Message from Pioneer Network

Pioneer Network began 23 years ago when a group of committed, innovative and creative disruptors got together and began spreading the word that the world of aging, care and support needs to be focused on people and not the institution. They decided on the name Pioneer Network so all people and organizations of the same like-mind could be involved, disseminate best practices, share information and have a place to go when they needed resources and assistance.

During this challenging time we are facing with COVID-19, we are committed to continuing the work of our founders, being a resource as you navigate this changing world. To that end, we have been gathering resources from our fellow Pioneers on different ways to engage and connect residents and elders with their family, friends and communities. We empathize and want to support all the amazing team members working in care communities right now, so we are sharing everything we have received from our network. We know there is more happening so if you’re doing something you want included or know of other resources, please contact us and we’ll add them to the page.

This is the time for us to come together, as people, as organizations and most of all as a community. Thanks to all of you for the work you’re doing every day, for the care and support you’re providing to residents and elders and for your kindness, compassion and love.

 

Pioneer Network is proud to be part of a network of caring individuals who are, in the words of one of our founders, Barbara Frank, “sharing shamelessly” as they contribute to Pioneer Network’s latest set of resources, The ABCs of Combating Isolation.

Check out what has been shared so far and check back as we update the resources our partners continue to share with us.

 

With our conference scheduled for August 9 – 12, five months away, we are hopeful that the current threat related to COVID-19 will have subsided and that it will proceed as planned.

We will continue to monitor the situation especially as the early registration deadline of mid-May approaches and we will provide updates about the conference through email and on our website.

MC5 2020 Spring Roadshow

April 23, 2020: Understanding Young Coworkers: Recruiting Successful Relationships
Location: St. Joe Medical Center, Health and Education Auditorium, Kansas City

April 24, 2020: Understanding Young Coworkers: Recruiting Successful Relationships
Location: St. Charles Community College, Daniel Conoyer Social Sciences Bldg., Cottelville

Presented by Clint Maun, CSP

Aging Services organizations of today and the future must learn how to successfully utilize younger coworkers in management positions. As this important resource is hired and retained, healthcare professionals must implement success strategies to produce collaborative efforts which ultimately benefit our customers. This session provides essential, up-to-date information on how to attract young talent, develop flexible practices that assist with retention and assimilating the young/new coworkers with mature staff.

  • Identify the current hot buttons for retention in today‘s healthcare environment.
  • Implement the successful involvement of younger coworkers on teams, committees and projects.
  • Discover methods for effective updates on work performance.
  • Become proficient in how to lead – not just manage.
  • Utilize younger coworkers as managers.
  • Develop targeted messages that potential applicants find attractive and respond to.
  • Prepare the targeted pay/benefit strategy for successful recruitment.
  • Implement a team-based effort for recruitment by current employees.

This session delivers timely and proven strategies developed from current staff development consulting initiatives nationwide; includes case studies, examples, lecture, humor, question/answer and group discussion.

More details available on the MC5 Roadshow Conference page.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action Webinar

April 23, 2020: Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI): Introducing Best Practices that Strengthen LGBTQ Inclusive Communities
Guides: Sherrill Wayland, Director of National Education Initiatives. SAGE and Dan Stewart, Associate Director, Aging Equity Project, HRC

Join guides from the LEI Leadership team and Advisory Council to learn about the Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI) and how your community can be among the early adopters of best practices in creating welcoming and supportive long-term care communities inclusive of LGBTQ community members. Your guides will describe the need for LGBTQ inclusivity, success stories for adopting LGBTQ inclusive policies and practices and the steps you can take today to join the LEI program.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action Webinar

February 20, 2020: Compassion: A Competency for Today’s Aging Services Leader
Guide: Denise Borgoyn, NHA, SHRM-SCP, Borgoyn Consulting Services, The Compassion Projects, Author “28 Ways of Compassion”

While the work of changing the culture of aging is happening, we should recognize that aging services staff need person-centered care too and must be placed at the top of the organizational agenda.

