the eden alternative certified eden associate training.€¦ · the eden alternative® entitled...

P.O. Box 168, Pleasant Hill, TN 38578 931-277-3518

UPLANDSVILLAGE.COM

April 19, 2018

Vincent Davis, State Survey Agency Director

665 Mainstream Drive, 2nd Floor

Nashville, TN 37243

Dear Mr. Davis,

On behalf of Uplands Village and Wharton Nursing Home, we appreciate the opportunity to

submit this request for $33,720.00 to utilize civil monetary penalty funds. If approved, funds

will enrich the quality of life of nursing home residents by establishing training focused on

resident-centered care. We believe that every nursing home resident has the right to choice,

dignity, respect, self-determination, and purposeful living, and want to empower our staff by

giving them the tools, resources, and inspiration to make that happen for every resident.

“Culture change” is the common name for a global initiative focused on transforming care, as we

know it, for elders and other individuals living with different cognitive, developmental,

psychological, and physical abilities. It advocates for a shift from institutional models of care to

person-directed values and practices. Person-directed care is structured around the unique needs,

preferences, and desires of each individual. Through this approach, decisions and actions around

care honor the voices and choices of care recipients and those working most closely with them.

The keystone of this proposed project is a comprehensive educational experience developed by

The Eden Alternative® entitled Certified Eden Associate Training. This 3-day training illustrates

the importance of the particular well-being of each individual and qualifies nursing home

employees to initiate the culture change journey in their organizations. Nursing home employees

leave the training feeling empowered and inspired to customize care based on the needs of the

individual.

Uplands Village and Wharton Nursing Home are committed to maintaining and consistently

revitalizing an awareness and application of the Eden Alternative principles. It requires being

vigilant and prepared to bring new employees into the process. We are striving to certify at least

75% of our employees, and will hold four 3-day trainings on site in which participants will be

immersed in what it means to give and receive dignified and respectful treatment.

On behalf of Uplands Village and Wharton Nursing Home, thank you in advance for your review

and consideration, resulting in final approval of this request.

Sincerely,

Louise Buckner, RN, LNHA, Uplands’ Director of Health Services

EIN 62-0479194

Uplands Village/Wharton Nursing Home 1

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

Date of Application: ____ /____ /_______ MM DD YYYY

REQUEST

PART I: Background Information

Name of the Organization: ____________________________________________________________

Address Line 1: _______________________________________________________________________

Address Line 2: _______________________________________________________________________

City, County, State, Zip Code: __________________________________________________________

Tax Identification Number: ____________________________________________________________

CMS Certification Number, if applicable: –

Medicaid Provider Number, if applicable: –

Name of the Project Leader: ____________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________________


Internet E-mail Address: _______________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: – –

Mobile Number: – –

Have other funding sources been applied for and/or granted for this proposal? Yes No

If yes, please explain/identify sources and amount.

6


PART II: Applicable to Certified Nursing Home Applicants

REQUEST, cont.

Name of the Facility: __________________________________________________________________

Address Line 1: ________________________________________________________________________

Address Line 2: ________________________________________________________________________


Telephone Number: – –

CMS Certification Number: –

Medicaid Provider Number: –

Date of Last Recertification Survey: ____ /____ /_______ MM DD YYYY

Highest Scope and Severity Determination: (A – L) ______

Date of Last Complaint Survey: ____ /____ /_______ MM DD YYYY

Highest Scope and Severity Determination: (A – L) ______

Currently Enrolled in the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Initiative? Yes No

Previously Designated as a Special Focus Facility? Yes No

Participating in a Systems Improvement Agreement? Yes No

Administrator’s Name: _________________________________________________________________

Owner of the Nursing Home: __________________________________________________________

CEO Telephone Number: – –

CEO Email Address: ___________________________________________________________________

7


______________________________________________________________________________________

REQUEST, cont.

Name of the Management Company: ___________________________________________________

Chain Affiliation (please specify) Name and Address of Parent Organization: __________________

Outstanding Civil Money Penalty? Yes No

Nursing Home Compare Star Rating: ______ (can be 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 stars)

Date of Nursing Home Compare Rating: ____ /____ /_______ MM DD YYYY

Is the Nursing Home in Bankruptcy or Receivership? Yes No

If an organization is represented by various partners and stakeholders, please attach a list of the stakeholders in the appendix.

