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Making Sense of Medicare: Medicare Expands Program to Improve Nursing Home QualityBy Pam Negri Public Affairs Specialist Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Region 10 Selecting a nursing home for you or a loved one may just have become easier. All too often, decisions about which nursing home to choose are made under difficult circumstances without a lot of information about the quality of care in a particular facility. Now consumers in every state have a wealth of information available at their fingertips about the quality of care in Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes. The Nursing Home Quality Initiative, launched by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides data designed to help consumers across the United States make more educated decisions when selecting a nursing home. Caregivers can obtain copies of state nursing home inspection reports, review staffing and affordability information, and compare newly released quality measures such as a nursing home´s prevalence of bedsores, pain, physical restraints, and infections among their resident population. Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) like Qualis Health, which serves Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, and OMPRO, which serves Oregon, are contracted with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to collect and publish data to help consumers make decisions about nursing homes. Another key component of the quality initiative is the information and consultation that QIOs will offer skilled nursing homes in every state to improve the quality of patient care. The seven-month pilot project confirmed that targeted quality improvement initiatives do indeed improve the quality of care. One of the major indicators of quality evaluated was pain management. Did the pilot result in any changes that eased the pain of residents? In Washington state, for example, significant improvements were noted in several nursing homes which worked with Qualis Health: Tacoma Lutheran Home, Parkway Nursing Home in Snohomish, Everett Rehabilitation and Care Center, and Cascade Vista Convalescent Center in Redmond. Using the Nursing Home Compare tool on www.medicare.gov , or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), consumers will be able to compare specific nursing homes to others in the community or nation on 10 different quality measures. The measures fall into two categories - six for chronic care patients (long-term residents) and four for post-acute care patients (short-term residents). Among the measures are percent of residents: Who need more help doing daily activities. Who have pain. Who have bedsores. We recommend that these quality measures should be one tool among many that consumers use. Checking with state and local ombudsman offices, visiting the nursing homes, and reading the publication, A Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home, are also good tools to use when looking for a nursing home for yourself, a family member, or friend. The quality data, publication, and findings from yearly on-site inspections and complaint investigations by State Survey Agencies are available at Medicare´s consumer friendly Web site www.medicare.gov or by calling the 24-hour help line, 1-800-MEDICARE. Help and Support for People Caring for Loved OnesTaking care of someone with a disabilty can be a full-time job. And like any job, it also requires time for rest and relaxation. The Seattle-King county Respite Care Program gives people a much needed break from the daily routines of caregiving. Whether caregivers need a few hours to visit the doctor, do errands or simply take a break, the program can help. The respite Care Program can also provide services when the caregiver is in need of a vacation or is recovering from an illness. Specially trained substitute caregivers will provide companionship, supervision and assistance with the activities of daily living like dressing, eating or walking. The program can also assist with tasks that require special skills or professional licenses such as personal care, lifting, turning, etc. Several types of respite care are available:
To be eligible for the Respite Care services, you must be:
The cost of the program is based on the income of the person receiving care. People with low incomes receive the service at no cost, and a sliding-fee scale determines the amount for those with higher incomes. The Seattle-King County Respite Program is administered by Aging & Disability Services. For more information or to request respite services, please call Senior Information and Assistance at (206) 448-3110 or 1-800-972-9990. From the June 2001 ACCESS Newsletter with permission. Seniors in Motionoffers in-home consultations to senior citizens to determine if mobility equipment is needed. The organization provides equipment to help individuals stay in their own home and care for themselves. Includes manual and power wheelchairs, walkers, scooters and rollators. Call 1-800-594-1225 Here are some Senior Numbers
If you know of a senior organization that should be listed here, please let us know. Phone: 206-406-2298 or  ©-K.C.S.O. |
