UMH, Yale partner to study relationship-centered living at Wesley Village in Shelton

SHELTON - United Methodist Homes, Inc. has recently initiated a partnership with Yale University to study the impact of relationship-centered living. 

The partnership, coordinated through the Yale School of Public Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, was arranged with support and interest from Associate Professor of Public Health, Joan K. Monin, PhD. Monin’s research examines how emotional processes affect health in older adult relationships and focuses on understanding the supportive relationship between caregivers and care recipients. 

Her team, who will be observing and collecting data through written surveys and on-site focus groups, will be analyzing the unique dynamic of relationships at United Methodist Homes’ Wesley Village senior living campus on Long Hill Avenue. The study will take place at the campus’s assisted living communities, Crosby Commons and Wesley Heights.

“At UMH we have long believed that relationships are the cornerstone of building harmonious communities, where residents and staff alike build healthy and happy lives,” said David Lawlor, President and CEO of UMH. “We serve our mission by developing programs that target healthy relationships.  As we enter our 150^th year of service, we are thrilled to partner with Joan and her team at Yale University to study the efficacy of our programs, as we continually seek new methods of engagement.”

“If we want residents and care workers to thrive in senior living communities, we need to focus on the small moments of connection that people look forward to each day,” said Monin. “Whether it is sharing a story with the dining staff or laughing with other residents, it is these moments we need to capitalize on.” 

Over the coming weeks, Yale intern and Masters of Public Health student Rebecca Lopez, will begin examining the impact of the campus’s relationship-centered philosophy of living by conducting surveys and focus groups, and facilitating a variety of programs with small groups at the campus. 

The study will include a primary focus on relationships between dining services team members and residents and will look to highlight the unique bonds and connections formed throughout interactions during or surrounding the community dining experience. Lopez will seek to identify successful and effective ways of fostering deeper connections between care staff and senior living residents while noting positive outcomes from current relationship-centered practices and exploring next steps for continued relationship cultivation.

More than 40 resident and team member volunteers are working with Lopez to provide baseline data through surveys, in-person focus groups, and individual and group meetings. A post-project survey is set for December. 

Longtime UMH team member Kathy Vayda, who has worked as a server at Crosby Commons for 29 years is participating in the study. 

What is most important to Vayda when serving the residents at Crosby Commons is the daily connections she makes. “We get to know the residents and their families; we talk with each other and exchange stories about our lives. When residents sit down at the table, some days they don’t even have to place an order; staff know each individual so well they can anticipate, offer, or deliver exactly what a resident may need or prefer. Every interaction is personal.”

Wesley Heights resident Peggy-Ann Rose, is participating in the study and looking forward to the many ways her contributions can impact future relationship-centered training for new staff. Rose, a former Wesley Village employee who retired this year after 15 years of service, feels she has a unique perspective to bring to the study, especially considering the many relationships she has with residents and staff across the campus. 

Rose has come to know and respect many of the chefs and dining teams at Wesley Village and even worked alongside the current Wesley Heights chef manager, Richard Scaife, when she first began working at the campus. 

Utilizing her experience as both a staff member and a resident, Rose hopes to play a vital role in helping to cultivate a relationship-centered atmosphere in the dining room. 

“As residents, we are all bringing something with us to the table and the complexities of growing older are part of that,” said Rose. “I’ve observed that empathy, respect and understanding is key when it comes to strengthening relationships and the entire dining room experience. The more we can do to help each other, the better.” 

“I think the staff is fantastic,” Rose said. “I am so thankful for them and I am excited to see how the information gathered through this study can positively impact our community.”

This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.