"Providence Reflections"

 Last Spring, early into the pandemic, we Sisters of Divine Providence were invited to share  our "Providence Reflections".  Twice a week we find a response to this invitation on our electronic bulletin board. Many times the short message refers to thoughts about life, prayer,  Providence values, compassion, or ministry during the pandemic; at time a members of our elected leadership team may send a message of an administrative update, or a reflection.

Recently Sister Ramona, who lives at our motherhouse, shared a reflection and I have her permission to share it here. When I read this message, I was so aware that these signs, these marks of pandemic time, circumscribe life in so many motherhouses and provincial houses today.  And what I also know to be  present still is an ongoing intentionality of seeking ways to be of service to others.  What shape does this service to others take? I've read of mask-making, phone calls to one's 'pandemic partner', and letter-writing. A major communal effort is the private and communal prayer for justice, equality and foro comfort for so many suffering and oppressed as a consequence of the pandemic, 

Sisters' lives have been lives of service to others through some exercise of the physical and/or spiritual works of mercy. I believe that one of the major frustrations of this pandemic time is looking for ways to continue this service as we are confined to our physical spaces and physical distancing. We are a resilient group, though, and we will find a way!

Meanwhile, my gratitude for being a part of this global circle of women.  

From Sister Ramona:

To "read the signs of the times" is a common practice of ours. We have done it for years. Some signs remain relevant: poverty is all around us, family life cries for support, discrimination and racism are alive and well in our country.

But now there are very different signs unique to these pandemic times. Everyone in our building wears a mask. Some wear shields or plastic cover garments. Employees wear gloves and carry bottles of Sanitizer. Our place of worship looks strange when we come together to pray. Worshipers sit far apart; the chapel looks empty – almost vacant. Yet some have to go to another space to worship via technology. Signs throughout the buildings control the movement of people within. The masks, the distances, the sanitizing. I ask myself: what do these signs say to me? Am I hearing God's call? What is it? Have I connected all these signs to our Chapter Statement: "To hear the cry of pain and anguish of the poor, the immigrants, women and Earth"? Some tough questions to answer. Yet there they are.

Hearts Starve as Well as Bodies

In the effort to keep nursing home residents safe, there have been strict guidelines resulting in -- 7 months now -- of isolation, or these older adults being confined to their rooms. Period. The results of this prolonged isolation show themselves in the physical, mental and emotional decline. The link to both a video and the printed transcript of the 3-minute news clip illustrates this in the stark reality that it is.

For those who have appointed or elected authority for the care of their Sisters, these months have been very stressful with a full focus on "keeping our Sisters safe". That sense of safety and security also applies to one's sense of well-being, of being connected with others, of finding joy and comfort in what the day brings. It is a tall order to fill in this time, but that does not lessen the mandate that care must go beyond physical well-being.  It is stated well in the words of a beloved labor song, "Bread and Roses" -- "Hearts starve as well as bodies. Give us bread but give us roses too."

The link to the video is here

BE OLD AT HEART

The following is a passage from the book, This Is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity (Shambhala, 2010) by Susan Moon:

“It annoys me when people say, ‘Even if you’re old, you can be young at heart!’ Hiding inside this well-meaning phrase is a deep cultural assumption that old is bad and young is good. What’s wrong with being old at heart, I’d like to know? Wouldn’t you like to be loved by people whose hearts have practiced loving for a long time?” 

A very fine reflection on the social construct that young is good and old is bad.  It belies the age denial mechanism that says ‘age is just a number’.

Let us be counter-cultural, prophetic believers in a God of Infinite Love who made ALL creation --- all through the life span --- “good, very good.”

If we hold that value-laden stance, how differently would we see our aging body, for example, or the aging bodies of others?  The waistline that has expanded as we grow from youth to middle age and later is worthy of respect and honor.  That double chin is “just perfect”.  Therefore, I, the person – so much more than just  the physical -- am worthy of rerpect and honor and am “just perfect” as I am.

And of course this is true for our neighbors as well as for the strangers who cross our paths.

Opening nursing homes again

Information from this post comes from a Forbes Magazine article, “The Trump Administration may reopen nursing homes to visitors, but it must be very careful.” May 11, 2020.

The painful and isolating experience of living in a Covid-19 quarantine continues.  Until there is an adequate access to testing, until there is a proven treatment or vaccine, the common good will continue to call for restricted contact.

Howard Gleckman lays out political considerations that may underlie plans being set forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and then says plainly, “If not done carefully, this would be folly, and could put residents, staff, and families at risk.”

