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Advancing Excellence Campaign |
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Pennsylvania Ombudsman Program
Nursing home residents deserve the best possible care every time.
A new national campaign, Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes, is designed to enhance nursing home care and involve consumers in the action plan. It reaches out to touch the lives of more than 39,000 Missouri nursing home residents as well as the 1.5 million residents nationwide.
You can be involved. Consumer participation will help create greater awareness of quality care and encourage nursing homes to continue improving care to their residents.
Nursing home residents and their family members and friends · Advocates · Long-term care ombudsmen · Clinicians · Caregivers Concerned citizens How Can You Sign Up? Go to campaign Web site at: www.nhqualitycampaign.org Click on “For Consumers” Read about opportunities for consumers to support the campaign Click “Join Today!” to fill out registration form
You Can Help! Encourage nursing homes to join and commit to improving the care they deliver. You can also: Talk about the campaign and the importance of quality of care with: Resident and family councils Facility staff and medical director Your friends, family and coworkers See state-specific data on the campaign Web site www.nhqualitycampaign.org Work with facility staff to help them truly know the resident, his/her history, likes and dislikes, goals, etc. Learn about the eight campaign goals and share this information with others
Look for the Advancing Excellence logo at your local nursing home. If you don’t see it, encourage a staff member to join this free program at www.nhqualitycampaign.org.
Goal #1: Reducing high risk pressure ulcers. Nursing home residents who cannot easily reposition themselves are often at risk for pressure ulcers (bed sores) and need special care. There are proven techniques that can reduce and almost eliminate this uncomfortable and potentially dangerous condition.
Goal #2: Reducing the use of daily physical restraints! Research has proven that physical restraints increase the likelihood of injury and may also cause serious problems. The campaign will help nursing homes to learn the best ways to minimize the use of restraints.
Goals #3 & #4: Improving pain management for longer-term and shorter-stay residents. More frequent assessments and customized plans of care using both appropriate drugs and non-drug strategies can help residents lead more comfortable lives.
Goal #5: Establishing individual targets for improving quality. Nursing homes that set targets are more likely to be committed to improving the quality of care to their residents.
Goal #6: Assessing resident and family satisfaction with the quality of care. Family member and resident surveys can help assure that facilities address what is most important to the residents and their loved ones.
Goal #7: Measuring nursing staff turnover and developing action plans to improve staff retention. Decreasing turnover of the nursing staff improves satisfaction of family and staff and it also increases the quality of care provided to the residents.
Goal #8: Improving consistent assignment of nursing home staff, so that residents regularly receive care from the same caregivers. When residents receive care from the same caregivers on a routine basis, staff and residents will be able to get to know each other as people, which will increase the quality of life and quality of care for the residents.
For additional information on the Advancing Excellence campaign, contact your local Ombudsman or the Pennsylvania Department of Aging State Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. |
