Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill Wins Award for Challenging Others to Promote Lives Worth Living

(l - r) Employees Jessica Borkosky, dietary worker; Adrienne Staudenmayer, executive dir.; Greg Thomas, dir. of food service; Angela Hurst, dir. of recreation; Lynn Christ, dir. of social services; Melissa Teske-White, RN, nursing supervisor; and Lorraine Lardani (seated) with the award.

The Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill was awarded the Eden Seedling Award at the closing session of the fifth Eden Alternative™ International Conference, "The Art of Creating Caring Communities: Meeting the Challenges." The Eden Alternative™ is a model of culture change taking place in health care communities which strives to eliminate the feelings of loneliness, helplessness and boredom which residents of long term care communities have been prone to experience. Through the Eden Seedling Award, the Masonic Village was recognized as a leader in promoting a life worth living for residents and staff. The award honors an organization new to the Eden program which is so committed and so progressive that it challenges all others to grow even farther.

On June 15, Lorraine Lardani, administrator of health care services, traveled to Denver, Colo., to accept the Eden Seedling Award on behalf of all the Masonic Village staff and residents. "It was truly an honor to be among leaders of this culture change movement and to have been selected from such an outstanding and deserving slate of candidates," Lardani said.

Three years ago, the Masonic Village embarked on its journey to improve the quality of life for long term care residents and to help staff embrace a warm culture characterized by optimism, trust, generosity and teamwork. On Nov. 18, 2009, the Masonic Village became one of only 11 long term care communities in Pennsylvania, including the Masonic Village at Elizabethtown and the Masonic Village at Warminster, to be recognized as a registered Eden Alternative™ site.

The first step in the process included renovating the nursing care and personal care living areas and building new dining rooms, a therapy suite, a great room and a country kitchen for residents and family members to use. With these renovations came adjustments to the dining experience, giving residents more culinary options and extended meal times.

To provide a personal touch to the living areas, residents helped to rename their neighborhoods (which used to be called halls). The nursing area is now known as Whitemarsh Commons. To further include residents in decision making, staff meet monthly with residents from each neighborhood to plan events.

As volunteerism increases on the campus, intergenerational activities are incorporated into everyday life. A pet therapist works with the therapy services department, and Pals for Life and the Bark Mitzvah Brigade bring animals to visit with residents. An aviary has been placed in Whitemarsh Commons, inviting residents and visitors to observe the feathered friends.

Masonic Village staff and residents are encouraged by and honored to receive the Eden Seedling Award and look forward to the community's future as an Eden Alternative™ site. "As we continue to incorporate the Eden principles into our organizational vision to be a center of excellence, we look forward to the journey of enhancing our continuum of care that honors our elders; keeps them involved in living, while realizing their potential; and helps them enjoy the highest possible quality of life," Lardani said.

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