QIO HHQI Weekly Update :: July 9, 2007  

TIP OF THE WEEK

Check on Your Neighbors During Extreme Summer Weather
Storms, Heat Pose Increased Risks to Aged, Disabled

Severe summer weather hazards come in many different forms, including severe storms, lightning, extreme heat, drought, flooding and more. All Ohioans are at risk, but some older residents and people with disabilities may be more at risk and less able to prepare or react. The Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) encourages residents and community leaders to check on them before, during and after severe weather.

"Harsh summer conditions can force many people to isolate themselves -- often unsafely -- in their homes," said Barbara E. Riley, Director of the ODA. "Not only does this prevent them from getting the comfort, food and care they need, it can also lead to feelings of isolation and helplessness. A simple, short visit can alleviate fears and identify areas where an individual may need help."

Things to check when you visit:

• Is the home cool enough? If they don't have air conditioning, is the house well-ventilated and are they using fans appropriately to circulate air? Would their home be too warm if they lost their electricity?
• How are they feeling -- both physically and emotionally? Do they have health problems that are aggravated by the heat? Are they feeling depressed and alone?
• Do they have plenty of food and a way to prepare it? Are there nonperishable items such as canned meats and ready-to-eat soups that they could eat if they lost electricity?
• Do they have a sufficient supply of prescription medicines? Do they need someone to help them phone in a prescription or to pick it up from the pharmacy for them? Do any of the medicines increase their vulnerability to heat and direct sunlight?
• Do they have access to light, loose-fitting clothing and sunscreen while outdoors?
• Are the home's gutters in good repair and clear of debris? Are there low branches or objects in the yard that may pose a risk in severe winds?
• Do they have someone to call in an emergency? Could you be that person?

"For most of us, summer is a time of celebration and activity," added Riley. "By working together, across generations, we can keep our communities safe and strong and allow all of our neighbors to enjoy this time."

If help is needed, assistance -- including access to home cooling assistance -- may be available from your Area Agency on Aging, which provides information and referral to many direct services, such as home repair, telephone reassurance, home-delivered meals and more. Call toll-free 1-866-243-5678 to be connected to the agency serving your community.

Source: Ohio Department of Aging. http://www.goldenbuckeye.com

Best Practice Intervention Package: Audio Recordings for Clinicians

The second quarterly Best Practice Intervention Package audio recording CDs for clinicians has been mailed. The package includes the clinician podcasts (audio recordings) for:

1. Emergency Care Planning
2. Medication Management
3. Phone Monitoring and Frontloading Visits

Each recoding is 15 minutes in length or less, and can be listened to in your car, on your computer, or even copied for widespread distribution throughout your agency. Those with Mp3 players may wish to “rip” the recordings and download them to their player. If you have not received your CD, contact Karen Michael at kmichael@wvmi.org.

 

 

IN THE NEWS

HOSPITALS INCREASINGLY USE PALLIATIVE CARE TO IMPROVE PATIENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE, REDUCE COSTS

July 3, 2007 -- Washington Post -- According to the Post, about one-third of U.S. hospitals now offer some form of palliative care, and last year the American Board of Medical Specialties recognized palliative medicine as a specialized field.

The "main goal" of palliative care is to "improve a patient's quality of life," the Post reports. Interdisciplinary palliative care teams at hospitals "often devote much of their time to working with the dying," but as such programs "expand and mature, the teams often begin to see patients earlier in the course of disease, creating a continuum of care from diagnosis on," the Post reports. Palliative care also can keep hospital costs down "by moving patients out of intensive care -- and even out of the hospital -- sooner and by managing pain, nausea or respiratory problems better."

Sean Morrison, director of the National Palliative Care Research Center at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said, "We save a lot of money by providing the right care to the right patients at the right time." Diane Meier, head of the Center to Advance Palliative Care, also based at Mount Sinai, said the rapid growth in palliative care shows hospital administrators are seeing cost savings resulting from the care. "Hospital CEOs are voting with their feet. We are way past the tipping point, said Meier." Read more >>

SOME FIRMS OFFER HELP AS MORE EMPLOYEES JUGGLE WORK, CARE FOR AGING PARENT

July 5, 2007 -- USA Today -- For both employees and the self-employed, shouldering the burden of caring for an elderly parent while also meeting job demands can be a Herculean task. The nation includes an estimated 34 million unpaid caregivers for adults, typically older relatives, according to a study released this week by AARP. Nearly 60 percent of male caregivers work full time, as do 41 percent of female caregivers, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.

But as the ranks of employed caregivers swell, a small but growing number of employers are beginning to establish novel programs to provide help and scheduling flexibility. Twenty-six percent of companies offer an elder care referral service, which helps employees connect with service providers or other services, according to a 2006 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management of small, midsize and large companies. Five percent provide emergency elder care help (such as contracting with a firm that has nurses or other providers who can help care for an elderly relative), and 3 percent subsidize the cost of elder care. Read more >>

CLUES WHEN IT’S TIME TO CONSIDER ASSISTED LIVING

July 2, 2007 -- Newswise -- When is the right time to suggest parents or loved ones can no longer live safely on their own? Sometimes, the decision is forced by illness, an accident or other circumstances related to aging.

For other elders, changes are subtle. In a special report on assisted living, the July issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource lists warning signs to help gauge when seniors need assistance in the home or alternative living arrangements. These signs may also indicate that a call or visit to a primary care doctor is in order. Read more >>

 

COMING ATTRACTIONS

TRANSFORMATIONAL GRAND ROUNDS (Register Now)

Learn how the "Patient Care Can't Wait!" philosophy guided one agency to improve on 10 of 11 quality measures

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Time 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET

More info…

 

Wright Memorial Home Health and Hospice is a rural home health agency in Trenton, Missouri that has in the last year improved on 10 of the 11 publicly reported quality improvement measurements, and now performs in the top 10th percentile nationwide for eight of those measures.

Wright Memorial attributes their remarkable improvements to teamwork, open communications, constant awareness, and always believing that patient care can't wait. The agency staff will share their key strategies, including front-loaded visits, Friday calls, keeping an eye on the numbers, and always finishing step one before moving onto step two.

These efforts have helped improve their clients' ambulation, dyspnea, pain, and other clinical measures, as well as avoid hospitalizations and increase their likelihood of being discharged to the community.