Louisville, KY., Jan. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Signature HealthCARE’s residents and families have been nothing short of resilient during our on-going pandemic in a number of ways, including staying in touch with family. Thanks to our use of telehealth, digital communication, and cards and letters, our families have been able to stay connected, even when visitation and face-to-face meetings at times prove challenging due to distance or federal safety guidelines issued for the utmost care of our residents and staff. In May 2021, through an inaugural pilot program lead by the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council (LHCC), Signature HealthCARE announced an exciting addition to those communication methods with Famileo, the personalized family gazette created to connect families across the globe, with a unique, personalized newspaper. In just 7 months, thanks to the success of the inspirational program, more of our families are staying connected as we’ve expanded the program to more facilities. To see a moving testimonial by our beloved residents, families, and staff at our Sunrise Manor facility, in Hodgenville, Kentucky, please enjoy this short video.
“My Famileo journey has been an absolute blessing to me, our elders, and to our families,” said Jamie Turner, Activities Director over two Signature HealthCARE facilities in Kentucky. “COVID has hit hard in so many areas, but especially in long-term care. Visitation regulations can sometimes affect the social and family time of our elders, or families live miles, or states away. Battling isolation with creativity and innovation is a priority for us. When the Famileo program came to one of our facilities for their pilot program, from the first meeting with the Famileo Team, I was in love with this program.” Turner is one of several leaders, in an expanded 5 Signature facilities, who regularly work with residents and their families on the Famileo newsletter.
“Our residents who receive these customized gazettes get so much joy from seeing their families in photos, relating to their day-to-day activities, reading their personal messages, and sharing their experiences,” said Brian Owens, Signature HealthCARE’s State Quality of Life Director for Florida and Georgia. “It’s like reading the latest news, but it’s the latest news of their loved ones and family! Plus, Famileo creates it, with our guidance. Our residents do not have to be concerned with using any digital technology. It’s done for them.”
Famileo is a gazette-style newsletter, created by Tanguy de Gélis, a businessman in France who wanted to create another form of communication for his grandmother in long-term care. His vision has now become an international form of family communication for elders and their families, and for our residents within our facilities. The newsletter is made up of pictures, messages, stories, and updates from the family of our residents. Each participating family member posts their photos, messages, milestones, events, celebrations, and more using the Famileo app on their smartphone, tablet, or computer. Once downloaded, Famileo does the rest, creating a personal and customized family gazette and newsletter for a family’s loved one in our facilities, and it can be done on a weekly or monthly basis. Signature started with just one facility. But as success spread, and family connections grew, so did we, expanding our program. For more on how the Famileo newsletter works, click here.
The identification and implementation of Famileo was through Signature’s engagement with the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council’s Innovation work. This included a Global Innovation Search lead by Aging2.0 LLC, a global network which contains more than 40-thousand members across 31 countries, dedicated to accelerating innovation to address the biggest challenges and opportunities in aging. Famileo was chosen as the top innovation through the search. LHCC recently announced their acquisition of Aging2.0, which now serves as LHCC’s entrepreneurial and innovation arm.
Signature HealthCARE is a founding member of the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council, an organization comprised of the top 13 healthcare companies headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, focused on collectively harnessing and maximizing the strengths and resources of their organizations within the Louisville, Kentucky area and beyond, to help solve important national healthcare challenges that extend beyond the scope of any one single member company. Signature HealthCARE is thrilled that Famileo gives our healthcare landscape another avenue to keep our residents and families together, no matter the circumstance or distance!
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Signature HealthCARE is a family-based healthcare company with integrated services at each point of the continuum of care: skilled nursing, home health, assisted living and in-home care. The company’s organizational culture inspires more than 12,000 employees with three pillars: Learning, Spirituality, and Innovation. A growing number of Signature HealthCARE centers are earning five-star quality ratings, the highest classification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and 103 Signature HealthCARE locations earned QAPI accreditation. Signature HealthCARE was also awarded the Great Place to Work® award for the past five consecutive years.
