May 6- 12 is designated as National Nurses Week to highlight and recognize the important profession of nursing. Nurses provide an imperative role at St. John’s with our residents and…

Nearly 15 years ago St. John’s leadership began discussing a concept that would eventually, and drastically, change how long-term care is delivered in the Rochester area.  This movement was based…

For a long time, the goal was to create a home-like environment. My vision is to get rid of the word ‘like’ and make it home. Because home-like is never…

Dr. Eleanor Feldman Barbera dedicated her most recent “The World According to Dr. El” column in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News to an examination of St. John’s journey to small homes. According to Dr. El:  “Traditional nursing homes can participate in culture change programs with great success if their leadership is committed to the philosophy through the transition period and beyond. They can retrain staff, add plants and pets and remove nursing stations, but the standard long hallways have remained — until now.”

Charles enters the dining room and is immediately greeted by name.  Diane Lochner—whose husband Larry also lives at St. John’s Home—asks Charles how he liked the neighborhood picnic in the nearby Trinity Courtyard the day before. “It was nice, but I think I may have overeaten,” Charles says with a laugh. The discussion between Charles, Diane, and Larry soon turns to Larry’s recent shoulder surgery and his continued recovery.

Rochester, N.Y. ­—An innovative workforce development program pioneered by St. John’s has been awarded a grant to help expand even further in 2017. St. John’s will receive $100,000 from the New York State Regional Economic Development Council to put toward training existing employees in new methods aimed at improving care and quality of life for residents of St. John’s.

The core vision of St. John’s Home’s transition to small homes—aside from providing a home-like setting for happy, well-cared for elders—is developing cohesive, self-managed teams. The concept of small teams of versatile workers having greater responsibility for a smaller group of elders is a new one. In fact, it is a major departure from the way care has been provided at the Highland Avenue location for nearly six decades.

Rebecca Priest, Administrator of Skilled Services at St. John’s Home and Penfield Green House Homes, was recently featured as a guest columnist on McKnight’s—a well-known source for long-term care news across the country. You can read Rebecca’s column here.