Donor Spotlight: Dawn Davison Brown Shares What Giving to the Nazareth Homes Foundation Means to Her


Donor Spotlight: Dawn Davison Brown Shares What Giving to the Nazareth Homes Foundation Means to Her

 Dawn Davison Brown, who resides in Alabama and has roots in Louisville, began her journey with Nazareth Home at a time when her family was in crisis. Her mother, Darlene Davison, collapsed from an illness and was sent to the hospital in 2013. When Darlene was ready to be discharged, Dawn found herself desperately seeking the next solution for her mother’s care with a two-day notice. It was during the Christmas season that year that Dawn called Nazareth Home for help based on a recommendation from her husband, Rick. On the other end of that critical phone call from Alabama was Mary Haynes, Nazareth Home’s President/CEO, who became Dawn’s guiding light in her great time of need.

“I was desperate. I was calling anyone and everyone I could find on the computer in Louisville. I never dreamt that Mary Haynes would answer the phone. She will always be my angel. I am grateful beyond words. God stepped in.”

With the nurturing care provided by Nazareth Home, Dawn’s mother was able to receive the support she required – first in rehabilitation (Recovery to Home) and then in skilled nursing (Spalding Square). This gave Dawn and her family eight weeks of peace during a very difficult period. Dawn was grateful for the friendly nature of the facility, as her mother was welcomed with open arms.

“I loved the inclusiveness of Nazareth Home. Mom was Presbyterian, I’m Methodist, and I thought the Nazareth Home was predominantly for Catholics,” said Dawn.

The financial aspect of her mother’s care was also a concern, but with the help of Nazareth Home, Dawn’s brother, Ross was able to navigate this challenge. The experience at Nazareth Home strengthened Dawn’s faith and inspired her to give back. 

As a gesture of gratitude and commitment to helping others, Dawn has personally donated monthly  and placed the Nazareth Homes Foundation in her will. She also appreciates the ongoing newsletters from Nazareth Home so she can stay informed on the organization’s activities and impact. 

“I knew Mom was being cared for and did not question that. It strengthened my faith, and this is the one gift I can give back in Darlene’s memory.” 

Dawn hopes to visit Nazareth Home again sometime, expressing her deep appreciation for the excellent care her mother received and the hospitality shown to her family. Her story is a testament to the impact of generosity and the importance of supporting organizations that provide comfort and dignity to those in need.

 “I made a vow and commitment to help others to give as I could. I was shown such generosity by Nazareth Home. My Mom was not expected to live long, but Nazareth Home gave us eight weeks of compassionate care. It was a gift to me living in another state. It meant so much to me that my mother experienced eight weeks of kindness and dignity.”

Dawn Davison Brown being a monthly donor to the Nazareth Homes Foundation serves as an inspiration to us all. Thank you, Dawn, for sharing your story and for your dedication to making a difference in the lives of others through your gifts.

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Nazareth Home Receives 2024 Customer Experience Award from Pinnacle Quality Insight


Nazareth Home Receives 2024 Customer Experience Award from Pinnacle Quality Insight

  

According to AARP, the Nazareth Home has once again earned a 2024 Customer Experience Award from Pinnacle Quality Insight. This award recognized both the Highlands and Clifton Campuses. 

Nazareth Home started contracting with Pinnacle Quality to conduct customer satisfaction surveys in 2020 and has received this award every year since 2021.

The customer satisfaction report developed by Pinnacle Quality Insight is designed to measure resident satisfaction in terms of quality of care and quality of life. Nazareth Home scored within the top 15 percent of the nation across a 12-month average. Out of 2,700 care providers and 50,000 customer interviews, only those facilities that scored in the 85th percentile or higher received an award. This achievement shows our commitment to delivering exceptional care and services to the elders and patients of Nazareth Home, as well as their family members.

“We participate in customer satisfaction surveys through Pinnacle as a way to hold ourselves accountable, so we always remain focused on delivering a great experience,” said Mary Haynes, president/CEO of Nazareth Home. “This process also ensures that, when needed, our team knows where and how to make improvements to maintain a high level of quality and professionalism.”

