Schervier’s Feeding Program

 Enhances the Lives of Advanced Dementia Residents

The Bon Secours Center for Research in Geriatric Care received a $40,000 grant several years ago from the Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation for a project we call the SPOON Program: Seniors Partaking of Oral Nourishment.  The SPOON Program has established a volunteer assisted feeding program for advanced dementia residents and has and continues to provide comprehensive education for physicians, clinical staff, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and appropriate family members.

Through the program, we have: a) established a new improved standard of care for advanced dementia residents in nursing facilities; b) increased the number of dementia residents placed on palliative and hospice care; c) decreased the number of unnecessary feeding tubes for residents at the end of life; d) increased resident socialization and companionship; and e) reduced needless pain and suffering. The program also continues to increase family awareness about the terminal nature of dementia, empowers their decision-making and enhances their satisfaction with care. This has given these residents an enhanced quality of life by increasing their one-on-one relationships, allowing for their pleasure in tasting food, and reducing the risk of restraints and infections due to tube feeding.

The Annual Dedicated Service Award was designed as a way to honor our employees, celebrate diversity, acknowledge ethical behavior, and recognize those who embody our mission. One employee is chosen for the Values in Action Award each month, and one individual is selected amongst the 12 monthly winners to receive the Annual Dedicated Service Award.  The employees chosen for this award are those who live our mission, both professionally and personally—which is to bring compassion to health care and to be “good help” to those in need®, especially the poor, the elderly and the dying.  Our shared values of compassion, respect, integrity, justice, growth, quality, innovation, and stewardship are the guidelines used to nominate prospective candidates.  All employees of the Schervier Nursing Care Center, the Schervier Apartments and Schervier  Home Health Care who have been employed for a minimum of 12 months are eligible.  

We extend our heartiest congratulations to Catherine Cudjoe for a job well done.

                                Our Shared Values

•Compassion – We experience and express empathy with the life situations of others.
•Respect – We treat all people well because we believe each person has dignity.
•Integrity – We are honest in our dealings; our behavior is consistent with our thoughts, feelings, and values
•Justice – We support, protect and promote the rights of all individuals.
•Growth – We strive to expand our services to meet new needs, and we promote the development of our co-workers.
•Quality – We continuously improve our service through understanding and acting on the needs and expectations of those being served.
•Innovation – We look for new ways to meet people’s needs and improve our service.
•Stewardship – We use all our resources in a responsible way.

                              Community Commitments

Bon Secours New York Health System has a commitment to benefit the people in the community we serve. In collaboration with others, and independently, we advocate for and provide services to help meet the various needs of the community.   

We fulfill our mission as a Catholic health care provider by continually improving our ability to identify, understand and respond to the needs of those we serve.   

Services to the community include contributions of supplies and cash and the paid time of employees.

Some examples of our community commitments are:
• A cash donation to a local playground
• Donations of food to local food banks
• Christmas gifts to needy children
• Advocacy with legislators and other public officials on issues affecting the poor and vulnerable
• Participating in the annual Cover the Uninsured Week and other activities that bring attention to the plight of the uninsured
• Free health screenings and educational seminars on health issues for seniors
• Community partnerships with organizations that serve the marginalized. Our partnerships serve the elderly in the community, developmentally disabled teenagers, adults transitioning from public assistance to work, at-risk teens from a local teen program, and young people from local schools.