...Skilled Nursing Facility Or Home Health Care for your Elderly Loved Ones Kelly M. Skawienski University of Phoenix While a facility, like a nursing home, is a good option for extreme care of the elderly, most cases show that living in their own homes, surrounded by familiar people and things can promote better health and wellness. While working in the health care field I have worked in both fields; a Skilled Nursing Facility and Home Health Care. Some important points to consider in choosing which option is best for you or your loved one are the cost; how much is it going to cost for each of these two options, services provided; what help will you be receiving for your money, flexibility and freedom of accessibility; having friends and family visit and being able to travel, go for a walk, and last is the comfort of the client or patient would they do better in a sterile environment or in their own home. The cost of a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) as most already know can be expensive. The average cost is more than $50,000.00 a year and climbing, and it will vary widely depending on where you live (Long Term Care, 2012). Your employee health insurance does not pay for a SNF, so about one third of the residents pay from their own funds. This can eat away at their savings very quickly, most people run out of funds after six months. Five percent of people have purchased long term care insurance which will cover the cost of a SNF (Long Term Care, 2012)....
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...Nurse Shortage in Nursing Homes Nursing shortages have been an issue in the health care field for a few years now. This shortage is seriously impacting nursing homes and the elderly in our society today. With a shortage of 8.1% of nurses in 2008, it is important to understand what is happening to nurses (Addressing the Nursing Shortage, 2010). To help one understand the nurse shortage more, this paper will discuss resource scarcity, stakeholders, economic flows, changes in supply and demand, pricing decisions, along with a business proposal. The business proposal will discuss where the market has a shortage of providers, list of services the firm will provide, explanations of set prices, and who will be hired and how much one will be paid. Resource Scarcity and Stakeholders Economic Flows According to Jacobs & Rapoport, “Economic flows can involve both money and services.” There are a couple of economic flows that could affect the nursing home and the nursing shortage. The first would be how the nursing home provides health care to the elderly. If the firm does not provide good service to the patients and customers, most nurses and patients would not want to stay at the nursing home. The second economic flow that could affect a nursing home is money. If the nursing home does not have the right amount of money, patients are not going to get the service they require. The same could be said about the nursing shortage in nursing homes. If the money is not there, then the nurses...
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...Direct Care Staffing Requirements for Nursing Homes John R. Bowblis Objective. To study the impact of minimum direct care staffing (MDCS) requirements on nurse staffing levels, nurse skill mix, and quality. Data Sources. U.S. nursing home facility data from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) System merged with MDCS requirements. Study Design. Facility-level outcomes of nurse staffing levels, nurse skill mix, and quality measures are regressed on the level of nurse staffing required by MDCS requirements in the prior year and other controls using fixed effect panel regression. Quality measures are care practices, resident outcomes, and regulatory deficiencies. Data Extraction Method. Analysis used all OSCAR surveys from 1999 to 2004, resulting in 17,552 unique facilities with a total of 94,371 survey observations. Principle Findings. The effect of MDCS requirements varied with reliance of the nursing home on Medicaid. Higher MDCS requirements increase nurse staffing levels, while their effect on nurse skill mix depends on the reliance of the nursing home on Medicaid. MDCS have mixed effects on care practices but are generally associated with improved resident outcomes and meeting regulatory standards. Conclusions. MDCS requirements change staffing levels and skill mix, improve certain aspects of quality, but can also lead to use of care practices associated with lower quality. Key Words. Minimum direct care staffing ratios, quality, nursing homes Nursing homes are faced...
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...Running head: ASSISTED LIVING OR NURSING HOME page # 1 Which is Best, Assisted Living Facility OR Nursing Home for Your Loved Ones? FreidaWeatherspoon Moody November 27, 2012 Columbia Southern University Professor Monica Saniz MBA 5652 Research Methods Introduction The improved life expectancy has given rise to a sizeable elderly population in all the developed societies of the world (Joseph, 2001).Today’s fast moving technological age has made time a scarce commodity, resulting in less care and time being devoted to the elderly members of the family. This has in turn created a host of problems for these senior members who includes but are not limited to loneliness, anxiety, depression and the resultant loss of self-confidence. Many families with aged parents or other relatives may at some point of time find themselves considering long term care solutions for their aging relatives such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The Assisted Living Federation of America defines Assisted Living as “ a combination of housing, personalized supportive services, and healthcare designed to meet the individual needs of persons who require help with the activities of daily living but who do not require the skilled medical care provided by a nursing home” (James, 2004). The daily activities for which people need help include eating, bathing, dressing, getting to and using bathroom, getting out of bed or chair and the activities which require...
