Client News

What would soon become a Carmel Hills Care Center tradition started as a simple idea in 2015. It all began when current administrator Jarrod Christensen caught Olympics fever shortly before the 2016 games.

Nine years after their first opening ceremony, Carmel Hills' annual SNF Olympics remains a source of excitement for residents and staff alike. With events like wheelchair racing, the commode toss and a facility bed-making contest, typical LTC services provided to residents turn into raucous competitions between staff members.

Residents relish the opportunity to see the role reversals as audience members.

"For our long-term residents, they really get a kick out of it," Christensen said. "They know us, so to see somebody that cares for them on a day in and day out basis, somebody that delivers their food, helps them brush their teeth, to see them in a wheelchair gets residents [to] come out and watch. They just have big smiles on their faces as they watch."

While residents get a kick out of seeing staffers sometimes make fools of themselves, Christensen says the games also serve a valuable purpose for his team members. It is easy to notice the challenges residents might face, it is much more difficult to experience them yourself.

"For example, [with] the wheelchair obstacle course, the intent is just to teach staff how difficult it can be to navigate in a wheelchair," he explained. "It's not as simple as it looks and can create challenges. So that goes with our core values of Carmel Hills, having compassion for our residents [and to] put yourself in their shoes for a minute."

According to Christensen, the SNF Olympics don't happen without the hard work of his experienced staff. It might not be an easy task, but then again, most things are easier than racing in a wheelchair.

"I consider myself very fortunate as an administrator to have such a tenured team," said Christensen, who started at Carmel Hills as a CNA. "Our maintenance guy has been here for almost 20 years, our director of nursing's got 13 years. Our medical records gentleman, he was a CNA in the building and so was our social service director."

Other departments are also well represented. Christensen noted: "The maintenance team is a tremendous help bringing out tables and bringing out the big stuff. Laundry and housekeeping help with cleanup and bringing out linens. It's truly a team effort."