On any given day, a long-term care provider can safely figure he or she will be on the receiving end of a wary eye, or giving one out.
Sad but true, no debate there. By anybody.
That’s why reasons for a straight-on smiles are so deeply appreciated. I’m glad to note that you can always find them in the McKnight’s “The Brighter Side” feature. This weekly bon mot from skilled nursing’s front lines is without fail a grin-inducer.
Sometimes the result is a wide, cheeks-raising smile and sometimes it’s a more subtle nod of satisfaction. Think of it like the equivalent of that final, bright bit that ends many nightly newscasts.
I know by every Thursday morning I’m more than ready for it in our Daily Update newsletter — and the numbers show you are too. Among its endearing qualities is how providers can learn a few operational details from peers about how to produce or manage a joyful event or circumstance.
This week’s installment is a perfect example.
Maple Knoll Village on the north side of Cincinnati is capitalizing on Bengals-mania. The local NFL franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in 34 years is going to be celebrated with proper abandon.
Sunday evening when the NFL’s championship game is played, the black and orange will be in abundance and the Joe Burrow jerseys will be out in force. A bar and local food specialties (perhaps chili and Graeter’s ice cream, anyone?) will punctuate the happy gathering.
Facility leaders could have settled for encouraging residents to keep watching postseason games on their own or with family members. But no. They took the tiger by the tail and said, “Let’s party!” To make it work, they’ll be hosting a fest in an auditorium area that allows for social distancing, safe cohorting and other confidence builders.
Some 125 people in the 141-bed facility have said they’re attending, organizers told us earlier this week. Having fun with math, that could mean something like an 88% conversion rate. But that’s nothing, really.
Yes, this crew knows how to have fun and observe best caregiving practices while respecting one another. As of the first of the year, COVID vaccination rates were 97.9% for residents and an extremely impressive 95.6% for staff — both far above state and national averages.
With roots reaching back 173 years and ties to the University of Cincinnati (whose football team incidentally made it to the final four itself this season), Maple Knoll definitely has earned its Bengal (party) stripes.
And in a way, so have we. What a pleasure it was to read about this longstanding CIncinnati institution’s creativity and can-do spirit. Actually, there are uplifting stories like this every week in long-term care. You’ll find them in The Brighter Side, of course.
Not all of these cheerful chapters might dangle the prospect of a Super Bowl celebration out there. But they are all champions nonetheless. I invite you to join the winning ways and drop us a line about worthy “Brighter Side” topics.
We’ll count on it happening with a smile. Just like they’ll be wearing all over Maple Knoll on Sunday — even before the right team wins.
James M. Berklan is McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Executive Editor.
Opinions expressed in McKnight’s columns are not necessarily those of McKnight’s.
