July 2008

Posted: July 3, 2008

IOM and IFAS Bring Workforce Issues to Capitol Hill

In April, IFAS Executive Director Robyn I. Stone, DrPH teamed up with Dr. John W. Rowe, chair of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on the Future Health Care Workforce for Older Americans, to educate the Senate Special Committee on Aging about the long-term care workforce crisis. Rowe's committee just released the IOM report, Retooling for an Aging America. Read more.

Commonwealth Fund Supports Culture Change Studies

Two studies supported by The Commonwealth Fund are shedding light on how nursing homes and states are engaged in culture change activities. The Fund's 2007 National Survey of Nursing Homes measures the extent to which nursing homes are adopting culture change principles and practicing resident-centered care. This summer, IFAS will release a Fund-supported assessment of state investments in culture change.

Conference Highlights Workforce Solutions

What do culture change initiatives, quality improvement programs and housing-plus-services models have in common? Their success often depends on the quality of the long-term care workforce, according to three speakers at Workforce Solutions Day. The special IFAS-sponsored workforce session took place during AAHSA's Future of Aging Services Conference this spring.

What do BJBC Research Findings Mean to You?

Findings from IFAS's Better Jobs Better Care (BJBC) research and demonstration program show that nursing homes and home health agencies view older workers as more stable and better able to provide quality care than younger workers. What does this research finding mean to you? Find out by taking a sneak peak at IFAS's forthcoming summary of provider-friendly research findings.

Nominate Your Nurse Leader by July 11

Nominations for the 3rd Annual Joan Anne McHugh Award for Leadership in Long-Term Care Nursing are due July 11. This award recognizes nurses who provide excellent clinical care while demonstrating leadership and a commitment to the field of long-term care nursing.

Learn how to nominate your nurse leader.

Get to know last year's winner.

BRIDGING POLICY

Housing-Plus-Services Model Needs Support from Policy Makers

Older residents of affordable housing often require a level of care and services that isn't available within their housing communities. One housing provider in Vermont may have a solution to this dilemma - a new housing-plus-services model that she hopes federal and state policy makers will embrace. Read more.

BRIDGING PRACTICE

IFAS Helps Nursing Homes Learn as They Implement Wellspring

When nine nursing homes in the Carolinas received funding to implement the Wellspring Model of quality improvement, they didn't want to wait until their grant was over to find out what they were doing right and what could be improved. An IFAS "process evaluation" has helped the Lutheran Wellspring Alliance of the Carolinas stay on track throughout the implementation process. Read more.

RESEARCH

Data Chart: Diabetes among Nursing Home Residents

A new IFAS report reveals that 25 percent of U.S. nursing home residents have diabetes and that diabetic residents have less favorable profiles on a number of variables, including medication usage.

Read the report.

NEW PUBLICATION

Sleep Apnea Goes Unreported in Nursing Homes

Few nursing home residents who have sleep apnea have it documented in their medical records despite evidence that this condition is highly prevalent in this population. A new IFAS report examines the "disconnect" between the occurrence of a common medical condition and the likelihood that this condition is formally documented. Read more.

NEW GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

Screening for Disability

IFAS will soon be conducting a clinical trial to examine whether screening for disability, and exercise programs for high-risk elders, can be effectively implemented in residential settings. The work will be carried out with a new $500,000 grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Read more.

Improving Quality of Life for People with Dementia

The Beatitudes Campus in Phoenix, Ariz., will be the site of a new IFAS project to analyze the cost effectiveness of a palliative care program designed to improve quality of life for people with dementia and their families. Read more.