Ruth Von Behren Award
in NADSA Awards
This award is named for Ruth Von Behren, a former NADSA Chair, internationally renowned for her pioneering work in California and throughout the country. Ms. Von Behren was an author, a long-time advisor to NADSA, and she played a major role in the development and implementation of the OnLok replication model, PACE, nationwide. Ruth Von Behren was the first recipient. The award was created in 1992 to recognize the personal achievements and commitment of individuals in the field of Adult Day Services who have had a national impact on Adult Day Services. It is given to an outstanding volunteer or employee of an organization that directly supports adult day services nationally.
Beth Meyer-Arnold
Luther Manor, Wauwatosa, WI
| Puzzles provide engaging activities for conversation with Beth Meyer-Arnold (left) at Luther Manor. |
I have known Beth Meyer-Arnold for the past 20 years, all of which have been through her work in the field of Adult Day Services. I have served with her on various boards and committees in many different situations and she is always an impeccable professional. Personally she has been both a mentor to me and a colleague. Beth has maintained high energy for her work and is engaged and committed to whatever projects and assignments she may take on. She has stayed fresh in her attitudes and in her approaches to advancing the quality and impacts of her own adult day services programs, which is benefiting the industry as a whole. My first experience of this was many years ago, when we first met and she explained to me how she was doing a study of the experience of bathing in the adult day setting. Even 20 years ago Beth was collaborating with a university to learn how to make a part of the adult day service experience, a bath, be more enjoyable and less stressful for her participants who were experiencing various levels of dementia.
| Beth's leadership has created an environment that feels like family at Luther Manor. |
Since then she has done quite an extensive number of research-based projects with other colleges, universities and researchers in the area of person-centered care, architectural design in day centers, Time Slips, creative storytelling for persons with dementia and in improving the quality of the adult day services experience. All of the projects are designed to improve best practices around the country. Beth has consistently been sharing her insights, lessons learned and best practices. She regularly gives up her own valuable time to do presentations at local, state, and national venues.
Beth willingly shares her knowledge with others who are starting new centers or who maybe having difficulty in their programs. If she cannot help she will link them with other needed resources. Beth constantly promotes the value of Adult Day Services and is a well known "face" for our industry. She has served on the Wisconsin State Association Board in various roles for many years and most recently has served as Chair of the National Adult Day Services Association. Beth has unselfishly given us, her peers and our constituency, the best 20 plus years of her life, and is truly a leader for our cause.
—Diana Brown