HJ949: Commending Carter Catlett Williams.


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 949
Commending Carter Catlett Williams.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 21, 2013
Agreed to by the Senate, February 22, 2013

 

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams, a unique futurist in the field of long-term elderly care, has helped countless individuals by introducing new techniques and practices into the field; and

WHEREAS, realizing that most individuals in the United States will experience institutionalized living, Carter Catlett Williams proclaimed that this circumstance is as much a matter of the spirit as it is a matter of the body; she gained this unique perspective from her professional experiences as well as her personal life journey; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams graduated from Wellesley College in 1945 and earned her master of social work degree from Simmons College School of Social Work; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers, a distinguished lecturer, the author of many papers, and was an editor of the journal, Aging and the Human Spirit; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams proclaimed her vision to local, regional, and national leaders and successfully pioneered the transformation of traditional elderly care to a vibrant, rewarding, and life-enhancing experience; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1970s, Carter Catlett Williams introduced a discussion that highlighted the elements of daily life that deeply affect the relationships of all people; she realized that maintaining normalcy in any new environment must be prioritized; and

WHEREAS, in the 1980s, Carter Catlett Williams, a longtime worker for the transformation of nursing homes, began her advocacy work by calling for the banishment of physical restraints, a movement in which she became a national leader; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams was the convener and founder of the Pioneer Network, which became the voice of the culture change movement in nursing home care; her vision was realized as she gathered key thought leaders together, who resoundingly promoted the idea that people could not live fulfilling lives in the existing institutional environment; and

WHEREAS, the Pioneer Network globally transformed institutional elderly care to include healthy, homey living circumstances and services; it was the largest change in the history of long-term elderly care; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams transformed the model for long-term elderly care into one that is restraint free, supportive, and filled with joy; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams wrote, “the days of our loves, even the days and years in a nursing home, are for living, not merely for safekeeping. They are days for nurture of mind and spirit as well as body, and for the richness of community. To live these days in all their potential it is necessary for all of us to be known and responded to as individual people who have life experiences and daily patterns of many sorts”; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams has received many honors, including the National Leadership Award from the Older Women’s League in Washington, D.C., and the President’s Award of the American Society on Aging, presented jointly to Carter Catlett Williams and her husband, Dr. T. Franklin Williams; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Carter Catlett Williams as a true hero for the cause of pioneering new techniques and practices in long-term care for those individuals privileged to age in a modern society; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Carter Catlett Williams as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for her commitment and dedication to the pioneering of compassionate nursing home care.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 949

Offered February 18, 2013
Commending Carter Catlett Williams.
Patron-- Stolle

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams, a unique futurist in the field of long-term elderly care, has helped countless individuals by introducing new techniques and practices into the field; and

WHEREAS, realizing that most individuals in the United States will experience institutionalized living, Carter Catlett Williams proclaimed that this circumstance is as much a matter of the spirit as it is a matter of the body; she gained this unique perspective from her professional experiences as well as her personal life journey; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams graduated from Wellesley College in 1945 and earned her master of social work degree from Simmons College School of Social Work; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers, a distinguished lecturer, the author of many papers, and was an editor of the journal, Aging and the Human Spirit; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams proclaimed her vision to local, regional, and national leaders and successfully pioneered the transformation of traditional elderly care to a vibrant, rewarding, and life-enhancing experience; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1970s, Carter Catlett Williams introduced a discussion that highlighted the elements of daily life that deeply affect the relationships of all people; she realized that maintaining normalcy in any new environment must be prioritized; and

WHEREAS, in the 1980s, Carter Catlett Williams, a longtime worker for the transformation of nursing homes, began her advocacy work by calling for the banishment of physical restraints, a movement in which she became a national leader; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams was the convener and founder of the Pioneer Network, which became the voice of the culture change movement in nursing home care; her vision was realized as she gathered key thought leaders together, who resoundingly promoted the idea that people could not live fulfilling lives in the existing institutional environment; and

WHEREAS, the Pioneer Network globally transformed institutional elderly care to include healthy, homey living circumstances and services; it was the largest change in the history of long-term elderly care; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams transformed the model for long-term elderly care into one that is restraint free, supportive, and filled with joy; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams wrote, “the days of our loves, even the days and years in a nursing home, are for living, not merely for safekeeping. They are days for nurture of mind and spirit as well as body, and for the richness of community. To live these days in all their potential it is necessary for all of us to be known and responded to as individual people who have life experiences and daily patterns of many sorts”; and

WHEREAS, Carter Catlett Williams has received many honors, including the National Leadership Award from the Older Women’s League in Washington, D.C., and the President’s Award of the American Society on Aging, presented jointly to Carter Catlett Williams and her husband, Dr. T. Franklin Williams; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Carter Catlett Williams as a true hero for the cause of pioneering new techniques and practices in long-term care for those individuals privileged to age in a modern society; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Carter Catlett Williams as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for her commitment and dedication to the pioneering of compassionate nursing home care.