How can our workforce give the best in person-centered care if it isn’t shown them through attention and compassion from their leaders? The answer is that they probably can’t. The reality is that most leaders know how important compassion is in their roles. The problem is that these leaders say they just don’t know how to enhance their compassionate behavior in the workplace. The good news is – compassion is teachable!

Join Denise Borgoyn, author of 28 Ways to Compassion, for this crucial conversation as we explore the nature of compassion, how and why it matters, and learn concrete actions to improve communication and compassion to give our staff the support they need and deserve.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action Webinar

January 23, 2020: Resources You Can Use to Educate, Advocate, Warm the Soil, Advance Person-Centered Care and Accelerate Culture Change (And They’re Free!)
Guides: Kim McRae, Co-Founder, Culture Change Network of Georgia and President, Have a Good Life; Rose Marie Fagan, A Co-Founder and Founding/Former Executive Director, Pioneer Network and Steering Committee, Culture Change Network of Georgia; and Joan Devine, Director of Education, Pioneer Network

Do you need some new resources to help educate and inspire the general public, care partners and change agents about the WHO, WHAT and WHY of culture change and person-centered care? Well, look no further! The Culture Change Network of Georgia (CCNG) may have just what you are looking for!

Through the generosity of a CMP grant, and through partnerships with organizations like Pioneer Network, they have produced short educational videos on topics from What is Culture Change? to State Culture Change Coalitions: Key to Advancing Change at the Local Level to Culture Change and Person-Centered Care: What’s the Difference? to Why Worry About Words: WORDS MATTER.”

Join Kim McRae and Rose Marie Fagan as they share the story behind the videos and offer some ideas to spark a conversation about how you can use these free resources to advance culture change and person-centered practices.

And while we’re talking, Joan Devine, Director of Education with Pioneer Network will update you on the resources available through Pioneer Network in our Learning Resource Library and more.

Conversations with Carmen

January 17, 2020: Is Something Better Than Nothing?
Guest: Sonya Barsness, Gerontologist

Join Carmen and her guest Sonya Barsness as they think through this question. Not presuming to have the answers, they will examine the question through a range of common practices and. Building on former work together, we will look at customs such as folding towels or baby clothes that serve no purpose, fake animals and babies, fake plants, door covers, murals that disguise doorways and more. What are the pros and cons of fake life offerings and real life? Is something truly better than nothing? Are there unintended consequences?

MC5 Testimonials

MC5 is gearing up to celebrate 15 years as an organization! We are excited and invite you to celebrate by sharing YOUR story.

  • How has MC5 impacted you or your organization?
  •  What features of MC5 do you enjoy most?
  •  What have you learned through a Regional Group training, Road Show or Conference?

Testimonials received from communities, businesses, or individuals will be featured on our website and social media. Send a short written paragraph or short video to MissouriMC5@gmail.com or directly post it on our Facebook Page.

We appreciate your partnership to help us continue our mission to promote and support ongoing collaboration within the adult care continuum to create environments where dignity and value of each individual who lives and works there is respected and celebrated.

Conversations with Carmen

November 15, 2019: Shedding Light on Dementia for Family, Friends and Care Givers
Guests: Linda Bump, MPH, RLD

Continuing the conversation on how we can stay in relationship, even when we must “give care” as a family member, friend or caregiver.

In this show, we’ll discuss approaches to support daily activities from self-care, to eating, to pursuing leisure.

In our last conversation, we detailed the five human needs of comfort, identity, inclusion, attachment and occupation. This show will have a special focus on the human need of occupation and will discuss specific ways and techniques to help persons living with dementia continue as much of their normal, daily occupation as possible.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action  (Free Webinar)

December 19, 2019: This Holiday Season, Give the Gift that Keeps Giving
Guide: Brian LeBlanc, Marketing and Public Relations Executive

Join us for a conversation about how to make the holidays the best they can be not only for persons living with dementia, but for their Care Partners and for each of us.

