More Than Just a Haircut: Silverado Nurse’s Actions Show Love’s Power

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For more than six months, the pandemic’s safety restrictions kept the memory care residents in Shannon Carrillo’s care from having their hair done. With visitation limited at Silverado Barton Springs, as at other senior living communities across Austin and nationwide, its stylist couldn’t enter the building, nor could residents leave for beauty and barber appointments.

Then Carrillo, a licensed vocational nurse at Silverado Barton Springs, took matters into her own hands, literally. A licensed cosmetologist before she became a nurse, she decided to provide haircuts, color and perms at the community during her time off. “I wanted to do what I could,” Carrillo said. “Seeing how happy the residents have been with their hair done makes me feel good.”

While the year has been challenging for those in the health care field, Carrillo and other team members at Silverado Barton Springs say love for the residents and fellow staff has them excited to come to work every day. They credit Silverado’s guiding principle of “Love is greater than fear” with creating an environment of trust that encourages expression of feelings.

“This understanding motivates us to base our actions on what is best for those around us rather than on the fear of possible negative consequences or criticism,” said Michelle Neumann, administrator for Silverado Barton Springs. “It encourages us to take risks, engage in creativity like Shannon did, and come from the heart in caring for our residents and each other as team members.”

The industry trade publication Senior Housing News said in an interview with Silverado Founder, President & CEO Loren Shook earlier this year that the company and its services “have been studied nationally and internationally for their impact on individuals with memory care needs.” Hallmarks include its Nexus at Silverado® early-stage brain health program. The company developed the specialized 20-hour weekly initiative based on studies showing purposeful programming may slow disease progression and change pathologies of many common dementias.

“Academic research has validated that people taking part in Nexus at Silverado demonstrated a 60% improvement in cognition compared to those who did not participate,” Neumann said.

Another key practice is providing dementia training to all staff, regardless of their position, so each can take an active role in care. “Residents flourish in this environment,” said Patience Buchanan, lead care manager in the Austin office of Accountable Aging Care Management and previously a social worker at a Silverado community. “From the moment they enter Silverado, everyone understands them, from housekeepers and dining servers to caregivers and nurses.”

Reducing medication use and tracking data on care results are among the company’s core practices. Across its communities, fewer than three percent of Silverado’s residents need to make emergency room and urgent care visits, compared to more than 30-percent for assisted living overall. Less than three and a half percent are hospitalized on an acute basis, while the figure for assisted living in general is nearly 24-percent.

Central to Silverado is what it calls the “living environment.” It includes the abundant presence of dogs, cats, birds and other animals. Another component, which is on hiatus due to the pandemic, is bringing children and residents together to the benefit of both generations. In addition to partnering with schools and youth organizations, Silverado encourages associates to bring their youngsters to work with them. Youth participation will begin at Silverado at Barton Springs when it is safe.

The community opened in August, 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Silverado has innovated and invested in its prevention protocols,” said Neumann. “For example, all team members wear form-fitting KN95 masks.” Providing a higher level of protection than standard surgical masks, they fully cover the nose and go under the chin. The community provides fresh KN95 masks to team members at the start of each shift and care has been taken to ensure they don’t hinder communication with residents. “We stand in front of residents when speaking with them and convey expression with our eyes,” Neumann said. “We slow our speech down and use body language, too.”

Silverado has created what it believes are the industry’s first ‘observation areas,’ which provide unique spaces for engagement, access to the outdoors, dining and other aspects of purposeful care while preventing potential infection and spread. “Throughout the pandemic, Silverado’s culture and focus on engagement have not faltered,” Neumann said.

Silverado operated three memory communities in Austin before leaving the market in the summer of 2019. It returned to Austin, opening Silverado Barton Springs in August, 2020, at the urging of residents’ families and former employees, Neumann said.

Deborah Hodgkins’ mother and late father previously resided with Silverado and her mother now lives at Silverado Barton Springs. “Silverado’s homelike atmosphere is real. When I learned the company was coming back to Austin, it was like a prayer answered.”

Shannon Carrillo, the Silverado nurse who offered to cut hair, said: “It matters to me that we not only care for our residents – we get to love them as people who have lived long, meaningful lives.”