The Small House State Veterans Home

1. The Small House State Veterans Home The Journey began with a commitment to change…..

2. Watkins-Logan-Garrison Texas State Veterans Home Tyler, Texas

6. What.. So What.. Now What.. …has been done so far? …have we learned? …have we unlearned? …will we do with those lessons?

7. 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

8. “Do-overs” without keeping score of who is right or wrong encourages growth • Family members have normal family interactions with residents

9. 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)

10. 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

11. The “Activity Program” looks and feels different

12. Almost everyone gains weight… Not just residents!!

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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!!

17. Questions & Answers