IFAS Age – March 2008

Posted: Mar. 21, 2008

Why Should AAHSA Members Care about IFAS and the Work it Does?

We posed this question to Dr. Robyn Stone, executive director of IFAS and senior vice president of research at AAHSA. Stone responded by offering some compelling examples of how IFAS's applied research is benefiting AAHSA members, and some of the projects that IFAS researchers will be tackling during 2008. Read more.

Meet Pat Wilbur and Nominate a Nurse Leader

Amazing things happened to Pat Wilbur after she received the Joan Anne McHugh Award for Leadership in Long-Term Care Nursing in October. She became a celebrity as news of her honor made headlines. Read more about Pat Wilbur and find out how to nominate a nurse leader for the 2008 McHugh Award. The deadline is July 13.

AAHSA Conference Explores Workforce Issues

Workforce issues will be front and center at AAHSA's Future of Aging Services Conference & Exposition March 31-April 2 in Washington, D.C. During Workforce Solutions Day attendees will hear about intriguing strategies for creating people-centric cultures, building a quality aging services workforce, using technology to empower workers and solutions to improve care and services. Visit the conference Website to learn more and register.

BRIDGING POLICY

Workforce Cabinet Begins Deliberations

AAHSA's Workforce and Talent Cabinet recently met for the first time in Washington, D.C. The cabinet is charged with developing a plan for building a quality long-term care workforce that will meet the needs of providers, workers and residents/clients. Read more about the cabinet and its two-year agenda.

BRIDGING PRACTICE

Pilot Program Helps LVNs Improve Supervision Skills

Licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) in four California nursing homes were "off duty" for a full day last spring so they could attend the Leadership Enrichment and Development program designed to help them become more effective supervisors of frontline workers through highly interactive sessions that emphasized real-world examples and creative group exercises. Read more.

NEW TOOLS AND PUBLICATIONS

IFAS Report Examines Diabetes in Nursing Homes

A quarter of nursing home residents have diabetes and the disease is much more prevalent in non-White residents, according to a new IFAS analysis of the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey. The report also predicts an increase in the number of nursing home residents with diabetes in the coming decades. Read the report.

Are You Ready for Quality Improvement?

Your nursing home's quality improvement (QI) initiative will go more smoothly if you begin by taking an honest and objective look at whether your organization is ready for QI. Use the new Readiness Assessment Tool to identify where your organization's readiness and capacity are limited and to gain a better understanding of how to achieve success in QI efforts.

Career Ladders Lead to Quality Improvements

Education and career advancement opportunities can improve frontline workers' feelings of self-confidence and respect, lead to improvements in the quality of care and make an organization more attractive to potential new employees, according to IFAS's evaluation of the Extended Care Career Ladder Initiative. Read the full analysis.

Linking Affordable Senior Housing and Medical House Call Practices

Poor health, financial limitations or lack of accessible transportation can keep many residents of publicly subsidized housing from obtaining the medical services they need. But a new IFAS study suggests that a medical house call program could help residents address these challenges. Find out how.

NEW GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

Strengthening the Role of Family Caregivers in Low-Income Housing

IFAS will soon be developing and evaluating a training program aimed at strengthening the role of family members who care for older adults living in independent, publicly subsidized housing communities. Read more.

Predicting Disability in the Elderly

This year, IFAS will be assessing how easily CCRC staff members can be trained to administer the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), which tests an older person's balance, walking speed and ability to rise from a chair. Read more.

Studying Europe's LTC Workforce

The International Association of Homes and Services for the Aging will collaborate with IFAS on a new project to examine the European aging services workforce, the issues workers face and ways in which health care products and equipment can aid and enhance their care of older people. Read more.

Evaluating the Geriatric Team Leadership Training

IFAS will soon be evaluating whether a Geriatric Team Leadership program actually improves clinical knowledge, critical thinking and leadership skills among nurses and CNAs. Read more.