Angie's Blog

HealthCap® USA

Angie Szumlinski, NHA, RN-BC, RAC-CT and BS

Director of Risk Management

Angie SzumlinskiMs. Szumlinski is a nationally-recognized leader in long-term care with experience as an Owner/Provider, Administrator, Director of Nursing, Corporate Quality Assurance Coordinator and independent consultant. Ms. Szumlinski conducts risk management visits at facilities across the country, touching every acuity level within the post-acute care spectrum. Ms. Szumlinski served as an Associated Board Member for NCAL, is a member of the AHCA/NCAL Quality Committee, NCAL Risk Management Committee, HCAM Legal/Clinical Committee and is a Senior Examiner/Team Leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program. Ms. Szumlinski is a Nurse Planner for the HealthCap® ANCC accredited education program.

National Emerging Leadership Summit Announced

Angie Szumlinski Announcements

Read the NAB announcement below, this is a great opportunity for new Administrators to grow professionally! The 10th annual National Emerging Leadership Summit (NELS) for Health and Aging Services Executives will be held in Washington, D.C. from July 16 – 18, 2019.  The three-day Summit, unique in its kind, is geared towards the enrichment of leadership skills for emerging health service …

Is a Fall Efficacy Scale Reliable, Valid for OAs With PD?

Angie Szumlinski News

A study that was recently published in Parkinson’s Disease found that The Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), an assessment questionnaire, was found to be reliable and valid to measure the fear of falling during on- and off-drug phases in older adults with Parkinson disease (PD). You can read about the findings at managedhealthcareconnect.com: https://www.managedhealthcareconnect.com/content/fall-efficacy-scale-reliable-valid-oas-pd?hmpid=ZXJpY2EuaG9sbWFuQGhlYWx0aGNhcHVzYS5jb20=

CNA Perspectives on Caring for Residents with Dementia

Angie Szumlinski Health, News

Alzheimer disease and other dementias are common diagnoses in long-term care (LTC). In this setting, certified nurse aides (CNAs) provide the majority of care for residents with dementia. The responsibility can be challenging, however, as evidenced by frequent CNA staff turnover. Read about the findings of four focus groups made up of 20 CNAs to understand the unique barriers impacting …

Change Package to Prevent Harm Available

Angie Szumlinski Compliance

Available for download from QIO Program is the All Cause Harm Prevention in Nursing Homes Change Package. The Change Package is a description and list of successful practices of high-performing nursing homes (i.e., how they prevent harm while honoring each resident’s rights and preferences), organized by overarching themes, and includes strategies to prevent specific adverse events and abuse. The Change Package can be …

Seniors doing exercises

Movement Helps Maintain Memory

Angie Szumlinski Health, News

Despite brain lesions or biomarkers linked to dementia, higher levels of daily movement may be linked to better thinking and memory skills in older adults. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center found that older adults that exercise regularly or participate in routine physical activity, such as housework, may maintain more of their memory and thinking skills. Their findings were published …

Image of pills

Pharmacy – Controlled Substances Rules Revised

Angie Szumlinski Announcements, Compliance

Michigan Michigan’s Bureau of Professional Licensing (BPL) within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has revised the Pharmacy – Controlled Substances Rules and the changes are effective immediately. Below is a summary of the significant changes to the rules: R 338.3125 – Adds gabapentin to the schedule 5 drug list as a controlled substance. R 338.3135 – Opioid …

Watch What You Say

Angie Szumlinski Uncategorized

Take a look at this interesting article from Managed Health Care Connect titled “Commonly Heard, Commonly Said: Catchphrases That Hurt Long-Term Care Practice and How to Address the Issues They Imply”. It talks about some common phrases and terms we use in Long-Term Care that could potentially be problematic, and provides some terminology and language alternatives to these common phrases.

Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older

Angie Szumlinski Health, News

Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Brief #244 states  that opioid misuse in older adults is an underappreciated and growing problem. Although opioid misuse overall is lower among older than among younger Americans, the rate of opioid misuse among older adults nearly doubled between 2002 and 2014. In 2016, a third of the more than 40 million Americans enrolled in …

More Weekend Inspections for Nursing Homes with Reduced Weekend Staff

Angie Szumlinski Announcements

The CMS has said that some nursing homes have significantly lower weekend staffing. It’s been announced that those facilities will face at least 50% of off-hours surveys by state survey agencies on weekends, up from the previously required 10%. https://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20181203/NEWS/181209994