Mae was a 'blue-haired' lady who had long since passed her 80th birthday. She went to lunch with friends who ordered soup and salad. When it was Mae's turn she ordered a piece of apple pie with chocolate ice-cream. With a twinkle in her eye, she turned to her companions and shared,

"This year, I realized how old I was. I have never been this old before. So, before I die I want to eat more chocolate, plant more flowers, read more books, write more letters, hug more babies, watch more Broadway hits and drink more Scotch. I want to wade barefoot in the water, feel the ocean spray upon my face, sit in a quiet church and thank God for His grace. I want peanut butter every day, spread on warm toast. I want un-limited visits and unlimited telephone minutes with the folks I love the most.

Mae, and those like her, is what culture change is all about. We are entrusted not only with health but with well-being. Well being is about ice-cream, peanut butter, old movies and ocean spray. (Part of this story was inspired from a recent e-mail.)

Once upon a time there was this long term care Administrator. She knew every resident in her facility, where they came from, why they were there, who their family members were. She knew every staff member, their families, and how many hours of over time they had worked that week. She hung pictures in the hallways, brought her puppy to work with her, played piano for Church services. And then, the resident population changed. Residents came and left before she even met them. Nurses were sitting in front of computer screens instead of next to residents. Accountants were saying you defaulted again on your RUGS rates. It seemed the job changed from people to initials...PPS, MDS, RUGS, QIs, CCMU and CMS. Some days it was hard to come to work. There were only mountains to climb and rivers to cross and friends moving away.

But then, somebody new moved in down the street. That somebody was Culture Change and it brought an opportunity to focus once again on people and brought new purpose, new hope, new enthusiasm, new partnerships. There are still the mountains and the rivers, but there are friends to help push, pull and build bridges.