A sampling of Nazareth Home elders and family members participated in monthly telephone interviews that included open-ended questions as well as rating Nazareth Home in specific categories. Nazareth Home aggregates these surveys on a monthly basis to gain a better understanding of resident experiences and family member perceptions, then addresses areas that may require attention.

For this year (2024), Nazareth Home was recognized in the following areas/categories:

  • Activities
  • Communication from Facility
  • Dignity and Respect
  • Dining Service
  • Individual Needs
  • Nursing Care
  • Overall Customer Experience
  • Overall Satisfaction
  • Professional Therapy Services
  • Recommend to Others
  • Response to Problems
  • Safety and Security

Here’s what a few family members had to say about Nazareth Home in customer satisfaction interviews conducted in 2023:

“It’s truly a home environment with people who care. It’s a wonderful experience for the one who lives there.” – Judy T.

“I appreciate that they have fulfilled their promises on what they said they would do, and the staff are good.” – Aaron A.

“We’ve had a good experience there. We would go back if ever needed. It was certainly a positive experience, and we would recommend it.” – James T.

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Practicing Self Care as a Caregiver​​

Practicing Self Care as a Caregiver​

According to AARP, the approximately 42 million Americans who care for a family member or friend over the age of 50 contribute $600 billion worth of free labor to the economy. However, that care is not free to them. In fact, many individuals spend about a quarter of their annual income toward caregiving costs. Being a caregiver isn’t just an economic sacrifice – it’s also an emotional and often turbulent strain for the person. Because so many caregivers function quietly, expecting nothing in return, they exist quietly with few or limited resources.

Here are a few tips, ideas, and suggestions for easing the emotional and mental strain of being a caregiver to a friend or loved one:

Tips for Coping

Set routines:

To give structure and a natural flow to each day, try doing the same basic activities around the same time each day. Routine reduces the need for small or last-minute decisions each day that can add stress.

Use a planner or calendar:

Take advantage of a planner or calendar to document the older adult’s appointments and important tasks. This reduces the possibility of last-minute surprises since you will be able to plan ahead. 

Keep a journal:

A journal can be a key caregiving tool by helping you feel more in control. Writing quick notes in a dedicated journal means you will have accurate information about what happens and when it happens. And it makes it easier to share that information with doctors, family members, and other caregivers when you need to.

Find time to relax:

If you don’t care for yourself, your own physical and mental health will decline – thus jeopardizing your ability to provide care for your loved one. Consider asking someone you trust to fill in for you so you can find time to relax and do things you enjoy. Even having short breaks can make a significant difference in your day. 

Have freezer meals on hand:

Cook ahead of time and freeze meals in advance. This removes the stress of cooking on extremely stressful days and ready-to-eat meals are often healthier than fast-food options that may not be very nutritious. Ask family and friends to prepare pre-made meals as well, like casseroles – these can save time for you on a busy day when there is no time to cook.

Build in extra time:

Prioritize the things you can do each day realistically and plan extra time for those tasks. This way, if something takes longer than it should, you’ve already built in the extra 10-15 minutes needed. And if those tasks don’t take that long at all, you have extra time.

Seek help from others:

Seek out support from people in your neighborhood, church, workplace, or elsewhere who are caregivers as well and can relate to your experience. You could also consider forming an informal support group that meets in-person, virtually or even shares tips and ideas through group chats and texts. There are also services that provide respite care for exhausted caregivers.

Resources, Gadgets, and Tools

Technology is moving fast and catching up to the needs of caregivers. In just the last few years, digital apps and devices have transformed how we care for loved ones:

  • Look into GPS tracking devices to monitor a loved one and know where they are in real time.
  • Home cameras linked to your phone enable you to remotely check in on the whereabouts of your loved one, whether they are eating in the kitchen or watching TV in the living room.
  • Health tracking tools are flourishing on the internet and on digital apps. These can help track blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, nutrition, and some can automatically send data to your loved one’s physician.
  • While using live video chats like Zoom to help your loved one remain connected to friends and family, remember to also use this time to see how they might be able to help you as well.
  • Use erasable whiteboards and calendars located throughout the home for reminders, instructions, and directions, especially for loved ones living with dementia.
  • If the home is equipped with one of Amazon’s Alexa voice-controlled devices (like Echo), verbal alarms and reminders can be set up, and offer shopping options for those with mobility issues and assistance making phone calls. News and music are also readily available. 

