By Holland Home
Holland Home, one of Michigan’s largest nonprofit senior services providers, has been recognized as the first agency in the state, and only third nationally, to achieve the coveted “Designated Organization” accreditation from Positive Approach to Care (PAC), the preeminent dementia education organization founded in 2005 by Teepa Snow, one of the world’s leading educators on dementia care.
As an Aware Designated Organization (Aware is the specific level that Holland Home achieved), PAC attests that Holland Home’s memory care services are considered to be offered and measured at some of the highest levels among all senior memory care services programs. Most notable to patients and families is that the PAC designation means that every Holland Home team member has specific dementia-care training and all team members participate in regular dementia training.
The designation is so rare that organizations need to be invited by PAC to apply for the credentialing. Snow, who has visited and lectured at Holland Home several times, invited Holland Home to apply earlier this year. After a site visit by PAC team investigators, and additional review, Holland Home was informed in late November that it had achieved Aware status.
“Holland Home is incredibly honored to be recognized by the world’s leading dementia education organization as being one of the highest-performing dementia care providers in the nation,” said Troy Vugteveen, executive vice president, operations, Holland Home. “We’ve invested a tremendous amount of resources in the last several years to advancing our memory care services, so the PAC Aware Designation validates our innovative and passionate approach to providing the best possible care to our senior residents.”
Holland Home’s Memory Care Services department has three PAC-credentialed trainers: Rosemary Apol-Hoezee, RN, MPH, CPHRM, director of Quality and Education; Lynn Bolt, RN; and Lois Thomas, RN, coordinator of Memory Care Services.
Under their leadership, Holland Home has created several offerings catering to advancing its dementia services, including:
- Creating a Dementia Coalition Team comprised of staff from various departments to ensure universal training.
- Developing a PAC training program.
- Developing the Dementia Journey, an interactive simulation that allows staff to experience the effects dementia has on everyday tasks.
- Authoring the Dementia Handbook.
- Creating Memory Care Boxes, Table Top Woodworking Stations, Weighted Blankets, Fidget Aprons
- Developing the Honor Care Program
Every Holland Home employee who regularly interacts with dementia residents receives the PAC training within the first 90 days of hire and then every two years thereafter. Similarly, all Holland Home employees (regardless of their role) go through the Dementia Journey, which is a great way for staff to develop an understanding of what it is like to live with Dementia.
Snow, an occupational therapist with 40 years of clinical practice experience, is one of the world’s leading educators on dementia and the care that accompanies it. In 2005, she founded Positive Approach® to Care (PAC), a company that provides dementia care training, services and products around the world. A core principle of PAC is that, in order to obtain the relationships and outcomes that are desired, the first and most important shift must originate with each person’s own willingness and ability to change.
About Holland Home
Founded in 1892, Holland Home of Grand Rapids is Michigan’s largest nonprofit provider of senior services and was the first Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the state. Holland Home offers the full continuum of care and is one of the largest nonprofit CCRC in the nation (source: Ziegler 150). Under the Holland Home brand are two residential campuses: Breton Woods and Raybrook. Community services include Atrio Home Care, Faith Hospice and its Trillium Woods hospice inpatient facility, Reliance Community Care Partners, Care Resources and the Trillium Institute. Holland Home employs over 1,400 people and serves more than 4,000 daily. Holland Home’s mission is to serve with love and compassion, commit to excellence, and follow Christ’s teachings and examples in all that we do. For more information about Holland Home, please visit hollandhome.org.
