Nursing Home Volunteer

Offering your free time to something that will benefit others is a very noble act. Volunteering will make you feel you did well with your free time by helping others; something memorable and worth the time. Nursing homes are one of the destinations of those who want to volunteer and spend some quality time serving people in need of a companion and assistance. Yes, a nursing home is not a fun place to visit; some call it a boring place. That’s a dishonor to our elders.

Home-2Volunteers are not required to have a background in healthcare or have some specific degree or certification. All you need is your willingness to volunteer. The usual needs of the nursing home residents are of course medical care, but they also need mental exercises and emotional connection that is very important to keep them healthy. If you become a volunteer in a nursing home, you will be involved in activities and games that are very exciting and enjoyable. During these activities, you might be hosting contests or dances, bingo nights and card games. These kinds of activities will make the residents forget about the loneliness.

You can also spend time talking to these remarkable residents who walked the earth long before us. You will be amazed by what you will hear about their life, the history that you are not aware of and their amazing adventure throughout their life. You will gain quality time and good memories throughout your shift as well as receive great smiles from the new people that you will meet. If you are the type of a person that loves interacting with people and open to extending help to others through your time, you might be suited to volunteering in a nursing home.

Choosing a Hospice Provider

hospicecareA hospice care program is offered to someone who is in an advanced or terminal illness. This is a specialized support and care program that aims to lighten the burden being carried by the patient and his family.  There are many institutions that offer this kind of services which should be in line with the guidelines set by the Medicare.  Though they follow guidelines and have good programs, it still matters to choose the best hospice agency. They are not exactly similar; there are minor differences that may mean big. It is advisable to research from the start to find where those differences lie. You could ask some friends who know such agencies. They may give you some helpful advice where to go or what institution to avoid.

Hospice care service must be compassionate and knowledgeable in every step of the patient’s journey. They must be composed of physicians and nurses as well as other professional caregivers that will offer personalized choices. The institution must also be up-to-date with the pain and symptom management, and could offer the patient peace of mind to easily deal with the illness. Usually, hospice care is suitable for those who have a limited diagnosis of 12 months or less. It is indeed hard for the person to live a normal life when he knows he or she has few months to live, but it is more difficult to deal with it alone or with worried and stressed family members.  The service will offer physical comfort and well-being for the patient.

Most institutions require large to minimal amount of payment for their services, but there are few who offer their services for free. They wish to aid the patient and their family spend their extended time together at the comfort of a well equipped facility. In this period of time, you and your family should be able to focus on comfort and quality of life rather than on worries and fear.

Home Care Services for Seniors

When one of our loved ones reaches retirement age, concerns start to arise regarding their condition, like whenever they are alone in the house, they are starting to forget a lot of things or they already need assistance in doing basic chores. One option to be assured of their well-being is to have a senior home care service. Through this, you don’t have to fear for their safety whenever you are away from home, while allowing you to have time to see them when you return home. There are a lot of institutions that offer the home care services. But, it would be nice to choose the most committed to the highest quality of service they can provide. In choosing a service, you will need to check the record of the institution. You may ask friends or neighbors who know such senior care services.

The home care service must be able to provide respite care to the senior as well as companionship and someone to talk to. It is very necessary to keep the social activity of the senior; holding a conversation with them will keep their mind active. The service must also be able to assist with the diet and eating of the senior as well as check the expiration of the food they are eating. Keeping track of the daily activities of the senior is also part of their job. They must have a daily plan of their activities which might include the bathing, grocery, entertainment, visits to friends or hospital, as well as set schedule for trips on vacation.

Personal needs of the senior must also be assisted like eating, dressing, medication and mobility. Home maintenance may be included. Since it is the place where the senior will stay most of the time, it must be cleaned and be safe for the senior. Making a decision in choosing a caring service for your loved one is complicated. They must offer a wide variety of home care services; so that it may include activities and support that will be very appropriate your elderly loved one’s needs.