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...------------------------------------------------- Medical Malpractice in Nursing Homes By: Molly Hix Medical malpractice occurs on a daily basis to innocent patients. Today, malpractice continues to increase in nursing homes due to the shortage of qualified staff. Malpractice is when a hospital or any type of healthcare happens through neglect to a patient. Neglect might occur when the diagnosis is wrong, treatment or even aftercare. The number of malpractice cases is on the rise in nursing homes due to the lack of employee to patient ratio leaving patients to suffer and employees on the verge of lawsuits. Back in 1986 a report by the Institute of Medicine was released stating that residents were receiving negligent care. They were likely being physically or mentally abused as well as having all their rights ignored by the caregivers. In 1987 Congress decided to pass a legislation to establish rules and standards for nursing homes. Even though the legislation was passed the nursing homes along with the caregivers were still violating these rules. This regulation was established to make sure patients were receiving the correct care in a professional manner. This meant that the caregivers were required to actively use the available resources to get the proper training to further the patients’ lives and well-being. Fast forward to year 1999, the U.S General Accounting office found a lack of treatment in nearly one- third of all nursing homes. Stated in this report they found bed sores, a number...
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...What is a Nursing Home? Nursing Homes are places for people who don't need to be in a hospital but can't be cared for at home, more commonly referred to as skilled nursing and rehab centers. Nursing care is typically provided for people who need long-term care or rehabilitation after surgery or are recovering from a more severe medical condition like a stroke. These communities provide all of the personal care and services of an assisted living with the addition of 24-hour nursing care. Regent Care Center Facts Funded 35 yrs ago A modern facility with 180 beds Joint commission accredited facility A for profit-non-sectarian, and private funded organization Client Population: mostly 65 and over Catchment area: Includes many residents of Bergen-Hudson-Passaic County. Also patients from Hackensack Medical Center Regent Care Mission Statement Regent Care Center’s mission is to provide the best possible quality of care and quality of life for our long-term residents and sub acute patients. We are also committed to improving quality of life for our staff and family members of our residents. All staff, through team work and the interdisciplinary process, will provide the highest quality service compassion and respect to residents and their family members. The staff of Regent Care Center fulfills its mission and produces a first-class facility by practicing the key concepts on a daily basis: C= Commitment to residents, families, self, and career L= Leadership – setting a...
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...The Footprint of a Nursing Home Leader Many of us promised our parents that we wouldn't ever put them in a nursing home. Reality is that more than 3 million Americans rely on services provided by nursing homes at some point during a year and 1.4 million of these reside in the Nation’s 15,800 nursing homes on any given day (Bonner, 2013). In my position as Vice President of Operations with a publically traded healthcare company, I support twelve nursing homes. One such nursing home is a 194-bed for-profit Center that provides post-acute, rehabilitative, skilled nursing, and short and long-term care services. This Center is located in Texas approximately 5 miles from the border of Mexico. In an effort to support the Centers’ mission to “Make a Difference – Every Day, Every Time,” there are six key objectives vital to success: 1. Culture: Maintain a productive and positive employee environment. 2. Care: Provide quality care so residents may achieve their optimum level of functioning thus living an improved quality of life. 3. Census: Anticipate community health needs and develop business partnerships that help improve market share. 4. Cash: Ensure timely and effective collections. 5. Cost: Control operation costs. 6. Compliance: Comply with regulatory requirements. Strong leadership is essential for this Center to successfully reach its key objectives. While the leadership at this Center has a history of consistently attaining key objectives...