Brian will share his thoughts on things like: what are some of the most meaningful gifts you can give; how can holiday traditions have a positive effect on individuals; and what are well-intentioned things that people do during the holidays that add to the stigmatization created around elders and those living with dementia.

Conversations with Carmen

October 18, 2019: Shedding Light on Dementia for Family, Friends and Care Givers – 2nd in series on creating a good life for persons living with dementia
Guests: Megan Hannan, MS and Linda Bump, MPH, RLD

How can we stay in relationship with the people we love who are now living with dementia?

Consider:

    • Listening and being present.
    • Appealing to strengths and abilities.
    • Experiencing even a small success.

These are things that help any of us have a better moment, hour or day, and often help persons living with dementia feel heard, included, competent and less isolated. That can be huge!

We invite staff, families and friends of persons living with dementia to join us for this “illuminating” conversation. We’ll discuss the five basic human needs: comfort, inclusion, identity, occupation and attachment, and how understanding those can help us be present and in relationship with persons living with dementia. We’ll also talk about simple communication techniques and approaches that have been shown to help ease agitation or confusion.

For this show, we encourage communities to invite family members and friends of your residents living with dementia, to join you for this webinar. Make it a party!

For those who support someone living at home with dementia, gather family and friends together for this webinar.

As always, registration for the webinar allows you to attend the live show and/or to watch the recorded show. Learn at your convenience!

MC5 Fall Roadshow – Restorative Sleep: Lessons Learned, Barriers Encountered, Successes Achieved

October 22, 2019: Restorative Sleep: Lessons Learned, Barriers Encountered, Successes Achieved
Location: Orlando’s Event Center, Maryland Heights

October 29, 2019: Restorative Sleep: Lessons Learned, Barriers Encountered, Successes Achieved
Location: St. Joseph Medical Center, Kansas City

Restorative Sleep: Lessons Learned, Barriers Encountered, Successes Achieved

Presenters: Dave Walker, BSE, LNHA and Mendy Wibbenmeyer

The Restorative Sleep Vitality Program (RSVP) was an 18-month grant program sponsored by MC5. Thirty (30) skilled homes from across the state started this project and this presentation will explain some of the lessons learned, barriers encountered, and successes achieved. The goal of the program was to create a sleep culture for elders by promoting active engagement during the day and restful restorative sleep at night. This presentation will explain how sleep and lack of sleep affects a person’s 24-hour day, and will give participants some practical tips and strategies to create a Sleep Culture for their own residents. Staff from one of the collaborative homes will share their own personal experience.

This presentation will teach you the importance of Restorative Sleep by learning to identify and implement at least ten interventions to re disturbances to nighttime sleep. You will also discover the negative affect of fragmented sleep on the human body. Participating homes will share their insight and discuss how implementing Restorative Sleep as changed their culture. You will learn to apply this knowledge and make it work for your environment!

Join the MC5 Board of Directors

Looking to expand your professional repertoire and contribute expertise?

The Board of Directors of MC5 is looking for YOU!

As experts in culture change and person-directed care, MC5 offers outstanding opportunities for networking within the healthcare continuum of Missouri. This organization is built on education and bringing experience and expertise in person-directed care to staff and residents.

We connect with Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, Residential Care Communities, hospice, home health, mental health, the veteran’s administrations, hospitals, retail, DME, clinical specialists and many others in healthcare. Broaden your professional horizons and share your knowledge by applying for the MC5 Board of Directors.

Applicants should reply to Justin Blattel at jblattel@twinoaksheritagepointe.com no later than September 14, 2019.

Please respond by telling us 1) why you want to be involved with MC5 and any prior experience you have with the organization, and 2) your professional background.

MC5 is an all-volunteer organization and everyone is welcome! The Board of Directors meets four times per year.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action

October 24, 2019: Breaking Through Dementia: Validation
Guide: Vicki de Klerk-Rubin, Executive Director, Validation Training Institute

Validation is a proven, non-pharmaceutical method of communication developed by social worker and gerontologist Naomi Feil that helps improve the connection between caregivers and older adults experiencing dementia, also known as cognitive-decline or disorientation. The session will cover the background of the Validation method, the basics of the Validation method and what to do next!

