Viewed individually, each medication rule, regulation, standard and guideline has its fair share of advocates and critics. It’s the sum of their parts, however, that often keeps compliance officers up at night. The regulatory labyrinth is particularly poignant to William Vaughan, RN, BSN, vice president, education and clinical affairs for Remedi SeniorCare. Vaughan joined the…
1. Successfully improving bladder function begins with the recognition that hope for improving is often realistic. “Bladder function can be improved, especially with those who are recently incontinent or those who had a catheter removed recently,” says Pam Brooks, OTR/L, a clinical occupational therapy specialist for Centrex Rehab. Recalling the most common reversible causes of…
Few can argue that stakeholders have worked hard to get up to speed on the Patient-Driven Payment Model.
In less than 30 days, the long-term care industry will open for business under the most fundamental change to nursing home reimbursement since the prospective payment system was introduced 20-plus years ago. At the heart of the new Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is a comprehensive revision to the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI), the set of…
Know what would trigger a deep cleaning. “From a cleaning perspective and when to give detail to proper cleaning, that is the challenge,” says Len Sears, director of sales at ProCare Medical. Nursing homes generally never overlook major pathogens, but deep cleaning always should be performed after bathing any resident infected with Clostridium difficile (C.…
Non-traditional therapy modalities have been practiced in every setting from home to skilled to independent and assisted living for a long time. But as conventional therapy providers attest, these “softer” modals are increasingly playing an important role complementing evidence-based, patient-centered care.
Words matter. The fewer, the crisper; the punchier, the better. Simply put, recruiting new employees for today’s long-term care workforce crisis is tough. Competition is fierce and landing the best and the brightest means applying a carefully crafted strategy of focused messaging using various means. It also requires an ability to avoid terminal gaffes. Experts advise here on how to do it best.
Pleasant surprises can be a surefire way to cut the monotony. “Leveraging opportunities to add a little joy to the resident’s day would make the time spent more meaningful and positively anticipated by staff and residents,” says Allison Boulware, RN, manager, national account nurse liaison for Guardian Pharmacy Services. The answer? “We should be actively…
Nursing homes are in a constant state of war with stubborn pathogens. Diligently staying clean while contending with the latest infection control rules is no picnic. Every day, staff are confronted with a myriad of decisions of what to clean and what to toss, and the process that got them there is ever fraught with…
