...form because of skin pressure reducing blood flow to an area of the body, have a habit of forming in patients with a variety of long-term problems as they are cared for in hospitals and nursing homes. The result of this is that in addition to whatever other problems a patient may have, the ulcer causes the skin and the tissue beneath the skin to die, and if the dead tissue is not quickly removed it can cause additional problems and pain for the patient. There are several factors that put one at risk of pressure ulcers, and these conditions are often difficult or impossible to treat. A typical pressure ulcer patient: suffers from mobility problems, is an older adult, has a spine or brain injury or disease such as multiple sclerosis, has a disease or condition that affect ones mental status, has fragile skin, has urinary incontinence or bowel incontinence or does not get enough nutrition. As most of these conditions are symptoms of old age or mental illness, these people will always be at risk of pressure ulcers, meaning the pressure ulcer prevention is there best chance of living comfortably. Pressure Ulcers can be treated but they are painful and if untreated they can result in death. They are also expensive to treat and lawsuits are common. Thus prevention is the priority for care providers for health and financial reasons. With this in mind I worked with Cayuga Medical Center as part of my student consulting class taught by Dr. Laurie Miller. I worked alone on this project...
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... Managed care has become a buyer with considerable influence in all of health care” (Pratt, 2010). A few years ago one looked at long-term care facilities as being in nursing homes. Today facilities are opening up that is not a setting for nursing home though that is what others thinks. With the government involved today it has restraints with the pricing and the quantity of service one provides. When the government gets involved with making decision on health care they divert resources away from one provider and looks at another. “to be competitive, long-term care providers have to know where they stand in the market. That means that they need to know how they compare with their competitors and their relative strengths and weaknesses” (Pratt, 2010). Most providers does not look at the strength and weaknesses of other facilities since this was not a big factor before. One must do research to find out the pricing and check the competition to see what is more readily available. With the rising cost of health care one needs to look at the price of long-term care and what type of care one would get. With Medicare and Medicaid caring the burden of the expense one is looking at managed care to help what these programs does not cover. “Medicare and Medicaid are dominant purchasers in the nursing home market. Medicaid...
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...The United States has faced many challenges as it entered into the 21st century. First is ensuring that individuals receive the medical care and support they need throughout their life with dignity and quality. With the aging of “baby boomers,” the number of individuals 65 and those with disabilities will increase from 12.4 percent in 2000 to about 20.4 percent by 2040. This will represent a need for increasing nursing facilities, assisted living, other residential care, and home care services. This represents an expected increase from 15 million in 2000 to 27 million in 2040. This will affect more than just the different facilities; it affects the number of medical professionals needed to staff the facilities. The need for registered nurses, licensed practitioner’s, nurse aides, home health, personal care workers, and physicians will also increase from 1.9 million in 2000 to about 45 percent in the year 2040. We will see another rise in growth for direct care workers in long-term care by 2030 when the baby boomers reach the age of 85. The expected growth equates to about an additional 3.8 to 4.6 million. One of the problems the country will face is that the increased need of workers will not increase at the same rate as they are needed. Currently unpaid informal caregivers, such as, family members, neighbors; and friends provide the majority of care. This is expected to increase from about 20 million in 2000 to 37 million by the year 2030. This is an estimated increase...
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...home 1. Describe the differences between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals. The general belief or theory is that nonprofit hospitals do a better job of focusing on their people; that is, they provide better quality of care. On the other hand, for-profit hospitals are more business oriented; more emphasis is placed on cost and operating efficiency than nonprofit hospital does. I believe this is a significant difference because while staff members in a nonprofit hospital may see themselves as caregivers, staff members in for-profit may seemingly see themselves as cogs in a production wheel. The mission and purpose for these two types of hospitals is also a very important and makes a significant difference. Financial pressures have forced all hospitals to focus on costs and operating efficiency, blurring the line between money and mission. Still, nonprofit employees believe more strongly that their organization's mission makes them feel that their jobs are important. It seems that the mission of care delivery tends to be more prominent in nonprofit hospitals. Hence, it may be safe to say that nonprofit hospitals do a better job than for-profit hospitals of making their staff feel that their contributions are valued and meaningful. Lastly, another difference would be in the area of materials and equipments needed to do the work right. With a focus on operating efficiency, for-profit hospitals frequently operate with lower staffing ratios (Woolhandler & Himmelstein, 2004)...
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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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...Hands Assisted Living” which is a local assisted living facility that I called and visited to aid in my research. I will give an overview of the Fort Washington area in terms of older adults and the long term care market. The challenges with this provider are marketing and staffing for which I suggest low cost advertisement and comprehensive staffing patterns. Lastly, a conclusion and summary are provided for the current state and future of assisted living facilities. Overview of Assisted Living While the definition of assisted living facilities vary from state to state, this type of facility is generally defined as “a housing option that involves the delivery of professionally managed, supportive services and depending on state regulations, nursing services in a group setting that is residential in character and appearance” (Evashwick, 2005, p 152). Assisted living facilities serve as a way to provide care to people who are having difficulty living independently, but do not require daily nursing services, or the amount of intensive medical and nursing care provided in nursing homes (University of Maryland, 2004). In Maryland, an assisted living provider is defined as: A residential or facility-based provider that provides housing and supportive...
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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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...------------------------------------------------- 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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...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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...medical and social services designed to help people who has disabilities or chronic care needs. Services may be short or long-term and may be in a personal home in the community or in a residential facility. Long-term care facilities such as nursing homes provide care for the elderly or people who are unable to take care of them selves. The important of this paper is to discuss the continuum care of long-term care and examine the future trends of long-term care. Long-Term Care In defining long-term care there are several points. Long-term care is low tech, although it has become more complicated because many elderly patients with complex medical needs are being discharge into long-term settings. The age groups that mostly require long-term care are those who are 85 and older. This age group will double by 2030 and double again by 2050. Long-term care facilities are facilities that provide 24- hour skilled nursing assistance with activities of daily living, health services, and a number of activities. Many people would prefer not to be placed in a long-term care facility. However, some elderly have to because of their condition, circumstances, or the availability of in-home services. Most of the residents who live in a long-term facility can’t function without 24-hour monitoring, extensive personal assistance, nursing care because of illness or physical or mental limitations. The goal of long-term care is to...