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action

September 19, 2019: Watch-list Huddling: A High-engagement Proactive Quality Practice
Guides: Lynn Snow, Research Clinical Psychologist, Research and Development Service of the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center and Christine Hartmann, Supervisory Research Health Scientist, Bedford VA Medical Center

Is your team poised to prevent resident quality problems before they occur? The watch-list huddle is a 15-minute practice that will enable your team to quickly identify and respond to resident conditions that can rapidly exacerbate into full-blow quality crises, thus preventing quality problems before they occur. The watch-list huddle also strengthens your team, improving communication and trust.

In this webinar, you will:

  • learn what the watch-list huddle practice entails through case examples of successful implementation in multiple VA community living centers and
  • learn how to create an action plan for implementing the watch-list huddle practice with your own team(s).

Conversations with Carmen

August 16, 2019: Community Meetings: The Way to be Proactive
Guest: Barry Barkan, Co-developer of the Live Oak Regenerative Community

Join Barry Barkan, co-developer of the Live Oak Regenerative Community – a nationally recognized model for transforming institutions into loving and empowering communities. The Barkans accomplished this by gathering daily to build community, discuss matters of importance, celebrate, remember and mourn. Hear how homes use daily Community Meetings to include residents and team members in discussing grievances and making decisions regarding budget, supplies, vendors and more. Truly the way to be proactive rather than reactive.

Conversations with Carmen

July 19, 2019: Real Babies and Children – How to Welcome Children All the Time
Guest: Angie McAllister, Director of Quality of Life and Culture Change Operations, Signature HealthCARE

This month learn how to successfully incorporate children into the life of a nursing home from Angie McAllister. She will also share ways to welcome employees’ children and host camp all summer long. Join Angie and Carmen for this illuminating discussion about adding more Real Life to the care environment.

You can contribute to the discussion, too, with your questions and ideas for bringing in more real babies and real children – Real Life for true companionship!

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action

August 15, 2019: A Cruel Irony: Ageism and Ableism in Senior Living Environments
Guide: Jill Vitale-Aussem, President & CEO of The Eden Alternative

We know that our society is full of ageist and ableist messaging. Senior living communities should be a safe haven from this barrage of negativity, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, some of the most damaging examples of ageism and ableism occur right under our noses as residents living with frailty or different abilities are marginalized, ostracized and segregated from the rest of the population. This webinar will expose some of the most common examples of ageism and ableism in community living settings and provide tools to begin to build a culture of inclusivity.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action

June 25, 2019: It’s Happening: How Anti-Ageism Activists are Changing the Culture of Aging! (FREE WEBINAR)
Guide: Ashton Applewhite, Anti-Ageism Activist

Join us for an interactive discussion with nationally known author and anti-ageism activist Ashton Applewhite about what’s happening in the movement to change the culture of aging. We’ll talk about international and domestic campaigns to dismantle ageism, and how pro-aging advocates can find resources, confront our own internalized ageism, participate in these initiatives, and help build a better world in which to grow old.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action

July 18, 2019: Applying Person-Centeredness to Trauma-Informed Care: A planned person-centered approach to the new CMS Trauma-Informed Care Regulations
Guide: Cynthia E. Baker, MSW, LCSW, LSCSW, LIMHP, and CSW-Gerontology, Regional Clinical Manager for Deer Oaks Behavioral Health

This 60-minute webinar describes person-centered trauma-informed care as it relates to this year’s newest phase of CMS regulation regarding Trauma-Informed care. §483.25 effective Nov. 28, 2019.

The presenter will identify types trauma events, educate about physical and mental manifestations of trauma, and provide strategies for person-centered response plans when residents disclose trauma histories.

Attendees will leave the webinar with interpretation of the trauma-informed guidelines, related F tags, interpret the Behavioral and Emotional Status Critical Element Pathway used by state survey, assessment tools for staff, and apply four actions steps to prepare your community for person centered trauma informed care.