The possible move on the part of the Trump Administration (thus, CMS) has surprised nursing home operators and their professional trade groups, LeadingAge and American Healthcare Association. These two trade organizations have also been working to create universal guidelines for their members, with the expectation that they would be not be finalized until late June or July.

“Facilities (Nursing homes) could begin allowing limited visits once they report no cases for 14 days. They could   increase access, as well as communal activities, if they go another two weeks without an active case.

“The problem, of course, is a facility (nursing home) may go weeks with no cases. But if a visitor brings COVID-19 in, it will spread like wildfire.”

“Residents are paying a severe price for being isolated in long-term care facilities. While we don’t know for sure, it is likely that they are suffering from more loneliness and depression. They also are at greater risk because their families are not able to advocate in person for them —an especially important role in the difficult environment COVID-19 when care is likely to go wrong.

“But it makes absolutely no sense to reopen facilities to visitors now. Nursing homes still don’t have enough coronavirus tests. Assisted living has even less. And tests often take many days to produce results. Absent immediate results—like those available to the White House staff—opening care facilities puts staff and residents at risk from visitors, while at the same time placing those visitors at risk.”

“Reopening also requires an ample supply of masks, gowns, and gloves for all visitors, and proper training in their use.  

“Nursing home and assisted living operators at horrified at the idea of reopening prematurely to visitors. Some are reluctant to have family members adding to what already is a chaotic situation, with staff shortages and jury-rigged efforts to isolate COVID-19 residents.”

“Facilities (Nursing homes), families, and state, federal, and local government need to work together to design a safe way for families to visit their loved ones. But this has to happen in a careful, well-considered, and properly timed way. And it should be based on careful benchmarks that all parties adhere to. The US has failed to establish coherent, enforceable protocols for much of its COVID-19 response. It would be a tragedy if it fails to do so when it comes to opening up long-term care facilities that have seen so much death already.”

Social Distancing, not Social Isolation

As the days of quarantine continue, Action Pact, a Culture Change training and consultant organization reminds us that although we practice social distancing, we do not want those living in nursing homes to experience social isolation.  Each week Action Pact offers resources for this very purpose. Here is a link for this week's issue.  Scroll  down the page to access this week's flyer.

Please feel free to share with persons who are Administrators or "Activity Directors" for use in the nursing home where they work.

Heroes

Last week I happened to be near our local hospital when I saw a nurse leaving the building after her shift.  I waved, smiled and said in a loud voice, “Thank you!” The nurse smiled and waved back.

A few days later I was in a Zoom event with individuals who have leadership positions in myriad aging community settings. In an interestingly and somewhat related conversation, one of the participants raised the subject of nursing home care providers being called heroes. He said that this appellation is a burden for hands-on individuals and upsetting to them. These labels put pressure on individuals, he said. “They tell me they are not heroes; they say, in fact, they are afraid many times as they carry out their work in the nursing home.” The implication was that being called a hero laid too heavy a burden for them in their eyes.

My take is a little different as I remember so many news stories paying tribute to a citizen hero. Almost universally, the interviewee denies that label of hero, saying they were just responding to the event at hand. Then there is a neighbor, a young man with a family, who is a police officer in a crime-ridden area of our greater metropolitan area. He absolutely loves his work. When I ask if he is ever afraid, his quick but smiling response is, “Every day.” One can be a hero and still be fearful. It’s probably the norm.

For those caregivers who cannot accept that they are heroes, there are other simple and direct ways to instill in every person on the staff the conviction of the nobility, dignity and sacredness of his/her work especially at this time. Yes, people are supposed to show up every day on time for work.  But is there a special smile or nod to greet the faithful staff who are there? A reminder or pat on the shoulder when we see someone going beyond mere duty to respond to a need? In staff meetings, do we acknowledge the stressful time we are in, and the spirit of generosity and sacrifice that these times call for, and then a thank you to the staff for meeting the mark in all this?  Building the self-image of any staff member, and thus deepening his/her self-confidence, is a great aid in furthering the mission of the community.

Finally, I hope the following is a given: Any compliments or other gestures of recognition must be truthful and must acknowledge actions that are aligned with the standards and values of the community. Otherwise it is fake. And employees can smell it a mile away!

Finding Hope in Isolation: Springfield Dominicans Open Hands, Hearts During Global Pandemic

This post comes  directly from a Facebook entry from the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, IL. To see the original post, which includes wonderful pictures, you can find it here. The article reflects the spirit of service that is at the heart of apostolic religious life.  The Springfield Dominicans show creativity and imagination in their practice of service during this never-before time.  What a gift to be  a part of this circle of women across the country and around the world!