 

Importance of NLNAC to Nursing Programs

Choosing a nursing school is an integral part of your career. There are a lot of considerations to take into account, like the distance of the school from where you live and the cost of the program. One thing to consider is the accreditation of the nursing school. Nursing, like some professions, has more than one accrediting agency. The university is either accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Let’s get to know the background of this accreditation agency. NLNAC was first created in 1893. When the new Higher Education Act made some changes in the accrediting requirements and processes, the NLNAC was not able to comply. This made way to the entrance of the CCNE in 1998. There are people who favor the NLNAC accreditation because it supports a larger mixture of institutional missions and therefore provides greater opportunities for students. Some say that it had an explicit standard addressing a program’s integrity, which the CCNE lacked. Having an accreditation basically controls the profession’s quality and standards. They are referred as gatekeepers to quality. Through accreditation, students will be guided on what program or school to choose, determining the more dominant program and the more competitive. The two accrediting agencies have their own focus and standards.  Both have their pros and cons, but helps improve the quality and effectiveness of a nursing school.

Accreditation is very imperative for the forthcoming nursing student when choosing an entry-level nursing program. In the U.S., all nursing schools must have a license and an approval from the state where it is located. There are certain requirements that must be met by the school to be accredited. Whatever accreditation the school will use, it will enhance the quality of its nursing program which will create more competitive nurses.

 

Hospice Care Availability

Hospice care is accessible to anyone, regardless of what type of insurance or financial resources the patient is using. Home hospice care is cheaper than care in hospitals or nursing homes. This is because affordable technology is used which can easily be monitored and facilitated even by family and friends. For most occasions, the cost of hospice care is fully paid by the Medicare Hospice Benefit. Through the Medicare Hospice Benefit, the patient will be given a daily allowance and pays all medical services, medical equipment, medications, as well as treatments and supplies.

There are other health insurance companies who offer hospice care and services. Medicaid also offers the same services like other private insurance companies. You can check the insurance plan you have regarding the insurance benefits, requirements and deductibles. For those who are not covered by Medicare, Medicaid or other private insurance companies, they can avail of free hospice services through the donations and contributions from a community or a foundation. There are also programs who only charge a minimum hospice cost if the patient has a low income

Hospice benefits are provided on a per day (per diem) basis to the hospice provider. The hospice benefit is very helpful for those under its care since it covers all services, medications and equipment related to the person’s needs. The patient and his family can save a lot.  Medicare offers hospice consultation for those who want to know about the details of their hospice care, it’s a one-time consultation only. Ask someone who knows about hospice care, specifically those who are connected with health insurance companies. You may even discuss your options with their director for clarifications.

Benefits of Being a Respiratory Therapist

It is the job of the respiratory therapist to aid patients who suffer with respiratory illnesses, assist patients dealing with respiratory emergencies. It is a challenging profession but it offers a good salary and growth opportunity. The demand for RTs is expected to rise until 2020, thus showing the employment opportunity.

Respiratory therapists don’t need advanced education and training, most of them have just undergone associate degrees though others have bachelor’s degrees, but they are required to have a license to be allowed to work. Each state has different requirements for an RT to be licensed.

Respiratory therapists can either work on medical facilities like hospitals and nursing homes. They have specific tasks like administering oxygen, performing CPR, using ventilators, and give medicines as prescribed. The RT should have the skills to be able to provide this care. They must also be able to build relationships with patients to be more effective with their job. Respiratory Therapists can also work in extended care facilities like nursing homes which require them to provide an extended time with their patients.

People who have breathing problems need the assistance of an RT. Therapists in the hospitals are more prone with stress. They are required to administer CPR and assist with treatment in emergency rooms. The RTs are still under the supervision of the licensed physician, so whatever medication needed must be coming from the assigned physician. In every situation, the RT is trained what to do, he knows his role and skilled in using the equipments that help ease the hardships felt by the patients with respiratory illnesses. Being a Respiratory Therapist is fulfilling and gives you opportunity to serve while having a decent earning and career growth.

Patient Safety and Quality Care

It is the utmost goal of healthcare providers to give their patients the quality care they need to recover from their illnesses or injuries. There are a lot of components to make the services or approaches in healthcare safe for patients. Any healthcare provider must be able to prevent errors in any procedure conducted with the patient, as well as learn from the errors that may occur and make sure that it will not happen again.

Patient care must be focused on reducing risk of adverse events related to contact to medical care starting from diagnoses until medication. There are still many procedures that are not effective and safe for patient. This calls for further studies to determine its effectiveness in preventing or reducing harm.

There are patient safety practices that may be used to avoid possible errors. These are the use of simulators, doing bar coding, programmed physician order entry and proper crew resource management. There are more and more research done to explore areas that could improve healthcare procedures and many more that need attention and further studies.

