politics of change

I bet I'm not the only one whose ears have been perking up a lot lately because the word "change" has been popping up so much because of the presidential primaries. There's a great story about it from the Associated Press by Erin McClam titled 'Change' in the air, once again.

From it, a quote:"We're obsessed with it. We can't let it go, can we?" says Marian Salzman, chief marketing officer for advertising titan J. Walter Thompson. "It's the word of the day, minute and hour, and I don't even know what it means."

Ah, but we do! Doesn't it feel nice to be ahead of the curve? The culture of our country has a lot to do with the way we treat our elderly.The culture of the 60s and 70s that valued youth, productivity and efficiency is the culture that created an maintained institutional living for our frail elders. I'm hoping that our current culture that seems to value change and progress will support us in our need to find true home for elders. As a country and as the world of long-term care, can we really back up the talk of change with action? Are we as ready for it as we say we are?

Resolution

Anytime is a great time to make changes in the culture of a nursing home. But, of course a new year and the feeling of a clean slate that comes with it can give you an extra push. One of the hardest things about making a change is the attachment we feel to the old way. Behavioral habits are hard to break, but making a change also means we must realize the way we have been doing things for so long has not been the right or best way. That can be tough to swallow. Making changes in the name of "New Year's resolutions" can give us a pass on the stigma of old habits. We can move forward by simply declaring, "Out with the old in with the new!"

I saw this paragraph in a story about resolutions that can increase our longevity (5 great ways to care for ourselves and elders):

"But don't let these bad habits of the past discourage you - it is never too late to make new choices. What you did in the past can be changed, and your body will respond in kind. What matters is what you do from this moment forward."

I love that line: "What matters is what you do from this moment forward." My resolution this year is to make that my mantra to remind myself every minute is a new opportunity to accomplish something good.

Best of luck on your journeys in this new year. May the best of 2007 be the worst of 2008.