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...Wesley D. Pointjour Final Research Paper: Telehealth In Nursing Homes Health Quality Management April 02, 2015 Introduction In many nursing home facilities, patient safety is little to non-existent and if they are, there displayed on a need be and not obliged basis. They are displayed case by case rather than nursing home protocol. Even with changes in regulations, reporting systems, and documentation over the past couple of years, the nursing home industry still has its share of problems. Patient safety is meant to provide patients freedom from healthcare associated preventable harm, meaning when things go right, nothing bad happens. Nursing home organizations have been constantly trying to improve their reputation and the way people view them, but how? Don’t patients make up a nursing home? What about their safety? Shouldn’t we start there? How do we make improvements? Telehealth, a new approach to improving patient safety in nursing homes, will use telecommunication technologies to deliver health related services and information that support patient care, administrative activities, and health education (Dixon, Hook, McGowan, 2008). In this paper I will explore the major benefits of Telehealth and how its implications can improve patient safety in nursing home care. What is Telehealth and why is it important? Telehealth is the means and methods to improving access to care and reducing healthcare associated costs. It is also a system that can be used for education...
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...Zinn titled A good look back over our shoulders Nursing Homes & Long Term Care Management: discussion of the evolution of nursing homes in the United States; what features "shocked" or "surprised" the reader the most during the reading while reading the reader was asked what new information was learned about long term care and facilities in the United States? This assignment also discusses wither regulatory bodies are believed to justified in their formulating so many strict rules and regulations in governing long term care? To close the assignment we answered, how does the past of long term care inform the future of quality assurance in long term care settings? Discuss the evolution of nursing homes in the United States. What features "shocked" or "surprised" you the most? What new information did you learn about long term care and facilities in the United States? Are regulatory bodies justified in their formulating so many strict rules and regulations? How does the past of long term care inform the future of quality assurance in long term care settings? In the twenty-first century, nursing homes have become a standard form of care for the most aged and incapacitated persons. However, historically nursing homes were often thought of dark drab places that Americas would send their elderly when they have determined there was no further use for them in society or when the families have exhausted all means to care for them on their own. They have also been unfortunate...
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...Nursing Home Abuse Nursing homes are meant to be a safe haven for the elderly to cared for in their golden years and instead of become a nightmare for a lot who have been subjected to countless acts of abuse and neglect. Furthermore, the significant others of those in nursing homes are subjected to highly stressful conditions by having to meet harsh economic requirements. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, there are nearly 17,000 nursing homes in the United States that currently care for 1.6 million residents, a figure expected to quadruple to 6.6 million residents by 2050. In past years, there have been reports that nearly 1/3 of all nursing homes have been cited for abuse violations. Each year the number of incidents increases while there is a significant underreporting of nursing home abuse and neglect. More than twice as many nursing homes were cited for abuse in 2006 and with numbers expected to quadruple these numbers are going to rise. Reports show that there are thousands upon thousands of abuse cases yearly and investigators believe many violations go undetected or are simply not reported, leading federal regulations to believe the problem is underestimated. Even when serious issues have been identified federal and state enforcement policies have not been effective in ensuring that the issues are corrected and remain corrected. The first issue I have found with abuse of the elderly in nursing homes is economic. Medicaid and Medicare which cover...
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...Electronic Health and Medical Record in Home Health Nathaniel J. Reid University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee HCA: 700 Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the electronic health record (EHR) and electronic medical record (EMR) in the home health setting in the United States. “EHR” and “EMR” are often used interchangeably. However, this paper will discuss the differences between an EHR and an EMR. It will cover the benefits and disadvantages of the EMR in the home health setting. This paper will also cover the potential costs associated with the use of the EMR in the home health setting. Finally, the paper will discuss the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) of an EMR in home health. Outline I. Introduction a. Purpose b. Explanation of terms II. Background a. Home Health Care i. What is it ii. History iii. How it is changing b. Health Informatics in Home Healthcare i. History of informatics in HHC ii. Current use of informatics in HHC iii. Benefits of informatics in HHC III. Comparison of EMR/EHR a. Definitions b. Settings used c. Differences d. Similarities IV. Implementation of the EMR in Home Health a. Feasibility b. Cost c. Equipment d. Staff Acceptance V. Conclusion a. Summary of...