Being a caregiver can be very challenging. So it’s important for caregivers to find ways to take care of their own needs, otherwise caring for an elder may become a struggle, or worse, impossible if your own health suffers. Caregivers can’t provide adequate care if they’re running on empty and should prioritize their own wellness to avoid anxiety, frustration, and burnout. 

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Gerontologist Promotes Spirituality in Dementia Care

Gerontologist Promotes Spirituality in Dementia Care

Individuals who attended the Spirituality of Caring for Persons with Dementia at Nazareth Home Jan. 24 listened to Dr. Jane Thibault. (Record Photo by Ruby Thomas)

Society needs to shift the way it perceives caring for persons with dementia and receiving that care, moving from a disaster mindset to one focused on spirituality, said Dr. Jane Thibault during a program at Nazareth Home in the Highlands Jan. 24.

“I’m proposing re-envisioning caregiving as a mutual spiritual path,” where the caregiver and the person receiving care “create meaning not just endure it,” she said.

Thibault is a behavioral gerontologist and clinical professor emerita at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. Her presentation, “The Spirituality of Caring for Persons with Dementia,” was part of Nazareth Home’s monthly Community Education Series and drew about 60 people on a rainy afternoon.

She began by reading a passage from the Gospel of John, where Jesus tells his disciple Peter, “Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.”

There’s “good news” in that Scripture passage, said Thibault.

No one wants to be in a situation where they can no longer care for themselves, yet “Jesus promises us that in this very condition, we can glorify God,” she said.

It’s important to view dementia from a spiritual perspective because the “loss of self that accompanies memory loss is a spiritual issue,” she said.

The person suffering from the condition as well as their caregiver, she said, often question the meaning and the value of their lives. She said there are situations where the individual with dementia and the caregiver turn to suicide as a way of ending their mutual suffering.

Individuals who attended the Spirituality of Caring for Persons with Dementia at Nazareth Home Jan. 24 listened to Dr. Jane Thibault. (Record Photo by Ruby Thomas)

It doesn’t have to be this way, though.

Caregiving and receiving care can be a spiritual path if both individuals involved — she refers to them as “care partners” — are trying to:

    • Find or create meaning out of the situation.
    • Understand how the very acts of caregiving and receiving can bring one closer to God and one’s true self.

Thibault suggested that “care partners” establish some mutual spiritual practices that may include:

    • Becoming aware of the gifts both individuals have been given.
    • Attending Mass for as long as it’s comfortable following the diagnosis.
    • Asking for spiritual help from a faith community to receive prayer, home visits and Communion.
    • Taking nature walks. If the individual is not able to walk, they can be transported outdoors or to the mall in a wheelchair, the goal is to spend some time outside daily, she said.
    • Listen to and sing hymns.
    • Read and talk about favorite Scripture.
    • Pray for someone. Send someone a card saying you’re thinking of them and praying for them. This “focuses attention outward, but keeps you both in the other person’s mind. Thus, you both stay active members of the human community.” Thibault also suggested spinning a globe, randomly choosing a country, and praying for someone there.
    • Nazareth Home’s Community Education Series started a year ago to help provide answers to families of Nazareth Home patients, as well as individuals in the community, said Mary Haynes, president and CEO of Nazareth Home.

“We see ourselves as a friend of the community and we have a lot of expertise,” she said. “We know something about these topics and we’re happy to share those resources. We started last year with the topic of brain health. It’s on everybody’s mind.”

She noted that everyone will need care or become a caregiver at some point, “so it impacts everyone. … Finding those resources to take care of someone and yourself at the same time is” important.

