As you know, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the passage of healthcare reform earlier this year. Lost in all the shouting were some of the important details of the law and how it might impact assisted living and residential care. One component of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that has the [...]
OSHA regulators are taking a closer look at assisted living and residential care communities in recent years. Are you in compliance with OSHA regulations? Let’s start with a quick introduction to OSHA.
Urinary incontinence is a challenge for many assisted living and residential care residents, but not all cases of urinary incontinence have the same cause and recommended treatment. It is important that your care staff understand the different types of urinary incontinence and how to best intervene.
From time to time we all have questions about medications. Questions like: What is a normal dose? Are there any dangerous side effects with this drug? Is it okay to take these different medications at the same time? Should this be taken with food? You should prepare resources for medication information before the questions arise. [...]
Residents may have an allergy to a medication. It is important to determine if a resident has drug allergies during the pre-admission appraisal process. This information can be obtained from:
In last week’s Tuesday Tip we clarified criminal clearance requirements for volunteers. Pathways Home Health and Hospice sent us this important reminder that volunteers from a hospice agency are exempt from the criminal clearance process:
Assisted Living providers around the country are reporting increased scrutiny and audits by OSHA. OSHA standards are comprehensive, affecting virtually every aspect of your Community’s operations. One of the key OSHA standards to be aware of are the bloogborne pathogens regulations.
Tip: Can a Nurse Practitioner Sign a “Physician’s Report?” A Tuesday Tip subscriber emailed us with the following question: “Can a nurse practitioner complete and sign the Physician’s Report? Does the physician need to co-sign?”
Not signing off on medication assistance records (MAR) is a significant liability, compliance, and care concern. Have all medication staff audit records from the previous shift.
Are your resident charts getting too heavy to handle? Residents often live in assisted living and residential care communities for many years, and as time goes by the number of assessments, physician orders, narrative entries, and other chart documents can start to become overwhelming. To keep things manageable and easy-to-use it is a good idea [...]