NOTE: The entity or nursing home which requests CMP funding is accountable and responsible for all CMP funds entrusted to it. If a change in ownership occurs after CMP funds are granted or during the course of the project completion, the project leader shall notify CMS and the State Agency within five calendar days. The new ownership shall be disclosed as well as information regarding how the project shall be completed. A written letter regarding the change in ownership and its impact on the CMP Grant application award shall be sent to CMS and the State Agency.

Part III: Project Category

Please place an “X” by the project category for which you are seeking CMP funding.

Direct Improvement to Quality of Care

Resident or Family Councils

Culture Change/Quality of Life

Consumer Information

Transition Preparation

8


POLICY 03

Object

Line-item

Reference

EXPENSE OBJECT LINE-ITEM CATEGORY 1

(detail schedule(s) attached as applicable)GRANT CONTRACT

GRANTEE

PARTICIPATION TOTAL PROJECT

1 Salaries2$20,196.00 $20,196.00

2 Benefits & Taxes$0.00 $1,552.00 $1,552.00

4, 15 Professional Fee/ Grant & Award 2 $4,000.00 $0.00 $4,000.00

5 Supplies$370.00 $0.00 $370.00

6 Telephone$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

7 Postage & Shipping$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

8 Occupancy$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

9 Equipment Rental & Maintenance$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

10 Printing & Publications$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

11, 12 Travel/ Conferences & Meetings2$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

13 Interest 2 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

14 Insurance$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

16 Specific Assistance To Individuals2$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

17 Depreciation 2 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

18 Other Non-Personnel 2 $29,350.00 $515.00 $29,865.00

20 Capital Purchase 2 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

22 Indirect Cost (% and method)$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

24 In-Kind Expense$0.00 $0.00 $0.00

25 GRAND TOTAL$33,720.00 $22,263.00 $55,983.00

ATTACHMENT 2

GRANT BUDGET

(BUDGET PAGE 1)

2 Applicable detail follows this page if line-item is funded.

1 Each expense object line-item shall be defined by the Department of Finance and Administration Policy 03, Uniform Reporting Requirements and Cost Allocation Plans for Subrecipients of Federal and State Grant Monies, Appendix A. (posted on the Internet at: https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/finance/attachments/policy3.pdf).

Uplands Village/Wharton and Welness Homes

APPLICABLE PERIOD: The grant budget line-item amounts below shall be applicable only to expense incurred during the period

beginning DATE, and ending DATE.


Uplands Village

SALARIES AMOUNT

Uplands Village will incur the cost of all salaries, including the on-staff Eden Educator and replacement staff to cover staff in training

51 x 16.5 x 24 hrs. + 1551.73 (Longetivity, if applicable) $21,747.70

ROUNDED TOTAL $21,748.00

AMOUNT

$4,000.00


AMOUNT

$0.00

ROUNDED TOTAL $0.00

AMOUNT

$0.00

ROUNDED TOTAL $0.00

AMOUNT

$0.00

ROUNDED TOTAL $0.00

AMOUNT

$0.00

ROUNDED TOTAL $0.00

AMOUNT

$29,720.00


AMOUNT

$0.00

ROUNDED TOTAL $0.00

No request

SPECIFIC, DESCRIPTIVE, DETAIL (REPEAT ROW AS NECESSARY)

No request

This request is for all supplies, textbooks, meals and snacks, and certification with the Eden Alternative for 74 participants

No request

CAPITAL PURCHASE

OTHER NON-PERSONNEL

DEPRECIATION

SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS

INTEREST

TRAVEL/ CONFERENCES & MEETINGS

PROFESSIONAL FEE/ GRANT & AWARD

ATTACHMENT 2 (continued)

GRANT BUDGET LINE-ITEM DETAIL

(BUDGET PAGE 2)

The cost for the third-party evaluator is $4000.00

No request


Funding

The proposed budget for this project is Attachment 2. We are requesting grant assistance for

training of 50 direct care staff, 16 ancillary staff (including administration), and 8

residents/elders and family members.

Training evaluation journals are $5 each x 74 = $370.

The Total for Supplies is $370.

The cost for the third party evaluator is $4,000.

The Total for Professional Fee/ Grant & Award is $4,000.

