Discharge Planning Advisor-HHS grants promote nursing home quality
The Department of Health and Human Services is awarding $450,000 to four national organizations on aging to improve the quality of nursing home care. The awards, part of the Clinton administration's nursing homes initiative, will support the demonstration of approaches to empower communities and families to improve nursing home care.
The grants are a joint initiative of the Admini stration on Aging and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) and have been awarded to organizations in Washington, DC, and Miami. The initiative promotes quality care for the 1.6 million elderly and disabled Americans in nearly 17,000 nursing homes.
In 1995, HCFA issued the toughest nursing home regulations in the history of Medicare and Medicaid. After implementing those reforms and monitoring the results, the administration took additional steps in July 1998 to further ensure that all nursing home residents receive good care. HCFA's Nursing Home Compare Web site (www. medicare.gov) allows consumers to compare inspection reports on nursing homes, and a free new Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home is available by calling (800) 633-4227.
Grant recipients include:
• The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging in Washington, DC, which will organize intergenerational groups such as schools, service clubs, religious organizations, and pet therapy programs to bring companionship and other activities to nursing home residents. Selected quality-of-life categories will be measured at the outset and conclusion of the pilot.
• The National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center in Washington, DC, under the auspices of the National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, will solicit applications and fund two local ombudsman initiatives to address resident neglect and abuse. The State Long Term Care Ombudsman programs provide advocacy, information, and support to residents of nursing homes and their families.
• The National Center on Elder Abuse in Washington, DC, will use focus groups to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate a "risk profile tool." This tool will assist professionals and nonprofessionals who regularly enter or work in nursing homes to target prevention and intervention efforts for nursing homes and individual residents most at risk for abuse, neglect, or exploitation.
• The National Policy and Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging in Miami will have registered dietitians use Nutrition Care Alerts to increase awareness of the signs of malnutrition and dehydration in nursing home residents and promote an interdisciplinary team approach to improving nutritional care. Nutrition Care Alerts are a tool developed by the Nutrition Screening Initiative to call attention to warning signs and action steps to help avoid unintended weight loss and dehydration.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content