The Liberty family of senior living communities is experiencing a comprehensive makeover—not just in physical renovations, but in service delivery as well. The newest innovation, called Inspiring Today, is a model of memory care that dramatically enriches daily activities and interactions between memory impaired residents, their family and Liberty caregivers.
The overarching purpose of Inspiring Today, which was carefully developed by a cross-section of Liberty Lutheran senior living professionals, is to foster independence and well-being by focusing on a resident’s existing capabilities, rather than on what has been lost through illness. “We help each resident to focus on their strengths—not their weaknesses—so that they may flourish each and every day in an environment that embodies what ‘home’ is to them,” says Daniel Brunetti, an Inspiring Today co-creator and Director of Community Life for The Hearth at Drexel.
Co-creator Katelyn McKinley, who also serves as Artman’s Director of Community Life, explains that Inspiring Today is guided by six principles:
Accentuation of resident strengths- Creating moments of success for residents
- Putting residents before tasks
- Embracing an individualized approach to daily life
- Joining residents in living in the moment
- Focusing on today
“Our aim is to create a meaningful daily life for each resident, while nurturing independence and preserving individual spirits,” says Katelyn.
She explains that Inspiring Today is designed to stimulate person-to-person or small group experiences according to resident interest. “We cover a diversity of interests including fitness, spiritual expression, civic service, brain games, reminiscing, and creative expression,” says Katelyn.
To support this aim, the Inspiring Today team has developed a questionnaire that staff uses to learn about the desires, interests, and predilections of each memory care resident. “When you focus on a specific hobby or interest that was meaningful in someone’s life you have the opportunity to rekindle pleasant moments that not only brighten their day, but stimulate the mind with memories,” says Betty Bebian, Inspiring Today co-creator and Executive Director for The Hearth at Drexel.
All memory care staff members receive intensive training on the Inspiring Today philosophy and how to implement it to optimize daily life for memory care residents, as pointed out by Inspiring Today co-creator and Liberty Nurse Educator Karen Read, “Using the Inspiring Today model, staff members are educated on the importance of living in the residents’ world with them, slowing down and not hurrying through the day. This new model will truly be a source of daily inspiration for our residents and staff as they look forward to each day together.”