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Montana Freemason May 2015 Volume 91 Number 2
19. Commence dissolution of the Masonic Home of Masonic Home Resident Transition
Montana, Inc. and final disposition of property in its A Resident transition plan as part of an exit strategy for
possession. Sine die. (Board and Grand Lodge) the Masonic Home shall be a task accompanied by the
RESIDENT TRANSITION risk of significant consequences in terms of Resident
The background, issues and challenged related to mortality rates and Failure to Thrive Syndromes related
moving residents from the Home to other facilities or to Resident transitions and move out plans. These
places is well stated in the attached document entitled issues become common place for the frail and elderly
“Masonic Home Resident Transition .” Without either and these events are well documented in the history
repeating or minimizing that document, the plan for of similar care facility closures. A realistic expectation
resident transition would have the following elements : shall be that such a plan will yield a high incidence of
Resident transition is not as simple as removing a catastrophic reactions. The Masonic Home is more
guest from a motel or even evicting a tenant from a than just a building where people live. The Masonic
residential rental. To avoid the trauma of relocation Home is a “home” for our Residents and our staff
that could be fatal to the residents, the relocation alike. At the Masonic Home, we are one big “family” of
might take up to one year to fully complete. Resident’s and staff. We share sadness and joy. We share
Alternate assisted living facilities and nursing homes life events and we celebrate holidays and birthdays
will have to be identified that have the capacity and together. We enjoy taking walks and working in the
willingness to accept Home residents. This may require garden together. Going out for “lunch bunch” or a bus
phasing the move to accommodate the availability ride around the lake is always a favorite for everyone.
of a room at the new facility. Since some Home The vast majority of our folks have resided at the
residents are Medicaid waivers, this would reduce Masonic Home over a span of time in which their disease
number of facilities willing to accept them at all. Some processes such as dementia have progressed through a
residents because of diminished mental and physical number of different stages. The continuity of the living
health, though eligible to reside in the Home, may environment at the Masonic Home has allowed the
not be accepted as new residents in other facilities. Resident an opportunity to function at his or her highest
Family members would be consulted to plan for the practicable level of mental, physical and psychosocial
move itself and the facility willing to accept the resident. wellbeing. This has enabled the Resident to continue
The Home would be required to maintaining living in the Assisted Living environment. Once the
qualified staff in the Home during the resident moves. environment is changed, such as with a move out plan,
EMPLOYEE FACTORS all that was once familiar to the Resident becomes
Since all the residents will not be moved in a short strange and confusing and the symptoms of a variety of
time and there will have to be an extended transition disease processes begin to escalate. A high percentage
period for their health and wellbeing, the Home of our folks would be classified into this category and
will have to maintain a qualified staff to care for the therefore, move out plans will be difficult and lengthy
residents awaiting relocation. In order to retain as some Residents may require a move to a Long Term
qualified staff,and preferable existing qualified staff, Care facility such as a nursing home while others may
an economic incentive would be given to staff who require placement in a dementia care unit leaving a few
stay employed during the transition. The incentive that would be appropriate to move another Assisted
would be a severance pay package as follows: Living Facility. The other issue at hand with Resident
1. To qualify for the severance pay, the employee transitions and move out plans is one of financial in that
must have satisfactorily completed probation a number of our folks rely upon Medicaid Waiver as a
and stayed on the job until laid off by the Home. payment source and some care facilities including other
Qualifying employees would at the time of being laid Assisted Living facilities do not accept individuals for
off by the Home receive severance pay equal to their placement unless they are private pay. Another issue
3-6 months of their regular salary. Factors that are used is that some of our Residents who are private pay at the
in determining the amount of the severance payment Masonic Home would require a Medicaid application
are the longevity of the employee with the Home and with a move to a Long Term Care Facility as the cost
the significance of the position. Employees who have would more than double for that level of care. The
worked at the Home for many years might be entitled to prevalence of potential waiting lists for some of our
the 6 month pay factor. Employees in critical positions Resident placements may also be present. A transition
would be strongly considered for the 6 month pay factor. and time frame for completing a move out plan for an
Adopted this 16th day of April, 2015 average of 30 Residents should not be considered to
occur in a time frame of less than 12 months. This will
ensure an orderly transition which would be specific
to the individual placement needs of each Resident
and taking into consideration all payment sources.
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