Conference Features

Pioneer Network's 10th National Conference

This I Believe: Writing and Sharing Essays with Elders About Their Core Personal Beliefs
Sunday, August 8, 3:00 pm–5:00 pm

Of all of life's big questions, "What do you believe?" is one of the most important. And for many of our elders, the answer may be one they wish their children and grandchildren to know, though they may find it difficult to actually put into words. Drafting a personal philosophy of life can be difficult—even when writers have many decades of life experience.

This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core personal beliefs that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, have been featured in weekly broadcasts on public radio since 2005, and are based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

This workshop guides those who work with elders in the process of writing and sharing one's own personal philosophy in a 500-word essay. This workshop provides tools for anyone interested in helping others tell the story of their beliefs and to leave a written legacy for generations to come.

Join us at the first session of the conference to learn how to assist Elders in writing their own This I Believe essay, and submitting the essay to be included on their website and possible broadcast on public radio.

Guide:
Dan Gediman, Executive Director of This I Believe

The Times They Are A Changin':
What Long-term Care Settings Can Be
Sunday, August 8, 6:00 pm

This session will introduce the Indianapolis community to culture change and the possibilities of what nursing homes can be. Representatives from culture change nursing homes will talk about the changes they have made to become a true home for the people who live there. Members of the community will have the opportunity to ask questions, share their ideas for change with conference attendees, and learn from consumer advocates what they can do to push for change.
Refreshments & Handouts will be provided.

This session is in collaboration with United Senior Action of Indiana, NCCNHR: The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, and the Hoosiers Heading for Change: the Indiana Culture Change Coalition.

Pioneer Network Conference attendees are welcome; please indicate on your registration form that you will be attending.

First Timer's Welcome Session
Monday, August 9, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Is this your first Pioneer Network Conference? Join other first-timers in this traditional session. We will share a bit of Pioneer history, help you choose sessions that are right for you, give tips on effective networking and tell you the secrets of getting the most out of this conference.

Guides:
Rose Marie Fagan, Co-Founder, Pioneer Network
Karen Stobbe, Conference Chair, Pioneer Network

Pick up your Lunch. Sit Down. Listen & Share
Tuesday, August 10, 12:30pm – 2:00pm

We have a wonderful lunch-to-go for you. You can take it outside or find a spot to talk with a colleague OR you can join a Learning Circle or a Roundtable Session. It's your choice.

Learning Circles
Let's come together to learn, share and inspire one another. Select a group that you would like to spend 90 minutes with creating your own small community. You do not have to choose a group that is your discipline, title or organization – choose one that interests you. Each circle will have a facilitator who is familiar with the subject of your group. All learning circle topics will be listed in the program book.

Roundtable Sessions
Each roundtable session will have a guide who will speak about their topic. Think of these as a mini session where you can listen, ask questions or even move to another table if you wish. A full list of each roundtable session will be listed in the program book.

Sponsor Social & Networking Reception
Tuesday, August 10, 5:30pm

Join us for our evening reception where you can spend time visiting our wonderful sponsors, purchase a book from one of our many authors who are attending our conference, get a bite to eat and still have time to network with new friends and old. As with any Pioneer Network Reception, I am sure surprise will be at every corner.

We will have fun, light fare and a cash bar will be available

Culture Change Compass
Looking Back, Moving Forward: a Year in the Life of Pioneer Network
Tuesday, August 10, 6:30pm

"Before GPS and Google maps, folks often relied on the tried and true compass to find their way when traveling in uncharted territories. The benefit of a compass was that while usually having a magnetized needle which points to magnetic north, it also would swing freely on a pivot. It must have been a compass that President Roosevelt had in mind when he stated "to reach a port... we must sail, not drift." — Bonnie Kantor, Executive Director, Pioneer Network

Please join with us as we use our Pioneer Network compass to reflect on the state of culture change and describe the range of initiatives, projects and products the Pioneer Network and its many partners and collaborators have worked so hard to develop. By working together and creating and sharing adaptable programs that pivot with ease, we will all be able to point to a future where person-directed care is the norm wherever our elders call home.

