At CALTCM, our mission is to “promote quality patient care across the long-term care continuum through medical leadership and education.”  And our vision includes providing “excellent and individualized medical care, a team approach, and the integration of medical science with personalized care.”

As we consider our CALTCM mission and vision – focusing on providing evidenced based personalized care - it is inspiring to see how we continue to move towards a more holistic and person-centered approach to caring for our long-term care residents.  Through research and medical science, we have begun to recognize there are multiple domains, or pillars if you will, of well-being that contribute to a resident’s overall health status.  Of course, physical health is one of the central pillars to well-being and one primary focus of our care strategy for our long-term care (LTC) residents.  However, health and wellness are more than just the absence of disease or sickness.  We now know, through years of research (and our clinical experience), to best support patients under our care we need to provide a more holistic approach to well-being, supporting the various domains impacting health, functioning, and quality of life.  These various aspects of well-being include, but are not limited to physical well-being, mental well-being, social well-being, cognitive/intellectual well-being, spiritual well-being, and environmental well-being. 

For this year’s CALTCM Summit for Excellence we dig into whole person-centered care with presentation topics spanning across the pillars of our resident’s health and well-being.  To that end, this year’s Summit is entitled: “Elevating Resident and Family Outcomes Through Person-Centered Care.”  As such, let’s briefly take a moment to consider these various pillars of well-being and how we can support our residents across these dimensions as their care provider and part of their interdisciplinary team.

Key Pillars of Health and Well-Being:

Physical well-being: As care providers in LTC settings, we aim to support the physical health of our patients in various ways.  We aim to ensure proper nutrition, physical activity, and sleep. We monitor them for warning signs of physical distress, and we provide comprehensive assessments and individualized treatment plans to address any physical diseases, distress, or illness.  We stay on top of research and clinical advancements that help us make the best treatment decisions regarding medical care, procedures, medication management, and yes, even non-pharmacological interventions.

Mental well-being: As care providers in LTC settings we understand that the mind and body are inextricably linked.  When someone is feeling poorly or experience pain and discomfort, it impacts their mental well-being.  When someone is feeling anxious or depressed, it impacts their physical wellbeing.  To that end, we strive to support the mental wellness of our residents.  As informed LTC providers, we monitor for signs of depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns, work with patients and the interdisciplinary team to identify treatment recommendations to support mental well-being, and to provide empathic and compassionate care.  We also strive to offer access to licensed mental health providers who can deliver evidenced based behavioral health treatment for mental health concerns.  And we recognize that mental wellness is supported by providing opportunities for meaningful engagement – socially, in activities and pleasant events, etc. and creating an environment of comfort and belonging.  We consider these factors when consulting on care plans and working towards holistic well-being.

Social well-being: As care providers in LTC, we recognize the potential strain on social support when a resident transitions to a LTC setting (both for short-term and long-term stays).  Individuals may experience a significant and often jarring change in their roles and identities, are likely unable to engage in all of the social activities they used to participate in, and often have reduced access to their loved ones.  It can be difficult to build and facilitate new relationships for some residents, all of which can lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness.  To that end, as care providers, we strive to identify and develop opportunities for social connectedness.  We provide opportunities to engage with other residents and with their staff caregivers to allow for meaningful conversations and activities, and we provide person-centered activities to ensure meaningful engagement in pleasant events and socialization.  We also ensure opportunities to connect with family members and friends – in-person, over the phone, or through video calls.  

Intellectual Well-being: Intellectual and cognitive wellness is strengthened by continually engaging the mind.  As care providers LTC, we recognize the importance of having stimulation regardless of the cognitive status of the resident.  We recognize that it is our job as care providers to conduct a proper assessment, and based on the results, provide appropriate cognitive and sensory activities for each resident based on their capabilities and preferences.  Many people enjoy learning, growth, and intellectual stimulation and this does not change with age or living location.  We understand the importance of including residents in their care decisions and treatment plans when capacity allows or including their loved ones and formal decision makers who can assist in noting their preferences, etc.  Recognizing the importance of intellectual well-being, self-determination, and participation in one’s own care is vital to a resident’s overall health and well-being.

Spiritual well-being: Spiritual well-being is a bit unique as it may play a stronger role in some residents’ overall well-being than others depending on how important spirituality or religion is to that individual and how they define it.  As care providers in LTC we recognize the importance of supporting a client in cultivating their spirituality – sometimes in new ways as they adjust to new routines and options in a LTC facility.  This can be various opportunities for prayer, meditation, and activities that foster a connection to their “higher power.”

Environmental well-being: Finally, as care providers in LTC we recognize the importance of how an individual is connected to his or her immediate personal surroundings and the larger community in which they now reside.  We aim to provide a safe, comfortable, and home-like environment.  We aim to deinstitutionalize the facility setting and help individuals adapt and cope well to a new environment.  We consider important aspects of the environment, such as aesthetics, sounds, lighting, navigability, etc. to promote residents’ well-being.

CALTCM’S Summit of Excellence – Supporting the various pillars of resident health and well-being

Now that we have reviewed the multiple pillars of health and well-being and ways care providers scan support each pillar in a person-centered manner, let’s take a moment to showcase how this approach to care is demonstrated in this year’s Summit of Excellence.

This year’s summit includes presentation topics on physical health, including a Beers update, a 2023 new medication update, managing Parkinson’s Disease and seizures, osteopathic manipulative medicine, a discussion on illegal drugs (such as ketamine, Psyllosibin, and MDMA) in older adults, and a presentation on the future of medicine and technology advancements.

The summit also has several presentations on mental health, including substance abuse, alcohol, and opioids; psychosis in dementia; and innovative approaches to mental health for younger LTC residents.

There are presentations focused on social and spiritual health, including a talk on healthy aging with a focus on social connection and spiritual well-being, as well as a talk on successful conflict resolution.

And finally, there are presentations focused on intellectual and environmental health, such as one focused on person-centered care and deinstitutionalizing the LTC setting.

Combined, we hope attendees will walk away with science back knowledge and applicable care delivery tips to support their residents’ holistic health across the various well-being domains of physical, emotional, cognitive, social, spiritual, and environmental.

Join in on the fun, learning opportunity, and social networking!

We encourage you to register for the CALTCM annual Summit of Excellence.  Doing so can help foster your own overall well-being by providing opportunities for social well-being (networking with colleagues, plus our expanded in the trenches seminars giving attendees ample opportunity to interact directly with faculty), intellectual well-being (learning), mental well-being (engaging in pleasant events and values-based activities), physical well-being (take the opportunity to walk around universal studios and get your movement on), and environmental (being at a new location filled with positivity).

Call for Posters:

At this time, we would also like to remind you of our call for posters.  Posters can include a wide range of learning topics.  Consider presenting an interesting case, preliminary research data, review of a QAPI project or a best practice, etc.   If you are considering submitting a poster but would like to first discuss your idea, please contact our organizational committee and we can help you refine your idea into a successful poster topic.  Presenting a poster is a great way to engage in the annual Summit of excellence and can honor your commitment to supporting quality and innovation. Click here for details.