The first of four Certified Eden Associate Training events will include an educator from The

Eden Alternative, assisted by Uplands Village’s Certified Eden Educator. This event is $495 per

person plus $60 for meals. $555 per staff person x 21 people = $11,655. The Eden Alternative

offers a special rate for Elders and their family members of $100 per person. We added $60 each

for meals. $160 per Elder/family member x 2 = $320. In addition, we added $20 a day for meals

3 days for the 2 Eden Educators and 1 support staff = $180. The first event totals $12,155.

The three remaining Certified Eden Associate Training events will be conducted by Uplands

Village’s Certified Eden Educator. These events are $299 per person plus $60 for meals. $359

per staff member x 45 = $16,155. $160 per Elder/Family Member x 6 = $920. In addition, we

added $20 a day for meals for 3 days for the Eden Educator and 1 support staff = $120. The

remaining 3 events total $17,195.

The Total for Training is $29,350.

As the grantee, we are covering the cost of training for at least 1 board member totaling $515.

Uplands Village will absorb the salaries of additional staff necessary to cover the shifts of

training participants as well as the on-staff Eden Educator. This totals $21,748

Total Grantee Participation is $22,263.

Total Request: $33,720

Total Grantee Participation: $22,263

Total Project: $55,983


Job Descriptions for Key Personnel

Lisa Norris, R.N, is a certified Eden Educator and the Project Coordinator for Uplands Village.

She will attend, assist, and/or teach all four proposed trainings as well as make all necessary

preparations. She will coordinate with the Eden Educator from the Eden Home Office, and

working with Human Resources and Staffing Managers, Resident Councils, and Volunteer

Organizations to identify participants in the Eden Alternative training. Lisa will also be

responsible for all training reports to the Eden Home Office and grant reports required.

Meredith Martin, Education Coordinator for The Eden Alternative, will be responsible for

conducting the first proposed Certified Eden Alternative Training 3-day session according to the

standards of the Eden organization, send required materials back to Eden Home Office (EHO),

and provide feedback to the EHO post training. She will work with Lisa Norris to help Lisa

refresh her Educator skills.

George Chitiyo, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Educational Research and Evaluation, will

coordinate evaluations of the proposed project goals including pre- and post-training tests,

verifying establishment of on-going contact and discussion between trained associates and within

the organization, conducting focus groups to evaluate post training staff attitudes and practices

toward care and aging, and presenting a written report. Dr. Chitiyo earned his B.S. and M.S.

degrees from the University of Zimbabwe and his Ph.D. from Tennessee Technological

University. He has authored or co-authored numerous articles in such publication as the Journal

of Pediatric Nursing and Jamba: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies as well as presented papers on

evaluation and assessment at professional conferences. Dr. Chitiyo also developed the Patient

“Lightening-Up” Rating Scale (PLRS) Alzheimer’s patients’ response to therapy (December,

2016) and developed instruments to assess the effectiveness of a peer mentoring program among

minority students at Tennessee Tech University, 2013-2015.

Biographical Sketch for Currently Employed Key Personnel

Lisa J. Norris, RN, and Uplands Village’s Certified Eden Educator, received her Associate

Degree in Applied Science in Nursing in 2000 from Roane State Community College in

Tennessee. She was licensed as a registered nurse in 2000 (License # 129220). She worked as a

Skilled Unit Coordinator of a 53 Bed Unit at Life Care Center of Sparta, TN, before joining the

nursing administrative staff at Uplands Village. Since 2003, Lisa has worked as Uplands’

M.D.S. Coordinator, the Director of Nursing at Wharton Nursing Home, Director of Home

Health Services for the independent elders in the retirement community, and Culture

Change/Staff Development Coordinator. She became a Certified Eden Educator in 2012. Lisa

also holds Basic Life Support certifications in CPR and Emergency First Aid Instruction (2010)

and Facility Supervision (2002) from the Tennessee Health Care Association.

Lisa earned a Certificate of Achievement in Reframing Dementia: An Eden Alternative

Perspective in 2017, and successfully completed Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the

Culture of Care with Dr. Allen Power in 2013.


Involved Organizations

Uplands Village George Chitiyo, Ph.D.