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A Reflection of 2023

A Reflection of 2023

As we reflect on the past year, we also look ahead with hope and expectations to what is possible. We appreciate that we are here in this place because of the commitment, dedication, and planning of many leaders who are passionate about care for the aged. We are challenged and inspired by the life of Mother Catherine Spalding, who responded to the needs of the community with love and courage. Nazareth Home continues in that same spirit.

In our purpose to serve the community, we take our own advocacy seriously. Our organization is composed of the aged and healthcare staff, and in today’s culture, each of these groups are seeking ways to share their voice. We believe that our philosophy and culture at Nazareth Home, our person-centered way of living, is a demonstration of a community where voices are heard, and every person is affirmed.

While the impression in the marketplace of long-term care is seldom positive, we demonstrate we are a 2022 and 2023 Top Workplace winner through the Courier-Journal and nationally recognized for our clinical performance by U.S. News & World Report. We are committed to creating a meaningful community of living both for those we serve and for those we employ. By implementing innovative care technologies, such as the TrueLoo smart toilet seat, we bring the best in wellness to the people we serve. Through Nazareth Home Forward and our employee scholarship program, we support career advancement and the professional goals of our team members.

With the help of many stakeholders like you, we look forward to 2024 and plans to grow our ministry with new programs for aging adults and their families and those interested in long-term care careers. We are grateful for your support.

Mary Haynes, RN, MS, MSN, CNHA
President/CEO
Nazareth Home

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Nazareth Home’s Award-Winning Year

Nazareth Home’s Award-Winning Year

Nazareth Home proudly closed out 2023 by adding a few more awards to its trophy case. In 2023, we were honored and recognized by these organizations for these category awards:

U.S News & World Report – Best Nursing Homes

Nazareth Home was again named to U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Nursing Homes for its Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care. The designation places Nazareth Home’s facilities among the elite 19% of skilled nursing facilities that earned a “High Performing” rating, the highest possible achievement. In addition, both Nazareth Home campuses, Highlands and Clifton, are rated among the “top 6” nursing homes in Louisville. Each location earned a High-Performing rating for short-term rehab and long-term care.

Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Assisted Living (KAHCF/KCAL) – 2023 Best of Kentucky

Best of Kentucky in Nursing and Rehabilitation
KAHCF/KCAL honored both Nazareth Home facilities with a Best of Kentucky in Nursing and Rehabilitation Award. Honorees must possess a CMS star rating of four or higher to apply. Across Kentucky, 35 organizations were named alongside Nazareth Home for the distinction. In addition, Nazareth Home’s Director of Clinical Services, Kim Hobson, was recognized individually with a Leadership award for her contributions to Nazareth Home and the long-term care field.

The Courier-Journal – 2023 Top Workplaces

Nazareth Home was once again named a top place to work in The Courier-Journal’s 2023 Top Workplaces list. The annual list compiles the best workplaces in the Greater Louisville region through a process that relies heavily on employee feedback and insight. The selection process enables employee engagement through completion of a survey that uniquely measures 15 culture drivers critical to an organization’s success, such as alignment, execution, connection and more. Nazareth Home president/CEO, Mary Haynes, also received recognition at the celebratory event for her outstanding leadership.

Business First Louisville named Mary Haynes a 2023 Healthcare Hero in the Innovator category.

This award honors someone who breaks ground in the health care field by developing or implementing new technology, treatments, or programs with wide applications.

“We do not see these awards as competitions or contests but as validation of our commitment to excellence in all its forms,” said Mary Haynes, president/CEO of Nazareth Home. “We enter these programs out of a desire to demonstrate our commitment to those we serve and those we employ. The teams at Nazareth Home, our providers, and our stakeholders allow us to achieve these great results and we see this recognition as acknowledgement of their efforts.”

Nazareth Home has consistently, year over year, been recognized across multiple media platforms and organizations, often noted for its innovative approach to senior care by investing in technologies that provide support to nursing home staff and improve the wellness of aging adults.

