RESOURCES
This Season Grow Your Transition to the Community Program with Occupational Therapy and Reduce Hospital Readmissions
April showers bring May flowers, may be true, but during the month of April, a significant celebration is in order, it’s Occupational Therapy (OT) Month. The contributions of the OT profession are paramount to healthcare by helping people reach their goals through rehabilitative therapy programs.
International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI)
Presented by: Amy Colella, MS CCC-SLP / Regional Director of Clinical Services
The International Dysphagia Diet Framework will standardize the language and preparation of food and liquids across the globe.
PREFERRED THERAPY RESOURCES INDEX
INTERNATIONAL DYSPHAGIA DIET STANDARDIZATION INITIATIVE (IDDSI)
THE COMPETITIVE EDGE: USING LOCAL HEALTHCARE DATA TO HELP IMPROVE CENSUS
QUALITY MEASURES FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE
COVID-19 AFTEREFFECTS AND THE HEALTHCARE WORFORCE: BURN OUT AND COMPASSION FATIGUE
SAFE PATIENT SOLUTIONS FOR BARIATRICS PATIENTS
The Competitive Edge: Using Local Healthcare Data to Help Improve Census
Among the many challenges faced during the pandemic, plummeting census figures across the senior living space is near the top of the list. SNFs are struggling to meet occupancy targets, which is making the rebound from a difficult year even more challenging. Fortunately, there is useful data available that can help SNF operators but it is important to understand the relevant market and referral source data points that matter. By implementing a comprehensive strategy, defined with key referral metrics, new methods in market share analysis, aligned with a targeted marketing campaign, there are options available for SNF operators to use local healthcare data to help improve census.
Key referral metrics are one of the valuable tools SNFs should have on their radar. The power-of-data is the power-of-knowledge, knowing the types of referral trends in your market. When operators have the insight into Payer and Referral Trends, Discharges to area SNFs, Diagnosis breakdowns, and Readmission rates, they gain valuable insight into referral patterns and can identify opportunities within their facility that may require improvement. Imagine you now have the resources to compare hospital patient discharges and total discharges - just having these metrics would benefit any operator in analyzing their patient-mix and referral trends.
COVID-19 Aftereffects and the Healthcare Workforce: Burn Out and Compassion Fatigue
Worry, exhaustion, constantly changing safety rules, and long hours of wearing PPE are just a few challenges healthcare personnel have faced during the past 15 months. We are now witnessing the aftereffects of COVID-19 with amped-up levels of burn out amongst healthcare workers including an exodus from the healthcare field. According to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll, roughly 3-in-10 health-care workers have weighed leaving their profession. More than half are suffering burn out, and about 6-in-10 say stress from the pandemic has harmed their mental health.
Quality Measures for Optimal Performance
Recently, there has been a provisional decline in ADR and denial activity related to the onset of Covid-19 and the pandemic, but Medicare and other regulatory agencies are once again shifting their focus. Claim denials from Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid plans are on the rise. Knowing industry trends and taking a proactive approach can reduce loss of revenue for healthcare providers and SNFs across the country. The best way to manage a denial is to be versed in the claims process and to stay vigilant with documentation in order to prevent claim arbitration.
Transitions To The Community Program:
Preventing Hospital Readmissions and Improving Resident Outcomes
One in four patients discharged to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) will be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Only half of all patients discharged to the community from a SNF remain home for greater than a month. Many of these readmissions and unsuccessful discharges to the community are potentially avoidable. Research has shown the majority of readmissions occur during the transition of care from one setting to another. These staggering statistics have forced the health care community to improve the transitions of care in order to reduce hospital readmission rates, decrease cost, and improve outcomes.
Enhancing Your Healthcare Staffing Shortage Strategic Solutions
The shortage of nursing and rehab staff is staggering and continues to grow throughout the Skilled Nursing Community. This employment deficiency will likely be in the healthcare industry for quite some time, even when pandemic is no longer prevalent.
Transitions To The Community Program:
Safe Patient Solutions for Bariatric Patients
The prevalence of nursing home resident obesity has more than doubled in the past 20 years, contributing significantly to the staff injuries. From 2000 through 2018, U.S. obesity increased from 30.5% to 42.4% with severe obesity increasing from 4.7% to 9.2%. The cost of back injuries in the American health care industry exceeds $7 billion dollars annually. This figure represents an estimated 5%−15% of the total cost of back injuries across all occupations.