Resident Safety Tops Holiday Wish List for SNFs - SpecialtyRx
November 27, 2018
Resident Safety Tops Holiday Wish List for SNFs

CMS introduces safety initiative just in time for the holidays

Learn how new tools will help improve residents’ quality of life

As families stuffed turkeys, mashed potatoes and prepared the typical Thanksgiving trimmings this past week, the federal government was hard at work with their own contribution to the holiday season hustle and bustle.

Focusing on patient safety and quality of care in nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced an upcoming series of tools designed to enhance resident outcomes. The initiatives are to be spread over three years and will be officially billed under the Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program (CMPRP).

“CMS is committed to ensuring nursing home residents are safe and receive quality care. We are pleased to offer nursing home staff practical tools and assistance to improve resident care and positively impact the lives of individuals in our nation’s nursing homes,” says Seema Verma, CMS administrator.

 

 

The Spirit of the Season

For caregivers, the period from Thanksgiving through New Year’s is a special time to show gratitude and goodwill towards residents. The holidays have them missing home and family, so what better way to warm their hearts than to commit ourselves to greater standards of health, happiness and comfort.

As part of the initiative, CMS recently debuted the first toolkit, which helps facilities assess staff competency and identify areas where things are working (and where more work is needed). This resource makes an ideal supplement to existing ones including CMS’s Nursing Home Compare website, payroll-based staffing data, as well as the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes. All of these tools are free to access and can be found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website.

SpecialtyRx understands the stresses, challenges (and triumphs) of working in long-term care during the holiday season. Stay tuned for more resources and tips centered on improving residents’ quality of life in the wonderful wintertime and beyond.