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Pastoral Care Helps Elders Continue Spiritual Journey at Nazareth Home

Pastoral Care Helps Elders Continue Spiritual Journey at Nazareth Home

The holidays are a time of year that conjure up a vast range of thoughts and images. For some, it is time with beloved family. For others, it is a quiet time of reflection. And for some, there is sadness associated with this time of year, maybe due to the loss of a loved one, seasonal anxiety, or perhaps a health diagnosis. In many cases, spirituality, faith, and religion are at the forefront as multiple faiths celebrate significant religious events during the month of December.

 Although the focus on faith can seem strongest this time of year, Nazareth Home carries on a legacy of spirituality, mission, hospitality, and connection year-round. It is very much at the center of what we provide when welcoming a new elder to our community. The pastoral care team works closely with each elder to help establish faith-based opportunities, if they wish. Such opportunities might include attending private prayer groups, mass, ecumenical services, and more. These always cater to the individual wishes and interests of each elder so that the experience is personal and meaningful to them.

 

“Although Nazareth Home is Catholic-affiliated, people of all faiths are welcome here,” said Mary Haynes, Nazareth Home president/CEO. “Having a pastoral care presence is one way we focus on creating a healthy and positive experience for patients and elders in hopes they can explore the joy of living through their spirituality and faith. Hosting a spiritual presence is at the heart of our person-centered care.”

 

In fact, there are many different faiths represented at Nazareth Home. Our pastoral care team on each campus works closely with elders and their family members, regardless of their religious affiliation or faith – even those who identify themselves as non-religious. In many cases, the team members simply offer the gift of time, an open ear, and a caring presence. This outreach includes our employees, too.

 

“Pastoral care, in the broadest sense, is about helping each individual here find what brings them to a peaceful place – whatever that might be,” said Bridget Bunning, Nazareth Home director of pastoral care & mission. “We accompany people both during their times of duress and joy. And we respect everyone’s personal path and how they wish to include it as part of their daily lives.”

 

There is something at Nazareth Home for everyone who wishes to include faith or spirituality as part of their life’s journey.

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Nazareth Home Named 2023 ‘Best of Kentucky’ in Nursing and Rehabilitation by KAHCF

Nazareth Home Named 2023 ‘Best of Kentucky’ in Nursing and Rehabilitation by KAHCF

The Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living (KAHCF/KCAL) recently honored Nazareth Home with a prestigious 2023 Best of Kentucky in Nursing and Rehabilitation Award at their annual banquet. The Best of Kentucky – Nursing and Rehabilitation honorees are among an elite group of leaders and must possess a CMS star rating of four or higher to apply for the award. Across Kentucky, 35 organizations were recognized, including both of Nazareth Home’s facilities, with the distinction.

In addition, Nazareth Home’s Director of Clinical Services, Kim Hobson, was recognized individually with a Leadership Award for her contributions to Nazareth Home and the long-term care field.

“We remain focused on helping elders explore the joy of living, and recognition like this confirms that by creating a supportive environment of person-centered care where aging adults can thrive, we are accomplishing our objectives,” said Mary Haynes, president/CEO of Nazareth Home. “This award is for all of our employees who work selflessly and diligently to make a difference each day in the lives that they touch.”

Long-term care providers attended KAHCF/KCAL’s Annual Meeting & Expo, where the awards were announced on Nov. 16. They attended general sessions addressing strategies to cope with stress on the job, hiring and retaining quality staff, and regulatory issues. On Nov. 15, KCAL held its “KCAL Day” for Assisted Living Communities. More than 100 vendors exhibited during the expo showcasing the latest innovations to providing quality care.“We are honored to recognize these deserving providers at the top of their class,” said KAHCF/KCAL interim president Ruby Jo Lubarsky. “During a tumultuous time of staffing shortages, our providers have faced these challenges with innovation and positivity. Each winner and their team have kept their residents’ quality of life at the heart of their work.”

