Date: September 13, 2006
Contact: Barbara Sc hoof Conant
barbara.conant@aging.ks.gov
Director of Communications
(785) 296-6154
Note: Media coverage of the award presentation is welcome. Time will be allotted afterward for media to visit with the Secretary and facility staff.
Kathy Greenlee, Acting Secretary of the Kansas Department on Aging, will recognize the Dooley Center’s efforts to provide resident-centered care at ceremonies at the Center in Atchison at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20. Secretary Greenlee will present the facility with KDOA’s annual PEAK award for Promoting Excellent Alternatives in Kansas nursing homes.
Barbara Stec, administrator, and the Dooley Center staff will be recognized for their achievements in the area of culture change and person-centered care.
“The culture of care can’t be changed without leadership from administrators and staff,” Greenlee said when initially announcing the seven adult care homes chosen to receive 2006 PEAK awards. PEAK stands for Promoting Excellent Alternatives in Kansas nursing homes, with a focus on resident control, staff empowerment, home environment and community involvement.
“We applaud the staff at these facilities for creating a different kind of life for nursing home residents,” Greenlee said.
At the Dooley Center, which is part of the Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, the goal is to assist the “Monastic Elders” or Sisters to continue to live their lives with very little change and to maintain an environment that allows the elders to continue to pursue their spiritual development.
The home has undergone extensive remodeling. Residents enjoy private rooms, and small kitchens in each hall provide areas for light food preparation, as well as access to snacks and beverages. A relaxation room was added to provide space for a relaxation music chair and for massage therapy. Three enclosed courtyards filled with flowers provide residents an opportunity to garden and enjoy the outdoors. Elders have places to visit privately with family and friends.
The facility’s Companion Sister program links an elder with a Sister to help the resident stay connected with the monastic activities, provide companionship, and assist with the resident’s needs. In return, the monastery elder provides companionship and prays for her companion. Residents also contribute by working in the library, laundry, and gift shop. They make quilts and do needlework items for sale in the monastery gift shop.
Also receiving 2006 PEAK awards are Bethany Home Association, Lindsborg; Medicalodge of Eureka; Minneola District Hospital Long-Term Care Unit; Newton Presbyterian Manor; Hillsboro Community Medical Center; and Pleasant View Home Inc., Inman. Both Hillsboro and Pleasant View have received prior PEAK Awards.
KDOA began recognizing adult care homes through the PEAK Awards in 2002. Facilities must submit an application for consideration for the honor.