Conversations with Carmen

May 17, 2019: Real Babies and Children; How to Welcome Children All the Time
Guest: Angie McAllister, Director of Quality of Life and Culture Change Operations, Signature HealthCARE

This month learn how to successfully incorporate children into the life of a nursing home from Angie McAllister. She will also share ways to welcome employees’ children and host camp all summer long. Join Angie and Carmen for this illuminating discussion about adding more Real Life to the care environment.

2019 Pioneer Network Conference – Pioneer Connection

PIONEER CONNECTION: We know that over the years pioneers have traveled in search of new and exciting opportunities in horse drawn wagons, canoes and on foot. As a modern Pioneer seeking the answers to Pioneering a New Culture of Aging, how about traveling to the 2019 annual conference in Louisville, KY in a luxury motor coach? Please see the flyer for more details.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action

June 25, 2019: It’s Happening: How Anti-Ageism Activists are Changing the Culture of Aging! (FREE WEBINAR)
Guide: Ashton Applewhite, Anti-Ageism Activist

Join us for an interactive discussion with nationally known author and anti-ageism activist Ashton Applewhite about what’s happening in the movement to change the culture of aging. We’ll talk about international and domestic campaigns to dismantle ageism, and how pro-aging advocates can find resources, confront our own internalized ageism, participate in these initiatives, and help build a better world in which to grow old.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action

May 23, 2019: Person Centered Dementia Care: First Came the Recommendations, Now Let’s Explore the Outcomes!
Guides: Sam Fazio, Senior Director of Quality Care and Psychosocial Research Care and Doug Pace, MHA, Director of Mission Partnerships, Alzheimer’s Association

The Dementia Care Practice Recommendations were released over a year ago. Join Sam Fazio and Doug Pace from the Alzheimer’s Association as they share data and stories of what has happened over the past year as these recommendations have been put into practice. You will learn how these standards can be the basis of a culture of quality improvement that can be achieved in any long-term care or community-based setting. In addition, as sponsors of the Dementia Track at this year’s Pioneering a New Culture of Aging conference, Sam and Doug will share with you some of the highlights from of what’s happening in the world of Dementia Care that will be shared at this year’s conference.

Pioneer Network’s Hot Topics: Culture Change in Action

April 17, 2019: The Double Whammy of Ageism and Ableism (FREE WEBINAR)
Guide: Mel Coppola

By now, you’ve probably heard some buzz around ageism-the prejudice of people based on their age. And hopefully you have gained some awareness around it and are taking steps against it—after all, you WILL grow old. But how much have you thought about ableism-the prejudice of someone based on their different abilities, whether physical or cognitive? None of us want to think of ourselves as prejudiced, but we make assumptions based on age and ability more than we think. Especially in the work that we do, these two “isms” collide on a daily basis. In this webinar, we will discuss the intersection of ageism and ableism and the double whammy it has for the people we support.

Conversations with Carmen

April 19, 2019: Sparking a new Culture of Self-Directed Learning at Work
Guest: LaVrene Norton, Founder Action Pact

Really – who in their work wants to be told what to do? To be handed an ‘assignment sheet’ with your tasks lifelessly written out for you? No time for thought. No time for talk about your own creative insights. There’s a better way, and it’s all about new opportunities for learning. Everyone likes to learn, and the internet has made learning more accessible now than ever before. Discovery excites us and we reach for more – through inquiry we initiate learning. We make friends with online dictionaries, Wikipedia, and Google. And who among us hasn’t used YouTube to learn how to change the oil in our car, measure for kitchen cabinets, bake yeast bread, or coach our child how to calculate the area of a trapezoid?

We relax by playing online games and puzzles that teach us to look in all the corners, watch for opportunities, and calculate dangers. As we become increasingly knowledgeable and competent, we relish working in a warm, open environment that offers online learning, nurtures self-direction and critical thinking, and rewards new skills.