Independence Day comes around on the 4th of July every year, and on that day the Nation celebrates its independence with a lot of fanfare, fireworks, and family gatherings. For those seniors who reside in care communities and receive assistance in completing self-care and mobility activities, they celebrate their own version of Independence Day on multiple days throughout the year each time they make strides in regaining their ability to perform tasks at greater levels of independence.
For these individuals, small celebrations take place when they are able to do things such as get up out of bed without assistance, walk to the bathroom, put on a pair of socks, button their own shirt, swallow food at a regular food texture consistency, or bring food to their mouth independently at mealtime.
In senior care facilities, both the residents and the care providers get to celebrate these types of successes all year round. It is exciting and motivating for individuals to regain their ability to do things for themselves. It is also rewarding for care providers to see their efforts toward helping residents achieve independence come to fruition.
The phrase, “it takes a village” certainly applies in the case of healthcare and rehabilitation providers in senior communities. We all have our part in helping make Independence Day a reality for those who are working to regain their independence.
From the receptionist with the friendly responses to questions, to the housekeeping staff who keep the resident rooms clean and free from potential trip hazards, to the nurses, physicians, and therapists who work to diminish the effects of medical conditions while emphasizing positive efforts toward residents achieving their goal of returning to a level of desired independence, each person within the senior community has reason to celebrate every time a resident regains more and more of their independence.
Independence Day may only come around once a year for some, but for those of us working in collaboration to see residents achieve small successes each and every day, we get to experience Independence Day all throughout the year.
Thank you to all who contribute toward helping seniors achieve their goals and desired levels of independence!
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QSO to Support Post-Acute Care Providers
On June 6th, 2023, CMS released a statement from their QSO (Quality, Safety & Oversight) Group regarding Requirements for Hospital Discharges to Post-Acute Care Providers.
Within this release, CMS identified areas of concern related to missing and/or inaccurate information which is pertinent to patient care and safety including:
- Information regarding substance use disorders and mental health diagnoses or histories
- A full list of medications for discharge
- Information about skin conditions, including skin tears, pressure injuries, etc.
- Information regarding durable medical equipment
- Information regarding the patient’s preferences for care, including end-of-life decisions
- Communications about the patient’s needs at home
CMS strives to remind hospital providers, state agencies and accrediting organizations that when patients are discharged, CMS regulations require hospitals to, “have an effective discharge planning process that focuses on the patient’s goals and treatment preferences and includes the patient and his or her caregivers/support person(s) as active partners in the discharge planning for post-discharge care”.
For additional information and the full memorandum click the links below:
-Encore Rehabilitation’s monthly publication, designed to give you updates on trends we are seeing in the Post-Acute Care industry.-
