It is rare that I will share information regarding a specific product, software program, etc. however, I am really excited about a training session that AHCA/NCAL (in collaboration with the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing AAPACN) is offering on Trauma Informed Care (TIC). The program contains simple, foundational steps, and practical recommendations for implementing a TIC program to improve resident outcomes.

Let’s be honest, every center in the country has at least one resident who exhibits behaviors that are considered “anti-social”. It might be a resident who is combative with care, yells out throughout the day for no apparent reason, acts out sexually, uses profanity when someone is speaking to them, etc. and we are often at a loss as to what to do. We are all familiar with root cause analysis and have likely used that process to assist in identifying causative factors for behaviors, sometimes successfully, but oftentimes not!

Per AHCA/NCAL, TIC is an important aspect of care given that 62% of adults have had at least one traumatic event and 25% have had three or more traumatic events. These events, over time, can and often do lead to consequences as we age. Also, at least 8 CMS F-tags cover various aspects of TIC, making compliance with this form of care vital to the quality of care and survey success. You may choose to take another avenue to train your staff and that is totally fine, however, train them. Get involved, identify those residents with anti-social behaviors, evaluate outcomes to determine if your staff are managing the behaviors effectively or if additional training would be beneficial! Stay the course, stay well and stay informed!