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...Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents 1 Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents 2 Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents by: James W. Collins, PhD, MSME Associate Director for Science Division of Safety Research National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morgantown, West Virginia Audrey Nelson, PhD, RN, FAAN Director Patient Safety Center for Inquiry James A. Haley Veteran’s Administration Hospital Tampa, Florida Virginia Sublet, PhD, RPh Senior Toxicologist Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Windermere, Florida DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health i 3 Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents This document is in the public domain and may be freely copied or reprinted. Disclaimer Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In addition, citations to Web sites external to NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products. Furthermore, NIOSH is not responsible for the content of these Web sites. Ordering Information To receive documents or other information about occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH at: NIOSH-Publications Dissemination...
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...A Memorandum for Patient Displacement and Relocation Jacqueline Black HCS/320 December 8th, 2014 Tricia Tran On February 20th 2015, Newfoundland assistance Living Center will become the new owners of KinderCare Nursing Home, in their efforts to accommodate and afford the baby boomer generation, a more productive and healthier way of life, Newfoundland Assistance Living Center is creating a self-sustained facility for the 55 year old and older crowd, who only need a minimal amount of care and assistance. As Administrator, it is the sole responsibility of this facility and all its medical affiliates to ensure that the appropriate placement is found and obtain for the residents of KinderCare Nursing Home, who need maximum assistance and care. To accomplishing this task, the following people are assigned to help handle the challenges in this major transition: Support Coordinator, Public Relations team, and all Administrative Assistance. There are ten patients who require placement. According to KinderCare Nursing Home policies and procedures, we will first publicly announce our closing through emails, newsletters and as much network media as possible local and national. Some of our residents don’t have family locally, so we must contact family out of state if possible, we will do this by mailing out formal certified letters to all the families. Furthermore, some of the residents cannot give consent to release their PHI, in these cases, according to Ann Bachman (2008),...
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...to indirectly regulate local activities that it would not have the authority to regulate directly. For example, the federal government created the Medicare program to pay for health care for the elderly and disabled, and Medicaid to pay for health care for the poor. Health care institutions that receive federal money in payment for services to Medicare and Medicaid recipients have to abide by federal regulations in order to keep receiving federal funds. According to Pozgar (2012), “a tort law is a civil wrong, other than a breach of contract, committed against a person or property for which a court provides a remedy in the form of an action for damages”. Within the general field of health care there is a good deal of discussion of tort law and health care because tort actions comprise what are more commonly known as medical malpractice or medical negligence actions. A medical malpractice or medical negligence suit can be raised against a physician or health care provider accused of having violated some standard of care that is recognized in the medical industry. A standard of care is simply a minimum threshold level of expertise that the health care provider is expected to exercise in terms of providing medical services to a patient (Roche, 2012). The quality of care in U.S. nursing homes has been a persistent matter of public concern and...
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...Unavailable Health Care: A Nurse’s Problem In the year 2000, it was reported that 44% of residents were abused and 95% were neglected and also witnessed someone else being neglected. According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, elder abuse is common is in community settings such as nursing homes. These numbers are part of many reasons why others do not receive the proper health care that is needed. Not only is it absurd for these statistics to be high, but it also is absurd for these two statistics to be within the healthcare profession. With the baby booming population being at an all-time high, many of them turn to long-term living facilities. Being that nurses are more hands on with patients in any facility, but more importantly, being more involved with older patients in LTCF (long-term care facilities), it is crucial that we examine the reasoning behind these numbers. This is a representation of the lack of passion, integrity, and proper education regarding the profession of nursing. With the exception of not having anyone else to care for them full time, residents have no choice in how much they may depend on a nurse. Due to things such as chronic illnesses, mental disorders, and psychological deformities, the residents of rehabilitation centers and long term care facilities instills trust with the nurses. The humility of the resident leaves their vulnerability levels to be heightened in the nursing and resident relationship. Vulnerability within the resident opens...
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