Category: Provider Magazine

How AI Can Help Differentiate Between a UTI or Dementia

Staff, administrators, and medical professionals in senior care communities are acutely aware of the increased frequency of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among older adults and how often they are misdiagnosed as signs of dementia.

While these two diagnoses are separate, they are inextricably linked based on overlapping symptoms. One of the most significant and obvious overlapping symptoms is a sudden increase in confusion. This often presents as delirium and explains why many jump to a diagnosis of dementia before testing for a UTI. Other overlapping symptoms include increased agitation, withdrawal, and difficulty concentrating. Yet diagnosis can be further challenging because the typical physical symptoms of a UTI, such as a burning sensation during urination, may not be present in older adults.

Read the full article at  https://www.providermagazine.com/Articles/Pages/How-AI-Can-Help-Differentiate-Between-a-UTI-or-Dementia.aspx

Distinguish Quality Measure Exclusions from Clinical Standards in Long Term Care

​In the long term care profession, understanding the differences between Quality Measure (QM) exclusions outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and clinical standards of practice can be challenging.

Read more by going to https://www.providermagazine.com/Articles/Pages/Distinguish-Quality-Measure-Exclusions-from-Clinical-Standards-in-Long-Term-Care.aspx

Health Care’s Value Revolution Focusing on Quality Over Quantity

Provider financial returns have long been driven by the quantity of services provided, not the outcomes that were achieved. However, as we journey deeper into the 21st century, it’s becoming clear that this volume-driven approach is no longer sustainable, nor beneficial to patients.

https://www.providermagazine.com/Articles/Pages/Health-Care%E2%80%99s-Value-Revolution-Focusing-on-Quality-Over-Quantity.aspx

Are Robots the Solution to Senior Care Staffing Shortages?

The challenges we face as senior care executives are as multifaceted as they are pressing. Among the most formidable is the persistent staffing shortage that plagues our industry.

While the worst staffing shortages occurred during the pandemic, its reverberations continue to ripple through our operations. COVID-19 laid bare the vulnerabilities inherent in our current model of senior care staffing, exposing the precarious balance upon which our ability to deliver essential services rests. The sudden onset of the pandemic exacerbated an already tenuous situation, with many health care workers forced to grapple with increased workloads, heightened health risks, and unprecedented levels of stress and burnout. Even today, 94 percent of senior care facilities find recruitment difficult, with 67 percent reporting it’s due to a lack of interested or qualified candidates.

Read more at https://www.providermagazine.com/Articles/Pages/Are-Robots-the-Solution-to-Senior-Care-Staffing-Shortages.aspx

Cybersecurity Safety is Patient Safety!

Post-acute care facilities play a unique and critical role in the health care ecosystem. However, with this specialized focus comes distinct challenges in the realm of cybersecurity. Additionally, the recent staffing mandates announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as of April 22, 2024, pose further hurdles, potentially straining resources and complicating cybersecurity efforts.

Find out more by going to https://www.providermagazine.com/Articles/Pages/Cybersecurity-Safety-Is-Patient-Safety.aspx

Improving Outcomes Through Better Communication

Communication is key when providing quality care to residents because those living in long term care environments experience increased vulnerability. Good communication can often be likened to a dance. When synchronized, it is beautiful to watch. However, one misstep can lead to injury or hurt feelings. Lack of communication can result in missed appointments, medication errors, adverse events, rehospitalization, and even death. This article offers tips to facility leadership on how to improve communication with residents and their families, staff, and outside partners.

https://www.providermagazine.com/Issues/2024/Spring/Pages/Improving-Outcomes-Through-Better-Communication.aspx

Empower Residents with a Holistic Approach to Activities

​The senior care industry is dutifully focused on medical interventions and patient care. Part of this commitment is the promotion of activities and mobility.

Picture a bustling senior care facility where the rooms are filled with sounds, the halls echo with the shuffle of feet engaged in purposeful movement, and every corner hosts a unique activity that sparks joy. It’s a vision that goes beyond the conventional notions of caregiving. Attending to the physical needs of older adults is part of their comprehensive care, and skilled nursing facilities and long-term care centers would do well to embrace the transformative power of recreation.

Why should activities and mobility be at the forefront of the senior care sector? Because it’s about celebrating the vitality of our senior community and creating environments where residents can lead better quality lives.

https://www.providermagazine.com/Articles/Pages/Empower-Residents-with-a-Holistic-Approach-to-Activities.aspx