From assessing where we are and where we came from to continual education and industry monitoring, rehab is a force unto itself. We need to examine the top trends in rehab services.
Experts have proposed standards for minimum and ideal facility staffing, and some states have adopted minimums as legal requirements. However, there is no industry-wide agreement on any of the three targets for staffing to acuity, as described in 2002 by the Kaiser Commission on Nursing Home Staffing Standards: the minimum staffing level to avoid harm, the preferred process level and the optimal level. Discover your ideal staff size by looking at your data.
Many long-term care providers are worried about rising health insurance costs for groups. Health insurance costs will climb 15% to 40% for groups in 2014. However, there are opportunities to manage this expected cost increase to a level that is affordable.
Many recent articles are warning about the future healthcare costs that retirees face, despite having Medicare for their primary health insurance. Medicare does leave 20% of many medical related costs to the Medicare recipient, in addition to a hefty copayment for hospital admission and more. Fortunately, Medicare supplements or Medicare Advantage insurance policies cover the majority of these out of pocket expenses.
Organizations beginning innovation initiatives often have a few common questions: Where should the initiative be housed? How do we host brainstorming sessions? How do we begin launching initial projects? In addition to these questions, The Good Samaritan Society also faced several common challenges. But it was committed to providing the best services possible for its customers.
We must ask: After a resident has been treated and taken to the bathroom, and given a meal, what activities exist for him or her?
Let's take a look at the facility policies and procedures to determine that they include how the facility will ensure that the care plans are developed using resident individualized assessment information, resident choice and updated to reflect current needs.
The industry can survive and thrive by transforming itself, by embracing wellness for employees and residents and by mounting an effective PR campaign to highlight the importance of long-term care industry. We must acknowledge its need to transform itself and to remind the public of their social contracts to seniors.
How do skilled nursing facilities, clinics and hospitals think about therapy? Focusing on patient satisfaction and revenue is a good start, but it is not enough. As therapy continues to be scrutinized by the government and insurance companies, it's a good idea for administrators, directors of nursing and compliance staff to become more familiar with therapy operations.
Senior housing with supportive services is a new model being offered by senior living communities, linking people with community organizations and services to improve overall health and wellbeing. Enabling seniors to age-in-place for as long as possible has distinctive benefits for both the seniors and their families.
Guest columns are written by long-term care industry experts, ranging from academics and thought leaders to administrators and CEOs.
