Planning for Our Path to Mastery (continued)

The Luana Sponsor Team met again this past Monday to begin planning the next areas of focus, in addition to the two areas that were previously defined. Upon further discussion the group determined that tackling the original desired outcome of residents talking about spontaneous moments; seeing staff integrating spontaneity into their work; and getting people excited about playing spontaniety at Hale Makua Kahului may be very difficult to get off the ground. If the Sponsor Team members were having a hard time figuring out what this desired outcome means, the staff would have even greater difficulty. 

The group instead decided to focus on a desired outcome that is a bit more tangible and upon implementation would definitely promote variety, spontaneity and teamwork between residents and staff. For Hale Makua Kahului the priority would be to focus on pets and how to bring them into the community and integrate them into the lives of residents and staff. Below are the two priorities, each action plan and the preliminary completion dates.

Kahului #1 –  Animals (pets) are living at Hale Makua and are part of the daily lives of residents and staff

Action Plan & Timeline:

1.      Recruiting/inviting team members (voluntary) - 11/31/10

2.      Schedule meeting - 12/1/10

3.      Provide education on problem solving 1/11/11

4.      Asses the current state - 2/1/11

5.      Create possible solutions - 2/28/11

6.      Implement - 4/1/11

7.      Test & monitor - 6/1/11

8.      Adjust - 6/15/11

Wailuku #1 – Meals are served when/what residents desire, consistently at the correct temperature

Action Plan & Timeline:

1.     Recruiting/inviting team members (voluntary) - 10/31/10

2.     Schedule meeting - 11/1/10

3.     Provide education on problem solving - 12/1/10

4.     Asses the current state - 1/1/11

5.     Create possible solutions - 1/31/11 

6.     Implement - 3/1/11
7.     Test & monitor - 5/1/11
8.     Adjust -5/15/11

Transforming a Nurses' Station into a Living Area

I was at our on-site yoga class the other day and Ted Tucker, our Chief Human Resources Officer, shared that he was out in the neighborhoods the evening before and was pleased to see that when he stopped at the West Neighborhood, he found two residents eating their dinners while one nurse was charting in the kitchen. This may not sound like something to get excited about, but it's a small step in creating an environment that feels like home.

Back in January 2009 the renovation and transformation of the West Neighborhood nurses' station into a kitchen, dining and living space for residents was completed. Nurses still do their paperwork here, but now it's a mixed use area for both residents and nurses. Residents have a living area where they can watch TV and relax, and there's a dining area adjacent to the kitchen where they can eat their meals with one another. One of the biggest challenges has been the adjustment of using the same space as a living area for residents and and a work area for nurses.

In moving toward creating a more home-like environment for residents, one of the goals for this Neighborhood is to be able to serve meals family-style instead of on individual trays. While residents are currently encouraged to sit together to eat, a family-style meal would mean that residents could choose what they want to eat and if they want to have seconds. One can imagine that the social interactions that occur around a dining room table may be much more dynamic than those in a cafeteria.