A Continued Look at Tag 679’s Community Focus & Community Developer
In this article we take a look at the unique focus on community in both the CMS Tag 679 Regulation as well as its Guidance which also highlights the role of Community Developer. This concept was developed by Barry and Debby Cushman Barkan and the people who lived at the Jewish Home in Oakland, California. If you want to learn more, go to http://liveoakinstitute.org.
CMS Tag F679 §483.24(c) Activities.
- 483.24(c)(1) The facility must provide, based on the comprehensive assessment and care plan and the preferences of each resident, an ongoing program to support residents in their choice of activities, both facility-sponsored group and individual activities and independent activities, designed to meet the interests of and support the physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident, encouraging both independence and interaction in the community.
From CMS Tag F679’s Guidance:
It has been reported that, “some culture changed homes might not have a traditional activities calendar, and instead focus on community life to include activities.” Instead of an “activities director,” some homes have a Community Life Coordinator, a Community Developer, or other title for the individual directing the activities program.
Let’s take another look at the terrific focus on community in the regulation building upon last month’s article.
Community Life
Notice community life is used instead of activities. Many not-for-profit, faith-based organizations that have committed to changing institutional culture, have renovated into the household model for instance, have glommed onto this term.
Renovating from an old institutional building into households creates home again with households for 16 to 20 people, with its own front door entrance with a porch and entrance into the rest of the community, usually the town center where there is a large auditorium, barber/beauty shop, snack shop and sometimes gift shop. Its fabulous and talk about being able to have a community life. Each of the households are separate yet connected. Each person has a private room, each house has a living room with fireplace, own kitchen where food is cooked, a private dining room when needed, offices for team members and the halls are private corridors not public as is the case in all traditionally built nursing homes. If you want to learn more, go to www.actionpact.com.
I wonder, could it be that the term Community Life explains better what we do and what we offer…? Look what else if offers to improve language and better explain other terms.
Community Life Coordinator
Again this title is very common in culture changed homes particularly of the household model and not-for-profit homes. Leaders of language point out the word/title coordinator is much softer and really what the activity director does, coordinates. Leaders of language also point out that the word director is much too close to another D word, dictator. So if anyone is interested in softening language, consider these alternate words that perhaps even better describe what it is we do.
Community Developer
A Community Developer is much more than just a different title. The concept of Community Developer was created by Debbie and Barry Barkan and those they served. In the 1970’s they came up with this valuable concept that could use perhaps some resurrection.
Barry Barkan was a guest on my monthly web talk show Conversations of Culture Change with Carmen July 13, 2018 and explained the community developer holds many important roles.
- Is a champion of elders, who systematically cultivates a community in which people who live there:
- Have a voice and a choice in the decisions that impact their lives;
- Have an opportunity to know one another and be known;
- Are welcomed when they come and mourned when they die;
- Are active participants in the wider society.
- Is a champion of the culture
A wonderful way to depict the culture trying to be developed is captured in this definition written by elders themselves with the Barkans in the 1970’s.
Definition of An Elder
An elder is as a person who is still developing, still growing, still a learner, still with potential and whose life continues to have within it promise for and connection to the future. An elder is still in pursuit of happiness, joy and pleasure and her or his birthright to these remains intact. Moreover, an elder is a person who deserves respect and honor and whose work it is to synthesize wisdom from long life experience and formulate this into a legacy for future generations.
At the community meeting, which was held every day, this definition of an elder was read. Can you imagine living in a home that promoted this, that read this, every single day?
- Is a champion the highest possible good
A Community Developer consistently takes responsibility to consciously promote the greater good by cultivating the spirit of love, by building bridges, by promoting harmony, by connecting past and future, and by connecting people to the good of one another and to the whole.
A Community Developer stands up for the individual who has no one else and attempts to have an even hand, loving each person –even those whose behavior and beliefs we might find disagree with or find difficult.
- Is a champion of one’s own learning and growth:
- Takes time to be still.
- Laughs, sings, does whatever makes people happy every chance possible.
- Pursues interests.
- Contends mightily with the internal voices that are unkind.
- Thinks about what s/he has done and how it might be done better next time.
- Seeks guidance from wise people.
- Is a champion of the organization
- Promotes the well-being of the organization and the accomplishment of its mission.
- Seeks to bring people together by helping them to listen to one another and to connect to a larger vision.
- Encourages and support the initiatives of others.
- Is patient and non-confrontational in promoting the changes you want to achieve.
- Moves on when personal values and organization practices are irredeemably incompatible.
Roles of a Community Developer
- Teacher
- Learner
- Leader
- Participant
- Advocate
- Loves
I’ve so appreciated leaders in the culture change movement that bring up love. Business men in suits on big stages saying, “We are in the business of … love.” Wow. Yes.
Isn’t that why you got into it? Isn’t that what keeps you coming back for more? Go love and consider being a community developer. It is perhaps what our role should have been from the start.
I too have always thought why don’t we be more of a leader? Do you insist upon at least 5 minutes each all-community meeting? Do you speak up to advocate for the person and their quality of life? We need that time – or more – to train, teach and guide your whole community in building community, in pursuing individual interests more than groups, in proactively developing quality of life for each person who lives there, in being for those who live there, not for the institutional ways. The institution is the enemy, no one else.
Which brings up a perfect quote from another culture change leader Wendy Lustbader to close with,
“No longer is the institution going to come before the individuals who live there.”
Carmen Bowman, MHS, Regulator turned Educator of Edu-Catering: Catering Education for Compliance and Changing Institutional Culture is an activities/engagement/community life, regulatory compliance and culture change consultant. She offers new or not-yet-qualified activity director consultation and personalized continuing education for professionals/teams/associations. Also, a new blog and eResource GUARDIANS OF NORMAL LIFE: How Activity/ Recreation/ Engagement/Community Life Professionals can Save the World of LTC at www.edu-catering.com. At the Edu-Catering YouTube channel, see how turning rigid schedules into flexible ones creates all the outcomes everyone wants!
