danny

Those given the privilege and responsibility of providing care as well as other services to the frail and elderly are placed in a position where their actions must be clear and decisive in times of emergency. Every long-term care community is required to maintain comprehensive emergency procedures to provide staff with appropriate guidance on responding to all potential hazards, threats and perils that can occur at any given time. When an emergent event or crisis occurs, it is time to respond.

Nana, the name I call my grandmother, has been in a nursing home for several years. Truth be told, it’s painful.

As a life safety/disaster planning consultant to long-term care providers around the country as well as state nursing home associations, including the Arizona Health Care Association (www.azhca.org) and the California Association of Health Facilities (www.cahf.org), I have the opportunity of working directly with specific issues pertaining to safety and security at providers’ facilities.

Each morning, I stay pretty busy working on the computer for several hours. In the afternoon, I lie down to recharge my battery by watching TV. If the topic is of interest to me, I watch talk shows. But most of the time I catch up on the day's news. However, if a violent event has occurred, I get the highlights and then move on. When cable TV airs nothing but reruns, I feel it is a waste of time.

When I came to this facility, I did not know quite what to think. I knew many residents had cognitive impairments and I wondered how that would affect me. The behavior of some residents frightened me and I stayed away from them. I wondered if I would ever find a resident to talk to.

I said hello to residents in the hallway or in the dining room. But I found no one with whom I could have an in-depth, intellectual conversation.

Long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) providers and vendors made great strides in healthcare information technology (HIT) during 2012.  The U.S. healthcare system has begun its move from an episodic care focus to a dynamic, person-centric, electronic and longitudinal care focus. More workgroups are being formed to promote patient engagement.