Focus on Exploitation Our policy defines “exploitation” as taking advantage of a resident for personal gain through the use of manipulation, intimidation, threats or coercion. (See Administrative SOP, “Abuse and Neglect Prohibition Policy”). There has been a tremendous focus on this issue by both the survey and criminal authorities. It is important for all staff to be able to define …
February – American Heart Month
Did you know that February is designated as “American Heart Month”? With so many “causes” including fund raisers, “National Donut Month”, “National Taco Day”, etc. isn’t it great that we have a month that focuses on identifying risk factors for heart disease, treatment options and most importantly, recommendations for improving lifestyle! Chances are, we all know someone affected by heart …
Change and You!
Change and You! The National Nursing Home Quality Care Collaborative published a “Change Package” in April 2017. This resource is a collection of great ideas and practices to create lasting change in nursing homes. The goal of the package is to instill quality and performance improvement practices, eliminate Healthcare-Acquired Conditions (HACs) and dramatically improve resident satisfaction by focusing on the …
AHRQ – Minimum Criteria Toolkit
AHRQ – Minimum Criteria Toolkit According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), between 25 and 75% of antibiotic prescriptions in nursing homes do not meet clinical guidelines for prescribing. Unnecessary antibiotics can result in side effects and drug-resistant bacteria. The Minimum Criteria for Common Infections toolkit (“Minimum Criteria Toolkit”) aims to reduce unnecessary prescribing for the three …
Restorative Nursing: A Win Win
A strong restorative services program can boost resident outcomes and independence. Angie Szumlinski and Erica Holman At a local skilled nursing center, the administrator asks staff for assistance to enhance their restorative program. Fortunately, the center had both a therapy director and restorative nurse who expressed a desire to work together for improved resident outcomes. The center’s current approach …
Earlier Detection May Improve Lewy Body Dementia Treatment
More than 60 experts from the International Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) Consortium collaborated to update the diagnosis and treatment guidelines for DLB as we do know that earlier detection may improve treatment efficacy (Tabar, 2017). Prior to this collaboration the guidelines were updated in 2005 and there had not been agreement between experts regarding treatment options (Lindquist, 2017). The …
Influenza Season – It CAN Affect You!
We are beginning that dreaded time of the year, influenza season is upon us! As we care for our residents we should be also take care of ourselves! Unfortunately, per the CDC that doesn’t appear to be the case for long-term care health professionals! In a recent media release, the CDC identified that we are not receiving the influenza vaccine …
Elder Abuse and Neglect will not be Tolerated by the Department of Health and Human Services
PUBLIC ALERT ON PATIENT ABUSE IN SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES NATIONWIDE (Washington D.C., Monday, August 28, 2017) – The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General is issuing an alert ahead of its report on quality of care concerns in skilled nursing facilities nationwide. Due to the importance and urgency of the preliminary findings, OIG is alerting citizens …
UTI Sensors Bring Hope
Purdue University – UTI Sensor UTIs, the bane of our existence in post-acute care and assisted living communities, right? When you consider how uncomfortable they can be for residents along with falls, sepsis, rehospitalization and expensive treatments related to UTIs, isn’t it great that Purdue University has researched and developed a simple way to predict when a UTI may be …
Are You Concerned About Rehospitalizations?
Well, you aren’t alone! Providers all over the country have been focusing on reducing the number of re-hospitalizations! And what a great goal to have, right? The problem we encounter is that we can’t seem to get a handle on the “why” and the “how” to prevent them. As we quickly approach the flu and influenza season (sorry but true) …