Lisa Norris, RN, Eden Educator Independent Consultant

P. O. Box 168 Associate Professor, Education Research &

Pleasant Hill, Tennessee 38578 Evaluation

931-277-3518 Tennessee Technological University

P. O. Box 5042

The Eden Alternative Cookeville, TN 38505

Meredith Martin, Education Coordinator 931-252-3446

P. O. Box 18367

Rochester, NY 14618

585-461-3951, ext. 3051

David C. Zack Interim Executive

Director

Louise Buckner, RN, LNHA

Director of Health Services

Meredith Martin Eden Educator

George Chitiyo, Ph.D. Third-Party Evaluator

Lisa Norris, RN Eden Educator

Grant Coordinator

Cynthia Smith Controller

Deborah Douglas Director of

Funds Development

Organizational Chart


Project Abstract

In 2004, when Uplands Village committed to building a new long-term care community,

residents presented the administration with the dream of Eden Alternative inspired long-term

care homes. They were persuasive, and Uplands Village, a small continuing care retirement

community in rural Tennessee, diligently and patiently embarked on a complete culture change

in elder care. By the time the new Wharton Nursing Home opened in 2010, we had developed a

new understanding about elder care and had educated greater than 90% of the Uplands staff –

administration, maintenance, nursing, and dietary; not just those in direct long-term care – in the

Eden Alternative concepts. It was the right thing to do then, and it is the right thing to sustain.

We currently have a core group of staff who are already certified as Eden Associates and every

new employee receives an overview of the Eden Alternative principles, but to sustain and deepen

what we have developed, we are committed to formally training new staff in the Eden

Alternative philosophy and have established a goal of 75% certification.

Certified Eden Associate Training helps our organization achieve its goals of creating an

environment where residents can lead full and abundant lives. For over 20 years, The Eden

Alternative has successfully demonstrated person-directed care practices. In a culture that

typically views aging as a period of decline, the Eden Alternative philosophy asserts that no

matter how old we are or what challenges we live with, life is about continuing to grow. This

paradigm affirms that care is not a one-way street, but rather a collaborative care partnership. All

caregivers and care receivers are described as “care partners.” Together, care partner teams strive

to enhance well-being by eliminating the three plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom

for the residents and for the employees that support them. Via the Eden Alternative approach,

care planning is framed by the unique needs and preferences of the individual and focused on

honoring each individual’s sense of identity, security, and autonomy, as well as his/her need for

connectedness, meaning, growth, and joy.

The goal of this proposed project is to empower different members of the care partner team with

the tools and skills required to create and sustain a person-directed culture of care. To

accomplish this goal, our objectives are to:

Provide four rounds of the 3-day Certified Eden Associate Training

Educate a total of 50 long-term and skilled nursing employees, 16 ancillary employees,

and/or 8 residents/family members (making sure that all managers and directors are

trained) through Certified Eden Associate Training.

Designate a participant pool that will include:

o Staff that make decisions that affect long-term care including key personnel from

administration, finance, marketing, dietary, and maintenance

o Eight spots in the training for family and resident council members, as well as

other elders who reside somewhere on the continuum of care in Uplands Village

and likely will live their final months or years in Wharton Homes.

The success of the project will be assessed according to the detailed description found under

“Results Measurement” in this application. The evaluation will be conducted by an external

evaluator and independent consultant, Dr. George Chitiyo, who has expertise in research design

and evaluation. He is also Associate Professor of Educational Research and Evaluation at

Tennessee Tech University.


Statement of Need

Not only is person-directed care the right thing to do, but it has become a regulatory expectation.

Organizations hoping to remain in compliance and to exceed regulatory standards need resources

and education that effectively convey the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of person-directed care.

When nursing home employees are encouraged to build deep-knowing relationships with Elders

and other care partners, the sense of purpose behind their work is significantly enhanced. Giving

meaning to life and work, one of the Eden Alternative Domains of Well-Being™, is essential for

care partners to become fully engaged in their work. A sense of autonomy and the opportunity

for growth (also Domains of Well-Being) play an equally vital role in employee engagement.

Employees who are empowered to be responsive, encouraged to engage meaningfully with

others, and can continue to grow stay in their jobs. This strengthens care partner relationships

and the ability for Elders and their care partners to become well-known over time. Enhancing

the Domains of Autonomy, Growth, and Meaning also enables organizations practicing The

Eden Alternative to experience a sustained reduction in turnover. Note the following:

Turnover for Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) combined

in Eden Registry Member organizations was only 19% in 2013, as compared to the

national average of 36% alone for LPNs and 50% for RNs alone; and

Turnover for Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) in Eden Registry Member organizations

was only 25% in 2013, as compared to the national average of 52% for CNAs.

