KMBZ Experts In The News: What to Expect During the Admissions Process

Villa St. Francis Assistant Director of Nursing Taylor Lies Discusses Admissions Process with KMBZ’s Dan Weinbaum
KMBZ | July 3, 2019

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Within a couple of days of moving in, each new resident attends an initial care meeting with family where an interdisciplinary team that includes a social worker, activities coordinator, community relations manager and nurse to discuss everything from clinical needs to lifestyle choices.

Lies said these meetings happen “as close to an admission as we can get it.” The care team learns everything from how the resident prefers their shower and wants them to administer medications to what they want for breakfast at what time.

They even ask how much communication they would like to receive from Villa St. Francis or if they would rather be left alone and ask questions when they have them. The goal is to make new residents comfortable from the very beginning.

“Typically we’d like to get some information before someone needs our long term care services. We want to meet the family, meet the potential resident, get an idea of what their current environment is like and decide if we can make it work in our environment. We want to make sure we have a good match,” said Lies.

This investment in taking the time to learn as much as possible about the resident’s needs ensures a smooth transition for them and their family. “Maybe they expect their oatmeal in the morning precisely at 5 am. Little things like that when moving into a new place can be so huge,” she told KMBZ during her interview in the Kansas City Morning News.

If you call Villa St. Francis looking for a place for your Mom or Dad the very first conversation you have will be with an experienced and compassionate admissions coordinator. There is an initial survey to determine lifestyle and clinical needs, then typically a tour of the building and an invitation to the potential resident to spend a day and see how they fit in.

In many cases, a family member has served as the main care provider prior to this transition. They may have been there with them in the home. It might be difficult to accept moving to a new community with new people to care for them so it’s important to maintain continuity.

Lies told Weinbaum, “We want to mold their care into something familiar that makes the family feel assured that their parent will be cared for just as well as when they were at home. Team members become advocates for the loved one who provided care. I work at Villa St. Francis because I trust the care and the staff and love going to work every day. It doesn’t feel like work. It feels like I’m going to see my family. Helping residents live a full life is such a big part of what I do every day.”

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