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...Company Introduction: Assured & Associates offers a unique combination of premier home health care and community-based social services to the Atlanta, GA metro area. Market research indicates that there is a significant need for quality home health care and social services within this region and we believe that by employing competent and well-educated staff and providing them with organized and responsive management, we can become the home health care/social service agency of choice in Orlando, FL. Assured & Associates will be created as a Limited Liability Company based in Orange County. owned by its principal investors and principal operators. The initial office will be established in quality office space at 1800 Pembrook Drive in Orlando, FL which is the heart of Orlando. Pembrook Commons is located close to a hospital facility, which will serve as referral bases for our agency. Consumers of our services will be those individuals and families in need of home health care and/or social services. These patients are usually referred by other health care professionals such as physicians, attorneys, insurance companies and health care facilities. Our agency has already developed an excellent reputation with many of these professionals, through the work of our Registered Nurse, who has been providing home health care services for the past twenty years. Our agency must be licensed by the State of Florida and our services reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid and other private...
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...● Who will need Long-term care? Long Term Care Ensuring quality care: The decision to put a family member in a long-term care facility, nursing homes or assisted living home can be very difficult, but one of the primary concerns is about whether or not your family member will get loving care and quality care in a safe environment. Residents Rights Respect: Long-term care resident residents are to be treated with dignity and respect. They have the right to select the activities that they would love to participate in. They also have the right to leave the facilities with family or friends after notifying the staff. Restraints: By law it is wrong to use physical chemical restraints on residents except when it is necessary to treat medical symptoms. Who are stakeholders? ● ● ● ● Providers Payers Employers Patients Between patient and employer ● ● ● ● Patients have the expectancy to be offer a wide variety of options for whatever care that can be customized to their special needs. Basic premise is to provide the most options and the least out of pocket cost to consumer. Employers want to maintain their cost and contribution and they want the patient/employee to seek only needed care, and instructions. Patients should seek to reduce their health risk behaviours, i,e. diet, exercise and smoking. Between Providers and Payers ● providers have to provide the best service by using the most accurate method and also they have to provide preventative care for patients. ● Also...
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...communities within a 50 mile radius of the main campus. The vision is to create a health care system that can provide care throughout the continuum. Capital investments the system has acquired include primary care physician providers as well as three smaller hospitals to provide acute care to their immediate communities. The main campus houses a tertiary care hospital, a rehab hospital, a children’s hospital, a psychiatric hospital, and a long-term acute care hospital. Values of the hospital system include visibility in the community as a leader in health care providing innovative services. The hospital system also has an ambulance service, home health service, and a medical equipment provider. The main campus includes a 500-bed acute care hospital with 22 adult nursing units, a high risk labor and delivery unit, and an outpatient surgery unit. The children’s hospital has 250 beds with a neonatal intensive unit, and a pediatric intensive care unit. The long-term acute care hospital has an intensive care unit and a medical-surgical unit. Each ancillary hospital has medical-surgical units and an intensive care unit. The ambulance services provides transports for patients transferred to other hospitals, discharged to skilled nursing facilities, and discharged home for patients who cannot be...
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...Generally, a nursing home is a residential facility offering daily living assistance to individuals who are physically or mentally unable to live independently. Residents are provided rooms, meals, assistance with daily living, and in most cases, some medical treatment. The U.S. nursing homes and long-term care facilities industry includes about 80,000 establishments (single-location companies and branches of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $210 billion. The severe shortage of nursing assistants, home health and home care aides, and other paraprofessional workers is the primary trend influencing the current wave of concern about the long-term care workforce. National data on turnover rates show wide variation, depending on the source of the data: One source suggests that turnover rates average about 45 percent for nursing homes and about 10 percent for home health programs, while other data place average annual nursing home turnover at over 100 percent per year. High rates of staff vacancies and turnover have negative effects on providers, consumers, and workers: The cost to providers of replacing workers is high; quality of care may suffer; and workers in understaffed environments may suffer higher rates of injury. The future availability of front-line workers does not look promising. There will be an unprecedented increase in the size of the elderly population as the “baby boom” generation ages. This is why questions such as, nursing-home growth,...
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...Telenursing: Is It in my Future? Devry University Telenursing: Is it in My Future I remember the first time I heard of telenursing. It was about 4 years ago and I was still new to home health nursing. My director informed the office that we would be having an in-service on a new telehealth monitoring device we would be using for our high risk patients. We were shown how to operate the monitors and was demonstrated all of its capabilities. The telephone based devices had an interactive voice response system that could remotely monitor a patient’s blood pressure, heart rate, O2 saturation, weight and blood sugar via a telephone connection. The devices were recommended for all cardiac and respiratory patients who were at high risk for re-hospitalization since the devices would be able to recognize early symptoms and help the nurses to make quick decisions about the patients’ plan of care. So what is telenursing and telehealth? Hebda & Czar (2013), states that “telenursing is the use of telecommunications and information technology (IT) for the delivery of nursing care”. Telehealth is “the use of telecommunications technologies and electronic information to exchange healthcare information and to provide and support services such as long-distance clinical healthcare to clients”. Although, telenursing is still a fairly new concept to me, there is documentation of telenursing in the 1970’s. The first published telenursing article was written by Mary Quinn, RN in 1974...
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