2012 Summer Conference

The Small House State Veterans Home

The Journey began with a commitment to change…..

2012 Summer Conference

WATKINS-LOGAN-GARRISON TEXAS STATE VETERANS HOMETYLER, TEXAS

2012 Summer Conference

2012 Summer Conference

2012 Summer Conference

2012 Summer Conference

What..

So What..

Now What..

…has been done so far?

…have we learned?

…will we do with those lessons?

…have we unlearned?

2012 Summer Conference

So what have we learned?• Not all who have the desire can successfully make the

transition• Training is HUGE, retraining is required, and monitoring is

essential• Not all residents, family members and team members will

like it – some prefer the traditional nursing home pace

2012 Summer Conference

• “Do-overs” without keeping score of who is right or wrong encourages growth

• Family members have normal family interactions with residents

2012 Summer Conference

Clinical Outcomes

• No in-house pressure sores• No weight loss• Only one hospitalization or re-hospitalization

since February 21, 2012• Only one fall with injury (alert resident tripped

over another residents scooter)

2012 Summer Conference

Resident Successes

• One resident chooses to wash his own clothes• One resident helps with the dishes after every meal• One resident teaches Sunday School every week,

gardening and wood-working classes to the other residents

• Reclusive resident volunteers to deliver mail daily to all houses

• One resident monitors a fellow resident who wanders

2012 Summer Conference

The “Activity Program” looks and feels different

2012 Summer Conference

• Almost everyone gains weight…

Not just residents!!

2012 Summer Conference

So what have we “unlearned”?• The notion that this will be easy…we’ll just do what we’ve

always done on a small scale• Nurses will be happy to relinquish authority and control

over Nursing Assistants• Nursing Assistants will be eager to become leaders in each

home

2012 Summer Conference

Now what will we do with what we have learned?

• Modify hiring and training tactics• Involve team in hiring and

training as new team members join an established team; Nursing Assistants are excellent teachers

• Manage expectations for all stakeholders

2012 Summer Conference

One more thing we’ve learned….It’s worth the efforts involved to make the change!

Home – a place where everyone contributes in his or her own way, has value, and is respected by others

2012 Summer Conference

A Special THANK YOU to the Texas Veterans Land Board for taking the bold

initiative to create a State Veterans Home deploying the Small House model

in Tyler, Texas!!

2012 Summer Conference

Questions & Answers