When nursing home employees are not happy in their jobs, the residents suffer, both in terms of

quality of care and in a lack of consistent care partners. Individualized care simply cannot

succeed without the presence of employee care partners who know each Elder well. Turnover

makes this vital aspect of quality care impossible to achieve and creates a reactive cycle where

time and resources are poured into orienting a revolving door of staff, rather than into cultivating

the rich, meaningful relationships that drive exemplary care.

Organizations practicing person-directed care find that their jobs become easier, not harder, once

culture change is established. This is particularly critical as we face the largest population of

older people our nation has ever seen. Approaches to care that are based on reciprocity, mutually

supportive, and regenerative practices will be crucial to our ability to meet the needs of so many

aging Americans at one time.

Potential project challenges and proposed solutions:

Issue: Some project participants may push back on adopting the new language and concepts

learned in the training. Solution: Leadership will provide opportunities for participants to share

and process concerns or resistance to the new concepts and work together on ways to help them

make the new approaches their own and to experience small successes that they can build on.

Issue: Some project participants may struggle with applying the skills and tools they’ve gained

back into their work in their organizations. Solution: Project participants will be paired with a

mentor or another Eden Associate in order to freely discuss, brainstorm, and learn from each

other in how to apply what they have learned from the training experience.


Issue: Some project participants may struggle with competing organizational goals or regulatory

requirements. Solution: An Eden Engagement Group will be established to seek solutions to

meet requirements.

Project Description

Successful implementation of person-directed care means offering a philosophy based on

guiding principles. Principle-based approaches offer both a shared language and direction, while

providing the flexibility to respond to unique needs and circumstances. When it comes to person-

directed care, step-wise approaches don’t deliver, as they fail to take into consideration how

different and unique every individual is. The content of Certified Eden Associate Training is

based on ten guiding principles (see www.edenalt.org/about-the-eden-alternative/mission-vision-

values/), as well as seven domains of well-being: identity, connectedness, security, autonomy,

meaning, growth, and joy (see www.edenalt.org/about-the-eden-alternative/the-eden-alternative-

domains-of-well-being/). Each provides a frame of reference for care planning and decision-

making that is highly relatable and which fosters empathy, compassion, and creative problem-

solving capacity.

Implementation of the skills and concepts learned through the training involves changes in

personal growth, the development of relationships, organizational practices, and the physical

environment. The ultimate goal of the training is to cultivate better outcomes and quality of life

for all involved in the giving and receiving of care.

The training is designed to help participants:

Learn how person-directed care improves quality of life and quality of care;

Contribute to reframing the culture of care and perceptions of aging in our society;

Return equipped and inspired to initiate change;

Gain powerful team-building skills to strengthen care partnerships;

Drive more effective outcomes, more efficiently;

Reduce staff turnover and improve financial performance;

Increase resident, staff, and family member satisfaction;

Create high engagement among employees, residents, and families; and

Get connected to a broad network of person-directed care resources worldwide.

Key content points in the training include:

The impact of ageism and ableism on relationships in the care partner team;

The role that diversity of life and daily experience play in creating quality of life;

Awareness that loneliness, helplessness, and boredom are plagues of the human spirit;

Practical application of the antidotes to these three plagues;

Honoring meaning and creating a life worth living;

Defining care as helping another to grow;

Employee/resident empowerment and decisions about care from a person-directed

perspective;

The role of ongoing growth in culture change, i.e. process vs. programs;

3 types of cultural transformation: personal, organizational, and physical; and

Wise leadership as the foundation of effective, sustainable change.


http://www.edenalt.org/about-the-eden-alternative/mission-vision-values/

http://www.edenalt.org/about-the-eden-alternative/mission-vision-values/

The provision of Certified Eden Associate Training will equip long-term care leaders and teams

with the tools needed to successfully develop a person-directed care culture through the

following deliverables and anticipated outcomes:

Project Deliverables:

If awarded, funds will support the provision of Certified Eden Associate Training, developed by

The Eden Alternative, for up to 74 representing Uplands Village, Wharton Nursing Home, and

the Wellness Skilled Nursing Center, a part of Wharton Nursing Home. In order to meet this

objective, we will hold four training events (3 days each) over a period of four months. All

training will be held in our on-site education room.

