'Residents are our mentors,' says administrator
Wednesday, September 28, 2005 -- Craig Anderson
For Linda Pierce, administrator at Village Green, changes in long term care – more varied resident demographics, for example - haven’t affected the home appreciably. What is to be held foremost in mind, she says, is the wealth of experience elderly residents bring to the home.

“The residents are a group of experts, the people from our communities that have seen it all, done it all, and have a wisdom that we must never ignore or take for granted,” writes Linda Pierce, administrator at Village Green, in an email sent Monday, Sept. 26th.

“The residents are very adaptable,” she continues, “the will embrace whatever happens in the home. The care team must remember to respect, enjoy and be patient with every resident. We have a lot to learn from this special group of seniors.”

Linda feels that despite changes in long term care – most notably the increasingly inclusion of younger individuals lacking other accommodation or care options – that it is still the sacred domain of the elderly. Their flexibility with younger residents is an example, says Linda, of experience on display.

“The residents are our mentors – they have had long standing careers. We have a resident that is 101 years old, is cognitively and physically well. It’s a celebration of life – if you wanted to learn anything that is where you go. They are adaptable. They come into the home and they make it their own community. They’re living it, [as caregivers] we’re just observing it,” says Linda.

A diverse resident base has always been a feature of Village Green, says Linda, who notes that upon her hiring in 1988 the home admitted a young woman in her early twenties with paraplegia. A mother and daughter pairing – the mother had provided in-home care for her adult child, who has an intellectual disability – were admitted when the home opened, some thirty years ago. The daughter, Laura, still resides in the home, and is, according to Linda, thriving.

Village Green has also had recurring successes in returning younger residents who arrived in exceptional circumstances back to their original residences. (See - http://www.omni-way.com/News/2005/June/June29.htm) Recently, the home has seen the inclusion of three men ranging from the ages of 50 – 65, who are unlikely to ever be able to live independently, says Linda. They present the biggest challenge to staff, especially as two of them have Korsakoff’s Syndrome, a memory disorder brought on by alcoholism-induced thiamine deficiency.

A strong staff foundation is necessary, says Linda, to meeting the coming challenges of a restructured health care system and the baby boom generation’s ascension to the ranks of the elderly. Village Green has a core veteran staff with ten or more years of experience, she says. With increased and consistently updated in-servicing, demographic changes – and caring for younger residents different social, medical and psychological needs – will be part of the typical daily challenges allowing the home’s care model to strengthen.

“I have a strong staff foundation, and every home has to have that, but this isn’t to say we don’t have challenges everyday. We do. But that’s how you evolve, how you grow.”