When residents arrive at Pathway Senior Living’s Victory Centre of Bartlett for the first time, they enter through the front door. And if they happen to pass away there, that’s exactly how they will leave the community for the last time, too.
ALFA 2013 Best of the Best Award Winner
At any given time, about 20 percent of Victory Centre residents are under hospice care. The staff consider it an honor to help residents through their final stage in life and make a point of telling all prospects about Pathway’s philosophy to do whatever is possible to help residents die in place rather than in a hospital room or nursing home. “Nobody should have to die alone,” explains Maria Oliva, chief people officer.
Whenever a resident does die, Executive Director Laurie Geschrey announces over walkie-talkie to all staff that the resident is leaving the premises for the last time. A custom has transpired whereby everyone—including residents—will drop whatever they are doing and line the front hallway in silent tribute as Sarah, the house dog, leads the deceased resident out the front door. “The whole place just stops,” says Geschrey.
Weather permitting, residents and staff will then follow the resident outdoors to the waiting car. For the next 24 hours, the community will lower a special flag that was designed specifically for this purpose by residents. The flag design, chosen through a contest conceived and managed by residents, shows a path.
For residents, staff, and any visitors who happen to be present, the spontaneous tribute can be very powerful to witness. It has led some families to choose Pathway on the spot, and has been known to spark deep introspection on the part of some staff.
“It’s about establishing a culture where residents see that life is so valued… that someone is going to go out of the community through the front door with the same integrity and honor they had when they walked in,” says Oliva. “I think it really speaks volumes to somebody who will see that that’s how [they will] exit life—surrounded by friends and family. I think it makes people feel their life was indeed meaningful all the way to the end.”
The above best practice was recognized as an ALFA 2013 Best of the Best Award winner. Do you have a best practice, product, service or solution at your community or company that is advancing excellence in senior living? The Call for Nominations for the ALFA 2014 Best of the Best Awards will begin on October 28. Visit ALFA.org/bestofthebest to read more best practices.
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