Finding Hope in Isolation: Springfield Dominicans Open Hands, Hearts During Global Pandemic

by Sister Beth Murphy, OP., Communication Director for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield

You can't grasp hope

“Hope isn’t anything you can grasp,” Sister Kelly said, pausing for a thought then adding “It has to be received.” Then, as she stretched out her hands and looked at them, you could see the insight before it arrived. “To do that you have to let go of what you are holding,” she said.

The impact of Sister Kelly’s insight on her conversation companions was visible on their faces, even though they were stretched across the midsection of the nation, dotting a map that stretched from her convent in Jackson, Miss., to central Illinois, and Chicago, linked together on a now ubiquitous teleconference platform that’s becoming a staple in the lives of many.

This is just one way hope is revealing itself through the lives of Springfield Dominican Sisters. There are plenty of examples, as the sisters join three-fourths of humanity ordered to stay close to home under the influence of a viral pandemic that is changing the face of the world.

 Steep learning curve

When Sister Pat Francis received her shelter-in-place orders she faced a steep learning curve, needing, in a hurry, to become familiar with the therapeutic teleconferencing software she’d need to keep appointments with the clients she sees at Central DuPage Pastoral Counseling Center in Carol Stream, Ill. She is in awe of the work done by the office support staff to help all the counselors in her practice transition to virtual counseling for their many clients who, already struggling with their mental and emotional health, now must cope with this unprecedented situation. A few weeks into the experience, there is still a learning curve, but in a different way, she says. “The insurance companies require different billing codes for telehealth appointments. That’s a bit of a challenge. I’m keeping up with a full caseload of my usual clients, and many of my colleagues are experiencing an influx of new clients. We are all keeping quite busy.”

Sisters in educational settings had similar transitions, moving to teaching from comfortable classrooms to tiny spaces in their convents and homes.

No hoarding

And many sisters, unwilling to hoard the precious time they’ve been given for prayer and contemplation, have shared their time and compassion in outreach, have engaged in countless small acts of charity.

Many other sisters are reaching out by phone to vulnerable friends and relatives to keep them connected and to check on their needs. Others are assisting vulnerable elders with runs to the grocery store or pharmacy.

Sister Elyse Marie Ramirez, in a burst of energy early in the shelter-in-place, handwrote notes of prayer and solidarity and distributed them to the neighbors who live on blocks adjacent to St. Rose Convent on Springfield’s near westside. She promised them prayer and looked forward to the moment when the quarantine would end: “Many days myself or others of my sisters walk by your house on our daily walk. Hopefully, when this pandemic is behind us, we can stop and chat and wish each other well in person!”

"Many hands make light work"

Evoking sisters’ favorite mantra “many hands make light work” three local communities of sisters in Springfield shared cooking duties for a meal served at the winter warming center in Springfield. The shelter, which is normally open only in the winter months, has extended its operations to help assure a place for warm meals and safe harbor through the month of April.

And at Sacred Heart Convent, where 93 Springfield Dominican Sisters live, much has changed since the shelter-in-place began on March 17.

Sisters are making masks, serving food in the dining room, drying dishes, and checking in on one another. They are social distancing even in chapel, where they gather for Morning and Evening Prayer each day and for two hours of daily prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, praying for the needs of the world during this extraordinary time.

The sisters also have a unique opportunity to fulfill the Dominican Charism of study. Sister Mila Díaz Solano, who is a member of the General Council and a biblical scholar, is taking advantage of her unexpectedly clearer schedule to teach a course for the sisters on the Gospel of Matthew.

In a message she sent to the community Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma, the prioress general wrote: “We are bound together, by the invitation of Christ, to follow him, not just as individuals, but in the interdependent richness of community.” It is a time, she said for us to “discover Christ anew: in ourselves, in one another, in global needs, and in the creative world which is being given a pause from overuse into hope-filled revitalization.”

"Do Not Let Residents Escape"

Recently I was speaking with a colleague who told me about  the sign she saw as she approached the front door of a nursing home.  It read:  "Do Not Let Residents Escape".

Does reading that 'sign' make you  gasp or recoil?  If so, it is because of the dichotomy between what that sign signifies and your mental concept of those persons living in that nursing home. The flip side of this is that when we use such words without thought or intentionality, they deepen our dehumanizing reflection of personhood. Along  with a dehumanizing reflection of aging --  ageism in action.

So -- as a reminder of my post on March 4th -- gather your team, your peers, your staff  next Friday and participate in the Action Pact-sponsored webinar.

See my March 4th post on instructions for registration.

If we change our words, we can  change the world!

Not My Usual Kind of Post

This post is different from any of my other entries. The information below is profoundly important to anyone in any type of relationship with elders who depend on supportive services -- care partner, staff leadership position, family member, Board member of a nursing home,  position  in elected leadership in a Religious Institute -- . Where those services occur may be at home, in a public assisted living community or nursing home, or in a convent non-licensed or licensed retirement setting.

