GOOD NEWS

Channel 5 anchorman makes a "Better Life" for Memphis' nursing home patients

Despite all the good things they do, skilled nursing facilities are all too frequently mislabeled with a negative image. In Memphis, TV viewers can count on at least one voice in the media who is willing to paint a true picture of the positive side of long-term care.

Joe Birch is a regular nightly visitor in living rooms throughout West Tennessee as anchorman for Action News 5, and he's also a fixture at St. Peter Villa, where his father is a patient.

Birch's volunteer efforts as well as his continued coverage of nursing home issues recently earned him THCA's 2001 Better Life Award. The award is presented annually to an individual from outside the long-term care profession who has strengthened the association and improved the lives of long-term care patients.

"It's been a great education to see what really happens inside nursing homes," Birch says. "The thing that impresses me most is the love and the care the certified nursing assistants (CNAs) deliver day in and day out. They are the backbone of the nursing industry."

Joe Birch has proven himself to be a true asset to long-term care in West Tennessee. He portrayed his family's struggle with Alzheimer's disease in an award-winning six-part series on Channel 5 entitled "Alzheimer's, The Longest Marathon." The series also featured patients at St. Peter Villa, Ave Maria Home and the Memphis Jewish Home. It went a long way towards helping the community understand the effects of the debilitating illness on the victim, the family and long-term care professionals.

Birch visits his father at St. Peter Villa virtually every day and is also generous with his time and talents for the benefit of all nursing homes in the Memphis area. As sponsor and emcee of "An Evening to Remember" he helped raise money for the local Alzheimer's Association. He hosted the Intergenerational Spelling Bee at the Memphis Jewish Home and plays in an annual fund-raising golf tournament for St. Peter Villa. He used personal time to film a video for Ave Maria Home that is used to educate the community about the positive aspects of nursing homes.

Kae Werkhoven, administrator of St. Peter Villa, credits Birch with bringing the "real stories of nursing home care" to the attention of Memphis TV viewers, and Frank Gattuso, administrator at Ave Maria Home, calls him "a beacon of light for long-term care."

"I have a lot of respect for older people because I hope to be one someday," said the 46-year-old newsman. "I go and see my Dad just about every day, and I have gotten to know all the people who come out into the hallways. Even though a lot of them are in a very difficult circumstance, these people still have a life and they still have stories that should be cherished."

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“Good News” is a feature designed to spotlight some of the many positive aspects of long-term care in Tennessee. Know of a “good news”  item? Contact THCA’s Communications Department at info@thca.org.