Long-Term Care Survey Alert
Go By The Book--Capture, Home In On Critical Resident Care Information
Head off charges of failure to respond to residents' needs in time.
The last thing you want to lose during shift change is a critical bit of resident-care information scribbled on a piece of paper or sticky note.
Solution: Some facilities use a 24-hour report book to share information with the next shift, suggests Celia Strow, RN, MPS, CNHA, FACHCA, a former nursing home administrator and current CEO of MyZiva.com, a nursing home management resource. The information documented in the 24-hour report book might include the following:
• Changes in residents' conditions, including an increase in ADL assistance or new or escalating behavior symptoms
• Fever and other unstable vital signs
• Abnormal labs
• Scheduled labs, procedures, etc. on the coming shift or next day
• Doctors' appointments
Tip: Twenty-four hour report books could include a place for CNAs to document their observations, including a perception that the resident "just wasn't himself today," suggests Cheryl Field, MSN, RN, a consultant with LTCQ Inc. in Lexington, MA. "That's the language CNAs use," says Field. In such cases, licensed nursing personnel should ask more questions and do an assessment of what's different about that resident, she says.
Field also recommends using the 24-hour report as an internal quality assurance tool.
Long-Term Care Survey Alert
- SURVEY MANAGEMENT:
Be Survey Savvy: Master The Intricacies Of Managing Part D
Follow these steps from admission to exception requests.
Nursing facilities that don't have a systematic plan [...] - What Do You Think?
Question: What do government authorities consider to be "plan steering" under Part D and is [...] - SURVEY MANAGEMENT:
Don't Let Drug Formulary Changes Become A Formula For F Tags
CMS surveyor training lays down the gauntlet for facilities under Part D.
If you see Part [...] - Clip 'N' Save:
Know What's Covered And Not Under Part D
Some drugs are covered by Part D and Part B.
Drug Formularies Under Part D What [...] - Staff Management:
Spot 'Em Before You Got 'Em -- Troublemaking Employees, That Is
3 warning signs you should never ignore during the job interview.
To keep your facility free [...] - Quality of Care:
Snooze On Hypnotic Use And You Will Lose On Your Next Survey
Follow this QA checklist to avoid a rude awakening.
The answer to why a resident may [...] - Quality Assurance:
Earn A 'High Five' From Surveyors On Your QIs
Keep an eye on prevalence of hypnotic use and related negative outcomes.
Your quality indicators and [...] - Patient Safety:
To Manage Accidental Poisoning, Know How To Define One -- And Whom To Call
Here's how to avoid dialing up a liability disaster.
Every minute counts when a resident has [...] - End-of-life Care:
Design Your Activities Program To Meet Palliative Care Needs
Follow this facility's lead in offering a mix of activities.
If there's an inside secret to [...] - Risk Management:
Don't Drop The Patient Safety Ball During The 'Hand Off'
Prevent communication slip-ups at these 2 common transitions in care.
Managing how well you "hand off" [...] - Risk Management:
Get A Grip On Standardizing 'Hand Off' Communications
Time for a huddle to get your team acting in tandem.
If you picture the interdisciplinary [...] - Risk Management:
Go By The Book--Capture, Home In On Critical Resident Care Information
Head off charges of failure to respond to residents' needs in time.
The last thing you [...] - Clip 'n' Save:
Achieve A Winning Patient Safety Record: Know And Go For The Goals
Find out what's on JCAHO's list for 2006.
Here's one list you want to post to [...] - Clip 'n' Save:
Nail Down The Options For Obtaining Exceptions To Part D Plan Formularies - Survey News To Use
Ready for DAVE 2? Just when facilities thought DAVE was a done deal, the Centers [...]
