Challenge
A major shift has occurred within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the way nursing home care is provided to Veterans that makes consideration of their needs and preferences not only possible but required. In 2004, the VA Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care spearheaded a movement called Cultural Transformation that signaled the change in culture from an institutional-centered model to a resident-centered model. In 2008, to accompany this shift, came a language transformation. Nursing Home Care Units would now be called Community Living Centers, or CLCs. The VA CLCs are now challenged to provide alternative methods of healing to supplement traditional forms of care.
Solution
Studies have shown that in times of stress, trauma, illness, and loss, engaging in art as creative activity can promote healing, engender a positive outlook, and lift the spirits in the midst of great difficulty. Experts in arts and aging have recognized that the arts could play a significant role in transforming the culture of these communities. Atlas Research, in partnership with the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA), was asked to implement a healing arts program at the Washington, DC VA Medical Center (DC VAMC) Community Living Center. The Atlas-NCCA team provided project management, communications, event planning, and program evaluation support.
Result
The Atlas-NCCA team and the CLC at the DC VAMC developed a strategic plan and kicked off a pilot program for the Healing Arts Program. This program showcases how the CLC aligns itself with the DC VAMC’s overarching priorities and Veterans Health Administration (VHA) directives for providing personalized, proactive, patient-driven care to its Veterans. In the Fall of 2013, the healing arts team operationalized the healing arts program to be sustainable, measurable, and replicable.
The team set up aggressive goals and objectives. They brought in talented, caring, professional artists to lead rich, healing, creative activities. They improved processes to track activities of patients and capture information in patient care plans. Patients reported more satisfaction, and employees showed an increase in coordination and communications. Most importantly, employees began incorporating healing arts into patients’ care plans.