In earlier  posts, I have repeated the statement that words shape our concepts while also reflecting our concepts.  That is very true, as is  the fact that if we change our language, we change the culture. Changing our words related to elders and elder services to reflect true and positive concepts erases ageism and institutionalism which is so common in even good, traditional nursing homes.

It is for these reasons that I post the announcement of a webinar later this month that is sponsored by Action Pact. In the interests of full disclosure, I have no fiscal or formal relationship with Action Pact. Publishing information about this webinar is motivated solely by my experience with the quality work that Action Pact and Carmen Bowman do, and the very valuable and essential information to be gained by exploring the topic of the words we use.

The one-time payment makes this webinar available for as many people as can fit around the computer, or can see it projected onto a larger screen. It is also available for viewing for thirty days after the actual presentation. I urge you to register for this event and to encourage all individuals engaged with elders in any official capacity to view it.

ACTION PACT

March 20, 2020

The Power of Language to Create Culture 

Presented this month by our hostess, Carmen Bowman

Unfortunately, the language of long-term care can be institutional. Even CMS notes this by encouraging the elimination of labels at Tag F550.

Are institutional words like these heard in your culture?
Facility,
beds,
frontline,
work the floor,
toileting,
non-compliant,
behaviors,
difficult,
activities,
dietary,
resident,
elope,
expire,
feeder

Consider a personal and community-wide commitment to use softer, more dignified language. The great news is that changing language costs no money yet does wonders to shift an institutional culture to a natural, normal, culture of home instead.

Join Hostess Carmen Bowman as she shares from the paper of the same title, which she co-authored.

Non-institutional language raises the bar: it drives practice, improves life satisfaction, and is required by CMS requirements.

Join us to talk about how we talk!

$99 per community
Register one person, view as a group (live and/or recorded show).
Fit your group around your computer monitor, or project it on the wall and fill a room.

Go to this website to register: 



Meet Carmen Bowman
Carmen owns Edu-Catering: Catering Education for Compliance and Culture Change turning her former role of regulator into educator. Carmen was a Colorado state surveyor for nine years, a policy analyst with CMS Central Office where she taught the national Basic Surveyor Course and was the first certified activity professional to be a surveyor.
Carmen co-developed the Artifacts of Culture Change measurement tool and is the author of several Action Pact workbooks.


Action Pact | 7709 W. Lisbon Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53222

“Letting Go”

That phrase, “letting go” is a well-used one within my age cohort and among those who would tell us how to age well. “We have to let go.” It is a phrase that has always gone against the grain for me – not because it is not true, but because I believe that in its common usage it only tells half the story. Inasmuch as the phrase is a half-truth, the hearers and the speakers of this phrase are victims of the great, self-harming prejudice of ageism.

Life is a series of letting go experiences.  We had to let go of our baby teeth to make room for permanent teeth.  We let go of familiar relationships with our parents when we left home to go to college, or to the convent, or to a new home with a marriage partner. Those earlier parental relationships did not wither and die; they changed into differently nuanced relationships, different, more mature, but built on the familiar. And who would argue that one would naturally want to return to the teenage or early adulthood parental relationship?  We recognize the gifts of deepened relationships which developed as a consequence of our leaving home, of our letting go of a familiar relationship.

Most commonly the expression of letting go in later life is used as if it were something different from experiences earlier in our life of letting go, something which leaves us experiencing emptiness and (oh, I rage at the context of this next word) diminished. The message is that we let go and let go and let go as we are hurtled on a downward slide until death greets us at the bottom of the hill.

What is left out of this common usage is the second half of letting go:  we let go in order to grasp the new. This is a one-minute clip that shows, in a physical dimension, what letting go in order to grasp the new looks like.

Not many of my readers are trapeze artists, I’m sure. And the physical balance, coordination, agility and endurance is beyond most of us at any age.  Our letting go to make space for the new is the space for further growth and development. What might that be?  Deeper insights about one’s self, deeper perspective about life, peace, surety about things we used not to be so sure about, nuances in relationships, wisdom, -----.The letting to make space for the new holds a psychic and spiritual energy that parallels the physical energy of the trapeze artists in the video.

The new we make space for will not be in the physical agility dimension.  Arthritic conditions will not disappear; the five-mile jog each morning will not reappear; the sense of breathlessness on the last set of stairs will not absent itself. However, let us never equate or limit our “self” with our “physical self”.

Perhaps instead of the traditional understanding of the half truth of "letting go" we should see it in its totality --  "let's go!"