Innovation | Miravida Living

INNOVATIONS

At miravida

We are about the important work of creating moments of connection, joy, and delight. This shift is reflected in the emphasis and direction of innovative programs and services you can find across our campus.

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

In the past, we developed strategic plans embracing bigger is better. Along the way, we learned bigger is not better.

Better is better.

We are done with big expansion plans and now focused on creating extraordinary experiences for our residents, peace of mind for their loved ones, and meaningful work for our team.

This monumental shift was shaped by our board of directors and leaders. It is guided by the preferences and opinions of those we serve and their loved ones.

Today, we are about the important work of creating moments of connection, joy, and delight. This shift is reflected in the emphasis and direction of our work. It is supported by implementing innovative programs and services throughout our campus.

PROGRAMS

Green House Homes at Eden Meadows

SKILLED NURSING CARE THAT HONORS INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES | We opened the first Green House Homes in Wisconsin in 2010. Designed to be intimate, encourage relationships, and respond to the choices of the elder and the household, there are all private bedrooms and baths and a shared family room and dining room. Our approach honors individual preferences and emphasizes both the quality of life and quality of care in all of its programs and services.

Namaste Care Program

HONORING THE SPIRIT WITHIN | Early in 2014, we were the first organization in Wisconsin to offer Namaste Care. We implemented the program for all of Bethel Home and ala carte services at Elijah’s Place. Namaste Care is designed to improve the quality of life for people living with advanced dementia. Namaste Care at Bethel Home takes place in a warm, inviting room. A wide range of meaningful activities are offered, including hand and foot massages and personal grooming with familiar products. Scents of the season, inviting nature videos, and soothing music provide a calming experience for our elders. Namaste Care ala carte offers the same types of experiences personalized for individuals not up to leaving their room. Trademark information available upon request.

Music & Memory Initiative

BRINGS PERSONALIZED MUSIC PLAYLISTS INTO THE LIVES OF ELDERS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE | In 2014, in conjunction with the State of Wisconsin initiative to implement programs and services for people diagnosed with dementia, Bethel Home and Eden Meadows became Certified Care Organizations and implemented Music & Memory for all elders living with dementia. Music is profoundly linked to our personal memories. Tapping into the delightful power of music and memories, our residents have individual iPods loaded with their favorite songs by their favorite artists. The Music & Memory Initiative and its vision of personalized music for all are a gold standard of long-term care. Trademark information available upon request.

Cycling Without Age

THE RIGHT TO WIND IN YOUR HAIR | Early in 2015, we learned of the Cycling Without Age program founded in Copenhagen, Denmark. We applied to become a licensee and became the first elder care services provider in the United States to be licensed. We launched Cycling Without Age in Oshkosh in August 2015 with the support of a coalition of community organizations. With our fleet of seven rickshaws, there are abundant opportunities for our residents to spend more time outdoors touring the community in rickshaws and developing intergenerational relationships with volunteer pilots. Cycling Without Age also creates lasting ties between our residents and community, illustrating a model for sustainable collaboration across generations. Our coalition of Cycling Without Age partners includes the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh Police Department, City of Oshkosh, Oshkosh Senior Center, Caramel Crisp & Cafe, Rhapsodies Frozen Custard, and representatives of several cycling shops and clubs. The depth and breadth of our approach sets us apart from other licensees. We shared our community impact at the worldwide conference of Cycling Without Age in 2016. In 2017, we were asked to work with the Wisconsin Division of Quality Assurance on the statewide launch of the program.

Noah's Landing Program

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND BEAUTIFUL BONS BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND PETS | We offer Noah’s Landing, a unique program meant to enhance life for our elders by encouraging relationships with pets. Whenever possible, residents will be involved in the love and care of the dogs and cats living within our community. We incorporate pets into therapy programs to lessen reliance on traditional equipment. For example, elders may be asked to brush a dog with a light wrist weight on to build strength. We are also exploring the idea of people bringing their own pets with them for both short and long-term stays at our facilities. We know pets will enhance the quality of life at Miravida Living, and we’re looking forward to a future filled with wagging tails, unconditional love, and hearts filled with joy. Thank you to the wonderful people at Nashville Pet Products in Oshkosh for providing food for our dogs and cats.

Tabula Rasa

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE | Tabula Rasa’s contemporary translation means “fresh start” or “new beginning.” With 4.3 billion prescriptions filled in a year, medication is the most common medical intervention. Its imprecise use represents the fourth leading cause of death and contributes to an estimated 45 to 50 million adverse drug events and more than 100,000 deaths annually. We are partnering with the Tabula Rasa family of companies to improve our patient outcomes, reduce hospitalizations, lower health care costs, and manage risk. We are also partnering with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Nursing to research the impact of optimizing medication strategies and managing risk on a patient-specific customized basis.

TimeSlips

TIMESLIPS IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED, AWARD0WINING, AND PERSON-CENTERED PROGRAM THAT USES STORYTELLING AS A THERAPEUTIC TOOL. | TimeSlips is an evidence-based, award-winning, and person-centered program that uses storytelling as a therapeutic tool. Storytelling is one of the most ancient forms of communication and it turns out for people living with dementia, storytelling can be therapeutic. It offers people who don’t communicate well a chance to communicate. The program involves showing photos to people with memory loss and inviting them to imagine what is going on — not to try to remember anything but, to make up a story built of words, gestures and sounds. Miravida Living has two certified facilitators on staff and is participating in a national research project with the Department of Sociology and Gerontology through Miami University located in Oxford, Ohio. The research is studying the impact of the TimeSlips program on persons living with dementia.

Touching Spirits

MOVING FROM THE MEDICAL MODEL TO PERSON-CENTERED CARE TO CARING FOR THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT OF OUR RESIDENTS | We are making plans to magnify our person-centered care successes by developing and implementing Touching Spirits, an integrated approach to caring for the body, mind, and spirit of our residents. Long known for our integrative approach to care, one of our next initiatives will be to develop and implement a coherent, comprehensive program of integrative care modalities and train all members of our team in the basics of Healing Touch. We currently offer Healing Touch, Reiki, aromatherapy, and essential oils. We are working on offering massage, guided imagery and visualization, Sign Chi Do and seated Tai Chi, and music therapies like reverie harps and drum circles. The Touching Spirits program will focus on possibilities, concentrate on opportunities for connection and joy, and create moments of delight.

Innovations in Action

Miravida Living is changing the way people think about aging. We are committed to identifying and developing innovative programs and services for our residents, and taking action. Our leaders shared our vision and some of our innovations on WBAY-TV 2’s Ask the Expert program. Watch the videos below to see firsthand how we are changing lives.