Related Links
The following is a list of links to organizations and resources that may
be helpful when working on the campaign goals (please click on each link for
more information):
A broad range of stakeholders in quality long-term care that provide
ongoing strategy development, guidance and in-kind support for the campaign.
Resources for Nursing Home Education
American Nurses
Association (ANA)
The American Nurses Association is a professional organization representing
2.7 million registered nurses (RNs) through its 54 constituent member
associations. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high
standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of
nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of
nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care
issues affecting nurses and the public.
Association of Health
Facility Survey Agencies (AHFSA)
AHFSA is a not-for-profit organization that provides information and links
to websites where interested persons can learn about licensing, certifying,
and inspecting health care providers.
Culture Change
Now and Action Pact, Inc.
Action Pact, Inc. is a company of consultants and trainers who provide
nursing homes with practical education, products, services, and training
materials on Culture Change. The website and magazine for Action Pact, Inc.
is titled ‘Culture Change Now.’
Eden Alternative
The Eden Alternative is a movement dedicated to changing nursing homes by
focusing on an elder-centered community, and by altering the environment
with plants, and increased human and animal companionship. The Eden
Alternative believes through altering the nursing home environment, the
issues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom will be alleviated for the
elders.
Enhanced Set of Quality Measures Resource Manual
This Quality Measures Resource Manual contains detailed information on the
enhanced set of quality measures that are being implemented by the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as part of the Nursing Home Quality
Initiative (NHQI).
Geriatric Pain
The purpose of this web resource is to share best practice tools and
resources with nurses responsible for pain care in older adults who reside
in nursing homes.
MedQIC
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created this
comprehensive online resource of quality improvement information for
Medicare’s National Quality Improvement Priority Topics. The purpose of
MedQIC is to support Quality Improvement Organizations and providers of
services to Medicare beneficiaries in finding, using, and sharing quality
improvement resources. Information on MedQIC is organized by settings and
clinical topics and includes resources for each Priority Topic. You may also
search the entire database for literature, tools, and other information
related to improving quality of care.
National Association
of Health Care Assistance (NAHCA)
The National Association of Health Care Assistance is a professional
association representing more than 30,000 CNAs. Their goal is to assure the
highest quality of care was provided to the nation’s elders living in
nursing homes, achieved by elevating the professional standing and
performance of nursing assistants.
National Pressure Ulcer
Advisory Panel
The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) serves as the
authoritative voice for improved patient outcomes in pressure ulcer
prevention and treatment through public policy, education and research.
The Palliative Care
Policy Center (PCPC)
PCPC offers expert support to hospitals, nursing homes, health systems,
hospices, and other organizations that serve individuals nearing the end of
life. We seek to help you make breakthrough change happen in areas that
matter to patients and families. A key goal of our activities is to gather
information and create a common database that can help improve the
experience of dying patients and their families everywhere. We make our
findings and lessons learned available to all so that all who aim to improve
care for serious illness may succeed.
PHI
PHI works with organizations, providers, educators, and consumers to address
workforce issues and develop sustainable solutions for the long-term care
setting.
Pioneer Network
The Pioneer Network is a network of people dedicated to transforming nursing
homes from institutions into communities through Culture Change. This
grassroots movement is focused on supporting elders and those who care for
them by collectively implementing Culture Change and altering the culture of
aging in America.
Resident Assessment Instrument User's Manual for the Minimum Data Set
The long-term care facility Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) User’s
manual is published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This
manual includes updates and clarifications to the processes and clinical
items required for the MDS resident assessments. The RAI helps facility
staff to gather definitive information on a resident’s strengths and needs,
evaluate goal achievement and revise care plans accordingly by enabling the
facility to track changes in the resident’s status.
University of Alabama
The Achievable Benchmark of Care (ABC™) system is continually being
developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) under an
initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This
manual has been written to help practitioners, administrators, payers, and
anyone else charged with improving the quality of health care, to use the
ABC system.
Resources for Consumer Education
AARP: Advance Directives: Planning for the Future
Do you know what your loved one's health care wishes are at the end of life?
Find out how advance directives can help.
AARP: Talking about your Final Wishes
This article on the AARP site offers suggestions on starting the
conversation with your family and loved ones about your end-of-life wishes.
American
Bar Association Consumer's Tool Kit for Health Care Advance Planning
The Consumer's Tool Kit for Health Care Advance Planning contains self-help
worksheets, suggestions and resources to help patients and families clarify
and communicate their priorities in the face of serious illness.
Comprehensive End of Life Resources
This comprehensive resource page sponsored by the U.S. National Library of
Medicine and the National Institutes of Health which contains links to many
useful materials for both patients or caregivers faced with planning
end-of-life of care.
Nursing Home Compare
The primary purpose of this tool is to provide detailed information about
the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home
in the country. Important Information on Nursing Home Compare and other
resources, including the Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home, and Nursing Home
Checklist are also available to help you with your nursing home choice. Use
these tools, along with the information you gather during your visits to the
nursing homes you are interested in to make your best choice.
Home Health Compare
The primary purpose of this tool is to provide detailed information about
the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified home health
agency in the country. Important Information on Home Health Compare and
other resources, including What is Home Health Care, Medicare Coverage also
available to help you with your home health agency choice. Use these tools,
along with the information you gather during your visits to the home health
agencies you are interested in to make your best choice.
Home
Health Quality Improvement (HHQI)
The Home Health Quality Improvement (HHQI) National Campaign is a grassroots
movement designed to unite home health stakeholders and multiple health care
settings under the shared vision of reducing avoidable hospitalizations and
improving medication management.
National Hospice and
Palliative Care Organization: Caring Connections
Caring Connections, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization (NHPCO), is a national consumer and community engagement
initiative to improve care at the end of life.
OASIS
The Outcome Assessment and Information Set (OASIS) data set information
contains detailed information on the publicly reported quality measures that
are being implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
as part of the Home Health Quality Initiative (HHQI).
PHI
PHI works with organizations, providers, educators, and consumers to address
workforce issues and develop sustainable solutions for the long-term care
setting.
Pennsylvania Restraint Reduction Initiative and
Untie
the Elderly
Kendal Outreach, LLC provides resources and programs to agencies and
organizations dealing with elder care and quality improvement. Two of the
initiatives for which Kendal Outreach, LLC provides programs and Services
are: the Pennsylvania Restraint Reduction Initiative, designed to provide
education on safe practices; and the Untie the Elderly initiative, with
programs to help foster independence for elders.