Expected Project Outcomes:

By March 29, 2019, 75% of direct and ancillary long-term care staff will be trained as

Certified Eden Associates.

By the end the grant period, participants will have been provided at least two

opportunities to share and process concerns that may arise in the implementation

of the training.

By the end of the grant period, project participants will be paired with a mentor or

another Eden Associate for on-going dialogue.

By the end of the grant period, an Eden Engagement group focusing on

organizational challenges in implementing a comprehensive person-centered care

will be established.

By the end of the grant period, participants will experience a positive overall shift toward

person-directed perceptions of, and approaches to care.

By the end of the grant period, participants will show a positive shift toward increased

daily application of person-directed approaches to care.

These outcomes will be determined based on the detailed evaluation plan that follows under

“Results Measurement.”

Proposed project timeline:

MONTH 1-3:

October 15, 2018: Uplands Village Human Resource Director will announce open registration

for Certified Eden Associate Training. Eden Educator will confirm location and food.

October 16, 2018: Registration announcement will be posted throughout community. Family

members of long-term residents will be notified and invited to participate.

October 17 – November 7, 2018: Eden Educator Lisa Norris will promote open discussion and

Q &A regarding Certified Eden Associate Training during weekly scheduled Eden meetings.

November 8, 2018: Assign placement making sure each training session includes nursing, care

partners, administration, housekeeping and laundry, maintenance, and dining services.


November 9, 2018: Notify employees, elders, and family members of assigned training dates

and times. Order supplies needed for December 2018 training.

November 21, 2018: Send reminder to registered participants of December training.

December 4-6, 2018: Hold Certified Eden Associate Training, which includes pre- and post-

knowledge tests for data analysis.

December 7, 2018: Order supplies needed for January 23-25, 2018 training. Confirm provision

for meals and snacks with Dietary.

MONTHS 4-5:

January 7, 2018: Send reminder to registered participants of January training.

January 23-25, 2018: Hold Certified Eden Associate Training.

January 26, 2018: Order supplies needed for February 2018 training.

By January 31, 2018: Uplands’ Eden Educator will establish and log monthly stand-up

meetings to provide opportunities for participants to share and process concerns, and paired

associates will log in first monthly chat.

February 9, 2019: Send reminder to registered participants of February training.

February 20-22, 2019: Hold Certified Eden Associate Training.

February 23, 2019: Order supplies needed for March training. Confirm food with Dietary.

By February 28, 2019: Uplands’ Eden Educator will facilitate and log monthly stand-up

meetings, and paired associates will log in monthly chat.

MONTH 6-7:

March 5, 2019: Send reminder to registered participants of March training. Confirm food.

March 19-21, 2019: Hold Certified Eden Associate Training.

By March 31, 2019: Uplands’ Eden Educator will facilitate monthly stand-up meetings, and

paired associates will log in monthly chat.

MONTH 8-12:

May 1, 2019: Regroup December 2018 Training Group for Post Evaluation

June 5, 2019: Regroup January 2019 Training Group for Post Evaluation

July 3, 2019: Regroup February 2019 Training Group for Post Evaluation

August 7, 2019: Regroup March 2019 Training Group for Post Evaluation

August 8, 2019: Send collected data to the external evaluator for analysis.

August, 2019: Third Party Evaluator will conduct three focus groups to assess staff attitudes and

practices toward care and aging.

September 17, 2019: Receive third party data analysis and evaluation of training program

September 24, 2019: Meet with Uplands Village Leadership Team to present evaluation for

discussion.


Results Measurements

The following evaluation plan (presented in Table 1) will frame the project’s evaluation process.

The evaluation plan will be executed by third party evaluator, Dr. George Chitiyo, Associate

Professor of Educational Research and Evaluation at Tennessee Tech University. The evaluation

plan lists all the objectives, activities linked with each objective, and the assessment method(s),

and planned analyses.

Table 1: Evaluation Plan

Objective Activities Assessment/Instrumentation Analysis Plan

1. Provide four

rounds of Certified

Eden Associate

Training for a

mixture of staff

positions

Four rounds of

training Provide all

participants with

journals to

document their

experiences and

practices

Evaluate training (pretest-

posttest)

Follow-up test six months

after training. The follow-

up survey will ask

participants if they continue

to actively apply what they

learned during the training.

It will also include some

qualitative open-ended

questions.

