Newsletter Article - 08/22 -- Posted by hazzanmenes

Accreditation

The Snider Campus is involved in a great adventure, to seek approval and commendation from an independent judge, for the way in which we go about our business. The Accreditation process is no small endeavor since every aspect of the facility is probed for the positive and negative choices we make. At the end of the day, there is no great treasure other than the knowledge that we have done our jobs well and that our residents can have confidence that we are doing the best we can.

How is Spiritual Care involved in Accreditation? On one hand, there are those who view the support for meaning, hope and faith as separate from the viability of a health care facility. There are others, and those of us here at Louis Brier, who understand that healing and quality of life does not happen without a spiritual foundation. The basis for care on the Snider Campus, as articulated in the mission, vision and values, is spiritual. The ethical decisions can be traced to the fact that we are a Jewish home.

Most people see only limited aspects of our spiritual core: the holidays we celebrate, the songs we sing, the food we eat. However, there is a deeper meaning to our history and our steadfast hold on our identity. Judaism is a celebration of life, and it accepts the obligation to care for all people from all faith traditions and all personal backgrounds. It is founded on respect, dignity, and the importance of the time we have here and now. It honors each person through life, and into death. We do our jobs knowing that the bottom line is not a number, but a spiritual integrity.

We are heading into a difficult time in our calendar, a time in which we are all required to take account of our souls and balance the righteous acts with the errors. The New Year is a couple of months away and the soul-searching matches well with the deep probing required for Accreditation; they are not separate. Let us all remember that the process is as much spiritual as it is administrative and let us all use the time to strengthen our belief in ourselves and our values.