Delnor Glen Senior Living earns Planetree designation recognizing excellence
Delnor Glen Senior Living has been recognized as one of the world's most resident-centered communities by Planetree, Inc.
Following a rigorous review of Delnor Glen's culture, including programs, policies, practices and the environment of care, the community has been officially designated a “Planetree Resident-Centered Community,” distinguishing it as among those organizations worldwide doing the most advanced work in patient/resident-centered care.
It is the first and only long-term care community in the United States, and one of only 46 healthcare organizations worldwide to have received the Planetree Designation since the program's launch in 2007.
Planetree Designation is the only award that recognizes excellence in person-centeredness across the continuum of care, essentially signaling to healthcare consumers that Delnor Glen Senior Living is a community where providers partner with residents and families, and where resident comfort, dignity, empowerment and well-being are prioritized with providing top-quality clinical care.
Planetree — an international nonprofit organization — has been at the forefront of this movement to transform healthcare from the perspective of the patient/resident for 35 years, taking the lead in defining what is meant by “patient-/resident-centered care.” As such, the organization is uniquely qualified to offer this formal recognition distinguishing healthcare organizations committed to providing resident-centered and holistic care.
The program is coordinated by Planetree; however all designation determinations are made by an independent designation committee whose membership includes national health care experts with experience with the American Hospital Association, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the American Health Care Association and The Joint Commission. Committee members also include CEOs from previously designated organizations.
The criteria that Delnor Glen had to satisfy to achieve designation reflect what residents, family members and healthcare professionals in hundreds of focus groups held around the world say matters most to them during a healthcare experience. This qualitative data aligns with the growing evidence-base for patient-/resident-centered care, and establishes the Planetree Designation as a concrete framework for defining and measuring excellence in resident-centeredness.
More than 60 specific criteria address components of a resident-centered healthcare experience, including resident-provider interactions, access to information, family involvement, the physical environment, food and nutrition, spirituality, arts and entertainment, and integrative therapies. In addition, the criteria focus on how the community is supporting its staff, opportunities for staff, residents and families to have a voice in the way care is delivered, and the ways that the organization is reaching beyond its walls to care for its community.
As part of the designation process, Planetree representatives visited Delnor Glen in July to speak directly with residents, family members, organization leadership, staff, providers, and members of the Planetree Steering Team. A series of focus groups were held in which participants candidly shared their experiences at Delnor Glen. Consistent with the Planetree Designation criteria, the site visit team found that residents feel listened to, respected, and well-cared for, and that staff feels informed, empowered, and appropriately recognized.
“Planetree is very pleased to award Delnor Glen Senior Living with this designation,” said Susan Frampton, Ph.D., Planetree's President. “This achievement is a true testament to the staff and leadership at this special organization, each of whom has played a crucial role in integrating the philosophy of resident-centered care into their day-to-day work. The team at Delnor Glen is not only making a difference for individual residents and family members, but is also effectively transforming the culture of your organization, and fundamentally altering what this community expects when they come to a long-term care community.”