Focus group with staff to

discuss experiences,

practices, attitudes, and

satisfaction

Descriptive

statistics of

survey data

Thematic

analysis of focus

group data

2. Provide

opportunities for

participants to

share and process

concerns

Uplands Eden

Educator will

facilitate monthly

stand-up meetings

beginning January

2019

Examine logged meetings

Focus groups with

participants to discuss

experiences, practices,

attitudes, and satisfaction

Thematic

analysis of focus

group data

3. Project

participants will be

paired with a

mentor or another

Eden Associate

Each participant will

be paired with

another participant

at the beginning of

the training sessions

Partners will

establish a monthly

meeting time

Each meeting will

be logged with Eden

Educator

Examine logged meetings

4. Establish an

Eden Engagement

group

Establish committee Verify that committee is

established


5. Improve staff

attitudes and

practices toward

care and aging and

train participants

in applying new

skills and concepts

Achieve Certified Eden

Alternative Training of

50 direct care partners,

16 ancillary partners,

and 8 elders/family

members by March 31,

2019

Make training as

person centered

as we’d like

staff to give care

by providing

healthy and

quality snacks

and meals,

adequate breaks

Build in time for

questions and

concerns and a

first meeting

with paired

participants

Pretest-posttest survey

of staff attitudes &

practices

One focus group for

direct care staff, one for

administrators, and one

for elders and family

members

Descriptive

statistics of

survey data

Thematic

analysis of focus

group data

Breadth of impact and long-term sustainability:

The overall impact of the proposed project does not end with the project participants alone.

Project participants are empowered to be change agents, prepared to lead by example, and to

teach other employees skills to reframe attitudes about eldercare, interpret and respond to unmet

needs, and identify organizational care practices that need adapting. Thus, the project’s impact

has the potential to be exponential. Hundreds of employees, residents, and family members can

be positively affected by the changes project participants are equipped to set into motion. The

seven Eden Alternative Domains of Well-Being (identity, growth, autonomy, security,

connectedness, meaning, and joy) can be used over time to frame conversations addressing

challenges faced by residents and their care partners. The ongoing application of person-directed

practices over time develops a high-engagement, organizational culture that is not satisfied with

the status quo. The result is empowered employees who love their jobs and are committed to

ensuring the growth and well-being of empowered residents.


Benefits to Nursing Homes

Nursing home residents are expected to benefit from this proposed project through the

development of empowered employees who are prepared to transform care and operational

practices that improve overall well-being and quality of life. The lives of thousands of nursing

home residents have the potential to be positively impacted. Transformational strategies include:

Mitigating the plagues of loneliness, helplessness and boredom for residents and

employees, which reduces depression and, in some cases, challenges to physical health

(Regulatory expectation: Attain highest possible well-being)

Developing unique observation, communication, and interpersonal skills among

employees that ultimately enhance connection, purpose, and meaningful engagement for

all (Regulatory expectation: Self-determination and participation; Regulatory

expectation: Accommodation of resident needs; Regulatory expectation: Attain highest

possible well-being).

Optimizing well-being for residents, regardless of ability.

Empowering direct care staff to work collaboratively, creatively, and compassionately

with all residents, regardless of their abilities.

Emphasizing how improvement of organizational culture and systems significantly

enhance overall quality of life for nursing home residents.

Providing a strategy for the voices of employees and residents to be heard, resulting in

higher satisfaction and more person-directed decision-making at both the organizational

and public policy level.

Consumer/Stakeholder Involvement

Residents and family council members, as well as members of the Board, will be invited to take

the training alongside employees. Experiencing the training together not only helps create a

shared language around person-directed care between different stakeholders, but it provides an

opportunity to deepen collaboration, understanding, and an investment in care partnership

between residents, family members, and employees. After the training takes place, participants

will be encouraged to hold Learning Circles (a tool for deep listening that also supports

brainstorming, problem-solving, and decision-making). Bringing together family members,

residents, and employees, these Learning Circles will explore different aspects of the core

content of Certified Eden Associate Training. By creating a highly participatory approach to

exploring and “trying on” aspects of person-directed care, all stakeholders have the opportunity

to make the content their own and to help customize it for the unique needs of the organization.

Participants will also be encouraged to offer small presentations for other stakeholders

(employees, residents, and family members not attending the training) about what they learned

from the training. This will both empower training participants as leaders in the organization’s

culture change journey and inspire others to become a part of the solution, as well.


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