The safety of the patient is the keystone of the quality of health care. Nurses or other healthcare professionals must be at watch and observant to the most effective approach that will make the patient more secure and safe. They are more connected and in contact with the patient so they have the bird’s eye view on what are the things occurring with the patient during medication. There are still many things to be done to make the patent care perfect. In the mean time, making the patient well served and properly medicated will make them feel better and reach recovery faster.

The Smartchip Technology in Hospitals

The Smartchip Technology is now being used by some hospitals to ensure the safety and quality of healthcare offered. The hospital is now utilizing the smartcard ID technology to make sure that only authorized family members can go inside the surgical and post-operative areas. This will keep intruders away and interfere with the activities of doctors and nurses. The smartchip will be loaded to the patient’s bracelet which contains information about the patient. The family member will be given as well to monitor the visitors and entry in the hospital.

The main reason why smartchips are used in the hospital before is to safeguard babies. It’s not an unfamiliar story that babies sometimes get interchanged. The smartchip/smartcard will help identify the babies to avoid confusion. Now the technology is used to monitor outpatients. The technology is now being integrated to other devices. For example, seniors who often need check-up and consultations are no longer asked to frequently visit the hospital. The gadget attached to the patient will record and monitor the vitals of the patient and will directly send the information to the hospital. The patient will no longer be stressed in going back to the hospital and will allow them to save more money.

According to the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), the smartcard and similar technologies may save U.S. healthcare payers $2.2 billion per year. This is through the savings they have by paying lesser in hospital admissions. The smartcards operate through the use of radio frequency (RF) technology. The  patient’s personal identification number and a low-resolution photo will be embedded in the card like an ID. Some of the medical information of the patient will also be recorded as well as the patient’s health insurance information. The advancement of the technology for healthcare has continued to progress and improve through the years. Technologies like the smartchips will ensure the safety and wellness of the patient.

Psychology in Nursing

Nurses play a vital role in the recovery and wellness of any patient since they have more time dealing with the patients than the physicians or other healthcare professionals. To be able to have an understanding with the patients condition and feeling, and to make the rehabilitation and medication easier, the nurse must know the psychology behind every human behavior. Psychology is the key to understanding the attitude and behavior of people which may help in the wellness of the patient.

Recovery from a severe health condition doesn’t just require a complete medication; the mind has its part too in making the patient cope and recover. It is the job of the nurse to make the patient believe that he will get well and to influence their attitude and thoughts about their condition.

The focus must not only center in the patient’s physical reaction to his illness or to the medication, it must also be on the patient’s “response and reaction” to illness. The way the patient views himself as a patient is important to understand. Individuals have different reactions and approach towards illness.Once we understand the patient, things can be done to improve the health and well-being of the patient.

Psychology is significant in Nursing Practice because it helps in establishing the communication processes between the patient and the nurse in order to increase the therapeutic relationship. Understanding can be created by knowing how people react in various conditions of illness and pain.

Psychology delivers an occasion for nurses to know their responsibilities in a better way and to be aware where to focus. However, nurses have the skills and training to deal with different situations and various types of patients. Nurses need to understand the psychology behind every patient which plays a vital role in health-related matters.

The Regulations and Licensing on Assisted Living Facilities

The regulation of assisted living facilities in the U.S. differs from state to state. The Assisted Living Federation of America or the ALFA is the biggest national association fully dedicated to professionally manage the senior living communities in every state and the seniors and families they assist. It is the job of the ALFA to educate assisted living communities about the regulations and licensing requirements mandated by the state where they are located. They do some monitoring of each assisted living facilities and make sure that they submit the requirements needed for licensing and that the services they offer are high quality.

As mentioned above, the regulations differ from state to state, so it is highly recommended to review the regulation created by your state for assisted living facilities in your area before choosing. It will guide you in your decision by knowing if the facility is following the regulations or not. The ALFA updates their records about the assisted living facilities they had monitored. They also look at the laws and regulations, significant legislation and the proposed regulations by a specific state. They will also get the basic information such as: elder abuse reporting contacts, important news by the state and information about the local government.

When there is an alteration to the state legislation or the state regulation, it will be posted by ALFA online to inform the seniors and their family. It is necessary because a certain regulation might have a direct or indirect effect on the type and quality of service a certain facility will offer. The regulations on the assisted living facilities will help maintain the quality of the services they offer and will ensure that the elderlies are properly taken care of inside the facility.