. It is the key to transformational leadership to change a broken system of inadequate quality, despite the resources thrown at it and the competition for them. Ethical thinking is the foundation for change. And it needs to happen every day, in every community.

Larry

William L. Minnix, Jr., D.Min.
AAHSA President and CEO

P.S. Be sure to watch for the September/October issue of AAHSA’s FutureAge magazine, where you’ll find articles that profile members who take ethics and quality to heart, examine the characteristics of a just society, look at what determines an ethical corporate culture and more.

The Good Lord didn’t make a more loyal AAHSA member or more credible elder advocate than Shirley Barnes from Minneapolis. On July 31, I asked all of you to flood your Congressman and Senators during their August recess at home about your concerns — even outrage — about freezes on Medicare cost–of–living increases, about the continuing problem with therapy caps, about user fees, about a broken Medicaid system, about inadequate housing funding, and the need for technology planning.

We asked you to flood your elected officials with appointments to meet with your boards, residents and staff about the effects of some of the Congressional actions or a predicted veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill, which contains provisions for Medicare and nursing home payment. We also asked you to flood them with thanks for their interest and concern.

Typical of her leadership, Shirley Barnes contacted Congressman Keith Ellison (D–Minn.) even before we asked. The Congressman’s staff met with Shirley’s staff and residents at the Boulevard and sent a letter of thanks. He said,

“The feedback I received has given me a better perspective of how the legislative proposals in Congress affect Minnesotans. The residents of the Boulevard and their personal situations will remain with me as I cast my votes for health care and senior issues in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

Yes, we must change the perspectives of an elected official. And yes we must help them make it personal. If you watch much political discussion on television these days, you can see and hear how politicians can lose perspective on the personal problems families face every day.

Let the August flood continue. Make it personal about how Medicare and Medicaid freezes impact employees who may not get a raise and the quality of care that your residents and clients receive. Make it personal about how a veto of an SCHIP bill will jeopardize the health of your employees’ children. Tell them how user fees take away money from direct care services. Help them understand how badly seniors need affordable housing.

Shirley Barnes knew what to do. Don’t take no for an answer about a visit, a response to a letter or a petition from residents, families or employees. Don’t let them say no to a letter from your board.

Flood them with perspective and the reality about people and real situations. We have tools and contact to help you flood their offices with your perspective on the personal problems that your residents, clients and staff face. And let us know what you’re doing.

Larry

William L. Minnix, Jr., D.Min.
AAHSA President and CEO

Contact Congress on SCHIP, appropriations and housing.

I know you were as riveted as I was to the live television coverage of the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Unbelievable how such a symbol of strength on which we depend every day without a thought of concern for our personal safety could collapse so completely under the duress of flaws virtually invisible to the eye. It’s like the broad shoulders of commerce broke as we ride on them like a child on their daddy’s back. A kid can’t imagine those shoulders would ever be unable to carry us. Yet, the total collapse of a bridge.

How should we respond? Similarly to how we’ve done so in other recent catastrophes. First, we call to check on the whereabouts and safety of those we know and love. In the Minneapolis situation, we have talked with our state executive, Gayle Kvenvold, and other member colleagues and determined that as I’m writing, we know of no member losses of residents or employees connected to those close to us. Some of you have asked if there’s anything we can do for anyone affected. Besides praying for all concerned – known and unknown to us – there is no physical need we as the AAHSA family can meet right now. If needs arise, we will pass them on to you… But remember, prayer is always the least AND the most any of us can do for anybody. So, pray for comfort, safety and recovery.

Secondly, we can learn from the response of the city of Minneapolis’ emergency systems. The people and plans were immediate, effective and smooth. Every community should be as well prepared and rehearsed. A community leader interviewed said that emergency preparedness planning and drills paid off. Lessons learned for cities, facilities and families. As much as we all view fires and emergency preparations as a pain-in-the-neck, the old adage that chance favors the prepared mind has no more dramatic example for us than the Minneapolis situation.

Thirdly, we should admire our every day heroes. Every community has them. One that has captured my attention in the Minneapolis situation bridge collapse is the 15-year old kid who helped save lives of counselors and much younger children from the school bus on its journey from day camp to home. Not just an example of physical preparation, but an example of character preparation. Find ways to identify and recognize your local heroes everyday at the fire station, police department and scout troops for their devotion to our safety, comfort and the betterment of human kind.

Finally, let’s examine our policy priorities. We cannot have a healthy and prosperous nation ignoring our infrastructure — whether those be health, family, education or transportation. One headline said that there are thousands of similar bridges at risk. As we celebrate the golden anniversary of our nation’s interstate highway system, we can’t let politicians fund bridges-to-nowhere while bridges to and from day camps collapse beneath our children. The same can be said the other components of those broad shoulders of American society on which we depend every single day without thinking about it.

But the politicians say that unless they hear from us, they don’t feel much urgency to fund such fundamentally important programs and priorities.

Which gets me back to prayer - for our nation. Let’s not forget to pray that we do the right things for the people who live here as well as those around the world whose lives our leadership priorities impact. Because we are often the architects of bridges for many who are looking for ways out of oppression, poverty and ill health. The world depends on our broad shoulders, like it or not. We have to make sure those shoulders are strong in character, in policy and in the practice of life. We can learn a lot about all of this from our neighbors in Minneapolis – and from a 15–year old kid who knew what to do. And he didn’t hesitate to do it.

Larry

William L. Minnix, Jr., D.Min.
AAHSA President and CEO