Early identification of a change in a resident’s condition can lead to timely and effective intervention to minimize risk, avoid hospitalization, and increase the likelihood of positive patient outcomes. To identify changes in condition and be confident in reporting, staff must first understand what is normal (baseline) for a resident when first admitted to the nursing facility and as their condition evolves over time. In today’s atmosphere of isolation, quarantine, and necessary limits on encounters, picking up on even seemingly small changes is more important than ever.

Are you confident that staff will identify when something seems off? While the concern for possible COVID-19 infection is legitimate, looking for COVID signs and symptoms alone should not be the end of the assessment.

Some of the diagnoses most often tied to avoidable hospitalizations include urinary tract infection, pneumonia, dehydration, pressure ulcers, cellulitis, chronic pulmonary disease/asthma and heart failure.  Assessment protocols to identify these and other clinical changes are crucial; however, a recent Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Center for Aging Research Study found after reviewing hundreds of nursing home to hospital transfers that the most common underlying factor (45%) was that the condition could have been safely managed in the facility given appropriate resources were made available. The top problem issue identified? Communication across stakeholders estimated at 48% of the time.

Would your team benefit from advancing skills and facility systems for identifying and managing changes in condition? Join Proactive Medical Review on January 19th or 20th for Something Seems Off—Identifying Changes in Condition.  This session will review regulatory requirements and best practices for identifying, communicating, and monitoring changes in condition to ensure optimal resident outcomes and reduce hospitalizations. Through lecture and case study analysis we will identify critical nursing assessment and documentation principles to apply in your daily practical operations to promote resident well-being and minimize potential risks.

This is the first session of a new 12 -month webinar series: Standards of Care: Driving LTC Clinical Quality. Each session focuses on nursing facility systems of care and managing common conditions treated in the LTC setting. Each session addresses standards of care, staff training/competency focus areas, critical nursing assessment/ documentation principles, care planning guidance, recommended QA activities, and practical daily operations guidance with extensive use of case examples. Recordings of live sessions are included with the webinar purchase.

Something Seems Off — Identifying Changes in Condition Learn more

Apply best practices for identifying, communicating, and monitoring changes in condition to ensure optimal resident outcomes and reduce hospitalizations.

 

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Blog by Eleisha Wilkes, RN, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, DNS-CT, Proactive Medical Review

Click here to learn more about Eleisha and the rest of the Proactive team.