Special S.E.R.V.I.C.E.™ for Revolutionizing Healthcare from the Inside Out at Alzheimer’s Care Facilities

In 1987, a group of people who had never worked in the long-term care industry came together to create the nation’s first freestanding Alzheimer’s care facility, the Alois Alzheimer Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Many industry insiders considered their lack of experience a huge folly, but in reality it was a blessing.  With no preconceived notions as to how things “should” look or feel, the team did not talk about “beds,” daily rates, room numbers or behaviors.  Instead, they talked about people, operating from the belief that their purpose was to care for people, and their job, to serve people.  Their policies and programs were foreign to long-term care at that time, as was the concept of Alzheimer’s patients as a separate group with unique needs.

Today, Alois is still led by Dr. Susan Gilster, a member of the founding team.  It sets the pace for its counterparts around the world.  Begun as a project, it became a model of care for establishing an exceptional environment.  Alois is a haven for individuals and families who are overlooked elsewhere; employees enjoy their work, and residents enjoy their lives as they are, not as they are forced to be.

Dr. Gilster’s more than 20 years of Alzheimer’s-specific experience has given her the expertise to tailor the S.E.R.V.I.C.E.™ leadership model to the unique needs of an Alzheimer’s care facility.  The SGA team approaches Alzheimer’s programs and facilities from an educational perspective, bringing the practices that have made the Alois Alzheimer Center a standard bearer among its peers to your program.  SGA will engender a strong understanding of the disease itself and the special needs it creates for both staff and residents and their families; with understanding comes compassion, dedication and an approach that stems from those qualities rather than strict policies. This in turn creates a calm, peaceful environment and a culture of caring and respect for both staff and residents.  In addition, the SGA team will help yours create a physical environment designed specifically for Alzheimer’s residents, working directly with your architect to develop a physical plant that will pay dividends to your operations through its innate efficiency and practicality.  As with general long-term care facilities, clients will see a very significant decrease in the high employee turnover rates that are almost universal among Alzheimer’s units, increases in census and profits, and an empowered environment that frees the leadership team to lead the facility into the future.

To begin blazing a new trail for your Alzheimer’s care facility, call or email us today