In rural Minnesota, Perham Living provides care across the continuum—transitional care, home care, assisted living services, apartment living, and a nursing home community. It is owned by the Perham Hospital District. Since the CEO of Perham Health reached out to the community to help plan a new facility and care model for Perham Living more than a decade ago, its leaders have partnered with the community, residents, and families. The core concepts of PFCC are foundational to Perham’s culture, guiding decision-making at all levels.
Residents and families partner with leadership and staff in a variety of ways. There is an overall Resident Council and each “household” has its own Resident Council. Perham Living also has a Family Council. During the pandemic, the Family Council has continued to meet monthly via Zoom and participates in developing strategies for implementation of new regulations, policies, and programs. The Council helps prioritize additional restrictions needed when COVID surges.
When the first surge of COVID impacted Minnesota, the state mandated nursing home lockdowns. Immediately, Perham Living staff began to make adjustments that would support each individual patient’s and families’ needs. For example, they invested in iPads and two larger portal devices to create virtual opportunities for individuals to stay connected with loved ones.
Even during the height of the pandemic, no resident died alone; two family members could be present. As the regulations became clearer and more flexible, Perham Living worked with families to determine how to meet their loved ones’ special needs, especially to reduce the negative impacts of social isolation.
Because state requirements changed often, communication strategies were developed. In addition to talking with residents, direct calls were made to all families. Managers were provided with talking points to ensure that consistent and useful information was shared broadly. A fact-based discussion about new guidance was followed by conversations about the impact of the change on both the resident and his/her family, soliciting input about feelings, preferences, and implementation strategies. When it was possible to invite families back into the facility, all residents and families were surveyed about their readiness to re-open; they were asked what would increase their level of comfort and safety. This information guided implementation on both an individual and facility-wide level.
When the Minnesota Department of Health issued guidance about “Essential Caregivers (ECs)” in long-term care facilities, Perham identified and supported over 150 family members and others to fill this role for their 90 residents. Essential Caregivers are trained to attend to residents on a daily basis, provided with PPE as needed, and receive the same screening as staff. While access of ECs to residents is modified according to increases in the COVID positivity rate in the community, individuals with particular needs/vulnerabilities are prioritized to have minimal disruption to this care. All ECs are tested for COVID on the same schedule as staff and have been prioritized to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
Perham Living is committed to strong partnerships with both residents and families to ensure the best care and quality of life; even during the pandemic, that commitment has not changed. According to Tracy Hendrickx, VP of Long Term Care, “Despite continually changing circumstances, we stay focused on what matters to our residents and families. Balancing patient choice with safety helps us ensure we keep our focus on the resident’s quality of life.”