Guides:
Bonnie Kantor, Executive Director, Pioneer Network
Megan Hannan, President, Pioneer Network Board of Directors

Following the more formal portion of the session you will have the opportunity to talk directly with those leading some of our projects and see the products being developed.

Projects and initiatives that will be represented include:

Changing the Culture of Aging: Taking the First Step to Creating Knowledgeable Consumers
Funded by the Picker Institute
The Design on a Dollar Roadmaps: Mapping Environmental Change Processes within the Culture Change Journey
Funded by Retirement Research Foundation
Life Safety Task Force
Funded by The Hulda B. and Maurice L. Rothschild Foundation
On-line Artifacts of Culture Change Tool
Funded by The Commonwealth Fund
Development of Nursing Core Competencies in Person-Directed Care
Funded by The Commonwealth Fund
Creating Home: Promising Practices Web-Base Column and Discussion
Funded by The Commonwealth Fund
Follow up to Creating Home in the Nursing Home: A National (non) Symposium on Culture Change and the Food and Dining Requirements co-sponsored with CMS in collaboration with AHCA
How Do We Make Culture Change The Norm: The Case for Adoption
Funded by Commonwealth
Support of the State Coalitions

Sage Conversations

Sage (seyj) –noun
1. a profoundly wise person; a person famed for wisdom. 2. wise through reflection and experience 3. Mediterranean herb, name is a derivative of the Latin salvus, meaning "safe," a reference to the herb's believed healing powers.

We are inviting Sages in the Culture Change Movement to join us in conversation here in Indianapolis. Some of these Sages were focused on culture change and person-directed care long before we had given names to these topics. These are people who are wise and considered our movement's Sages because of their experience, their life's work and their personal passion. We are honored to sit at their feet.

Each Sage will choose their own topic. They will speak about it for the first 30-45 minutes. For the remaining time participants will have the opportunity to engage with them in active, compelling and thought provoking conversations.

The Chrysalis Room: Creating Sacred Space for End of Life

The environment in which an experience occurs contributes to the quality of that experience.

The Chrysalis Room provides a quiet, comfortable, esthetic, soothing space to support a resident in the final days and hours of life. It invites staff to visit and grieve. It encourages residents to share the experience with each other in a comforting environment. It embraces loved ones who wish to keep vigil. It is a sacred space for transformation.

Visit our peaceful Chrysalis Room and talk with Loretta Downs about her vision to create such sacred space in every nursing home. View photos and hear testimonials of the positive experiences that the Chrysalis Room facilitates, ultimately improving the quality of life in the nursing home by improving the quality of death.

Think Tank Talks

Have you ever sat with another person who is on the road of culture change and had an in-depth discussion about one training idea, one challenge or even one word. Well this is what we will do except with a whole room of people. This is how it will work:

Each Think Tank Talk will have a set topic and a facilitator
The facilitator will set the stage for the discussion
We will discuss.
We will not want to end our discussion.
We will walk away with new insight, inspiration and fuel for our next discussion.

Come join us and come with an open mind.

The Carter Catlett Williams Legacy Fund is an activity of Pioneer Network, inspired by the work of Carter Catlett Williams, whose compassion and leadership has inspired countless other pioneers around the nation and the world. The fund supports opportunities for personal growth in individuals — pioneers in the new frontier of aging — who are striving every day to change the culture of elder care and aging. We are pleased to present this special project that was developed in part with support from the Legacy Fund.

Pictures and Words: Creating Rapport and Community

Come and take a look at the photos and read the resident's words that accompany each portrait. You may speak with the photographer and pick up a handout to learn how you can do this, too.

"Residents say it makes the place feel more like their own home, that it helps them get to know each other (and remember names!), that they look at the pictures again and again."

Guide:
Donna Mitchell, Community Liaison; Board Member/Volunteer Parklands Rehabilitation & Nursing Center; Friends Across the Ages
A 2009 The Carter Catlett Williams Legacy Fund Grant Recipient

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Schedule at a Glance
Conference Intensives
Welcome to Indianapolis
Hotel Information
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