By Kate Colpetzer
Long-term care refers to a range of services and support provided to individuals who have difficulty performing everyday activities due to a chronic illness, disability, or cognitive impairment. It is designed to help people who need assistance with tasks such as bathing, dressing, eating, medication management, and mobility.
Long-term care services are often needed by older adults, but they can also be required by individuals of any age. The need for long-term care can arise from conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or physical disabilities resulting from accidents or age-related immobility.
Located in Zionsville, Indiana, Hoosier Village is a retirement community for local Indianapolis residents. Focused on resident enrichment, independence, and support, Hoosier Village is an important piece of the long-term care puzzle in central Indiana.
Through Hoosier Village’s continued partnership with the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, many alumni and interns have the opportunity to gain real-world experience at Hoosier Village, which guide their journey into the field of long-term care.
Alumna Hayley Carr worked at Hoosier Village for nearly five years, which greatly impacted her career as a long-term care leader.
“Care in senior living or long-term care communities is person-centered. Care delivery is focused on the whole person and individualized for overall best resident experience,” Carr said. “Long-term care communities provide 24-hour care that is really hard to get at home or in another setting.”
As part of the Health Services Management capstone program, Fairbanks School of Public Health senior Olivia Lashley serves as a life enrichment intern at Hoosier Village. In this role, Lashley gets to assist the activities director with decorating the facility for special events, developing the monthly activities calendar, and developing care plans and progress notes. She also has the unique opportunity of interacting with residents and providing them with positive connections throughout their day.
“My internship has provided me with new perspectives and opportunities of long-term care,” Lashley said. “Part of my job there is to assist the residents with getting to and from activities, ensuring the activities are best suited for their well-being, and engaging with the residents during those times.
“Being part of some of their care plans has given me more insight of what the resident truly needs to meet their everyday needs, given that the facility is a place they can call home. Having been there for the last three months, I realized that it takes a village of individuals who are committed to genuinely care for residents.”
The field of senior living and long-term care is an important one to IU Indianapolis. Vision Centre, whose mission is to bridge relationships between universities and providers, and build robust, sustainable academic leadership programs that promote and support the field of aging services, will be hosting its 6th Annual Symposium titled, “Filling the Balloon with Air: Elevating Connections and Progress” on campus this summer.
“We are excited to partner with Indiana University Indianapolis to host our first symposium on a university campus that will attract faculty and university leaders, progressive senior care and service organizations and partners, experts from across the country and students,” said Vision Centre president and CEO, Douglas Olson.
“This unique event held on June 24-25 brings these stakeholders together to engage in conversation, learn from each other and form relationships. We trust these are all important ingredients to our collaborative success to attract and retain the exceptional leadership talent required to lead organizations entrusted to provide care and services for our aging family members, parents, grandparents, and friends.”
Senior living and long-term care are some of the fastest growing parts of the U.S. health care system. The BS in Health Services Management and Master’s in Health Administration programs at the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health are partnering with local long-term care and senior living organizations, like Hoosier Village and important industry thought leaders such as Vision Centre, to make IU Indianapolis a hub in developing a future workforce of leaders dedicated to this important population.
Through leaders like Douglas Olson and Hayley Carr, to new and emerging faces like Olivia Lashley, the Fairbanks School of Public Health is establishing an environment of well-connected and informed champions of public health that are shaping the long-term care field for a better tomorrow.
About the author: Kate Colpetzer is a senior in the Health Services Management program at IUI. She currently serves as the marketing intern in the Marketing and Communications Department at FSPH. In this department, she also serves as the senior student ambassador. Kate is also involved in various campus organizations such as the FSPH Undergraduate Student Association (president), the Honors Arts and Culture Society (president), and the Francophone Student Association (reservationist). Kate is expected to graduate May 2024.
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