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Nazareth Home Recognized by U.S. News & World Report Among Kentucky’s Best Nursing Homes

Nazareth Home Recognized by U.S. News & World Report Among Kentucky’s Best Nursing Homes

Nazareth Home has once again been named to U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Nursing Homes for its Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care. The designation places Nazareth Home’s facilities among the elite 19% of skilled nursing facilities that earned a “High Performing” rating, the highest possible achievement. In addition, both Nazareth Home campuses, Highlands and Clifton, are rated among the “top 6” nursing homes in Louisville. Each location earned a High-Performing Rating for short-term rehab and long-term care.

For its 2024 report, U.S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on patient and resident outcomes, such as infection rates; staffing levels; potentially inappropriate reliance on antipsychotic drugs; health inspection results; and other indicators of quality.

“This honor is a reflection of our community of collaborators who work closely together to enhance the wellbeing of the elders we serve,” said Mary Haynes, Nazareth Home president/CEO. “I am profoundly grateful for the diligence and commitment that are recognized by this distinction – knowing that our teams work to ensure that the elders’ quality of life and care are best-in-class examples of how the aged deserve to live at this stage in their lives.”

Best Nursing Homes ratings are based on U.S. News’s in-depth analysis of publicly available data, including information that is not factored into star ratings by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Unlike the star ratings, the U.S. News ratings recognize that patients undergoing short-term rehabilitation have very different needs from those who require longer-term care.

“U.S. News’ Best Nursing Homes ratings give patients, senior residents, their families and caregivers an objective assessment of quality, to help them choose the facility that best fits their individual needs,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Nursing homes that have earned the recognition of U.S. News have a track record of achieving better outcomes for patients and residents, and maximizing the amount of care they receive from nurses and other staff.”

To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of quality measures obtained from CMS. The U.S. News methodology factors data such as resident care, safety and outcomes. Both short- and long-term ratings include data on nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs, and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends.

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Nazareth Home Implements New Toileting Technology to Benefit Health & Wellness Outcomes for Elders

Nazareth Home Implements New Toileting Technology to Benefit Health & Wellness Outcomes for Elders

Nazareth Home recently finalized an agreement with Toi Labs to purchase and install a TrueLoo® smart toilet seat in each resident room of its personal care program (Maria Hall). This cutting-edge technology is another example of how Nazareth Home is continually tapping into innovative ideas and products to improve the lives of elders on its two Louisville campuses. TrueLoo serves as an early screening/detection device for illness or underlying conditions.

These smart toilet seats were first piloted at Nazareth Home’s Highlands Campus nearly a year ago in our memory care neighborhood (Charity Court), making Nazareth Home the very first long-term care facility in the state to utilize this new toileting technology.

How do these toilet seats work? The TrueLoo is a toilet seat that provides automated real-time data collection and analysis, offering insights into residents’ wellness. It non-invasively monitors intake levels, stool and urine contents, and other vital health metrics without any burden to the user. These insights can point to early warning signs of abnormalities that have been shown to be associated with chronic conditions, which can progress into more significant health issues.

The smart toilet seat will be helpful in identifying abnormal waste patterns in residents that often indicate issues with intake and may help reduce the risk and impact of certain chronic diseases or conditions. According to Toi Labs, TrueLoo helps reduce falls by 32%. Additionally, TrueLoo eliminates the need for nursing staff to observe, interpret, remember, and document stool and urine eliminations. This allows staff to focus more time on caring for residents without missing important health data. Providing daily and weekly reports of bowel and bladder patterns enables early interventions by Nazareth Home staff, which may reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Nazareth Home president and CEO Mary Hayes said the new technology offers a win-win for the elders, their families, team members, and the entire organization.

“Upon admission, our nursing team manually monitors the resident’s toileting very closely for the first few days. This innovative bathroom technology now automates that process while adding the crucial element of privacy, and provides early detection of meaningful changes, reduces human reporting errors, and enables us to adjust the individual’s care in real time.”

Nazareth Home, known for our mission to serve elders with innovative, person-centered care, is continuously seeking new ways to proactively improve wellness for the elders who live on our two campuses. This initiative marks another significant effort toward integrating technology into our high-quality care, enhancing staff support, and fostering a nurturing and comfortable living environment.

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