Where the Heart Is. . .A Retreat for CNAs

“How Important Is Good Dental Health for Long-Term Care Residents?”
July 26, 2005 -- Wichita, KS

There is still time to register your CNAs for this dynamic meeting. Focus will be on oral health, with many items, with demonstrations, for participants to bring back to their organizations. Participants at the July 8th Retreat said:

• “This meeting was even more than I expected. I learned a lot about oral care for my residents”.
• “It was very helpful to learn the best ways to take care of our resident’s teeth”.
• “Very good presentations! We pay attention to wound care, but oral care is just as important! This will definitely stick”.
  

For more information and a brochure and registration form, click HERE. (Article submitted by Denise Howell.) Back to menu

CNA Center for Excellence

July 26, 2005 -- Wichita, KS

Send your CNA's to learn about Nutrition, Pressure Ulcers and improve their communication with family members. This FREE Training is available to all CNA's from a grant through the Kansas Department on Aging. The offering is a MUST for CNA's to better understand how they contribute to preventing skin problems in residents. Participants will receive free resources to become more effective and knowledgeable in their profession and learn better communication skills. This session also features door prizes and useful tools for participants! Attendance at these trainings has traditionally been very high and useful to participants. Based on the excellent response, KAHSA will again apply for the Workforce Enhancement Training Grant through KDOA to provide more Free CNA training in 2006. Training dates are as follows:

• August 2 - Sternberg Museum in Hays
• August 9 - Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City
• August 16 - Lakeview Village in Lenexa
• August 23 - St. Joseph Village in Manhattan
• August 31 - Spiritual Life Center in Wichita
  

To register for one of these sites, click HERE to download the brochure. For more information, email Dana Weaver. Back to menu

RAI 401 Medicare/PPS Update/Medicaid Case Mix

Due to an imminent change in regulations, this workshop, originally scheduled for July 14, 2005 at the Eugene M. Hughes Metro Complex will be rescheduled for October 27th in order to incorporate regulation changes into the meeting. Check our website for an updated registration form and brochure. (Article submitted by Denise Howell.) Back to menu

Visit KAHSA's Education Calendars today!

Governor's Rural Life Task Force Requesting Application

Governor Sebelius’ Rural Life Task Force is seeking two rural communities to engage in a two-year process with the Task Force and Governor to solve problems common to rural communities and to build a sustainable future. A community can be a town, an alliance of rural communities with populations of 2,000 or less, or a consortium of niche businesses as long as the outcome of the project could benefit many communities. The projects will be considered successful if they help maintain the viability of the communities and serve as a template for other communities. The first application deadline of July 15 is quickly approaching. For more information on this process, contact Marci Penner at 620.585.2374 or visit the Governor's Website by clicking HERE. (Article submitted by Dana Weaver.) Back to menu

Congressman Convenes Roundtable on Nursing Shortage

Over 100 persons gathered in Shawnee Mission on July 7 at the invitation of Congressman Dennis Moore to talk about the nation’s nursing and nurse instructor shortage. Congressman Moore, who is married to a nurse, observed, “Kansas is just one of many states seeing fewer and fewer students that are joining the ranks of the nursing profession. Nurses provide a great service for the health of our community and nation. Staffing shortages are increasing and recruiting new registered nurses is becoming increasingly difficult for many reasons.”

A panel of nurses and nurse educators from the 3rd Congressional District (mostly KC metro area) provided an overview of growing problems related to nursing school capacity, nursing faculty recruitment and retention, and nurse staffing shortages. Audience members engaged the Congressman and panel in a Q&A and comment time. Among the ideas that emerged for the roundtable was a federal loan forgiveness program for nurses seeking higher education required to become nursing faculty.

Chris Osborn, DON at Lakeview Village in Lenexa attended on behalf of KAHSA, and reports that the meeting focused on problems with recruitment and retention of nursing faculty. (Article submitted by Debra Zehr.) Back to menu

Nominees Sought for Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns

The Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC) is taking applications for appointment to KCDC, a state entity that makes recommendations to policymakers and regulators for changes to laws, regulations and state programs to improve the lives of Kansans with disabilities, particularly related to employment. Download the documents by clicking Application and Job Description. Applications are due to by July 29, 2005. For more information contact Martha Gabehart, KCDC Executive Director at 785.296.1722 or mgabehart@kansascommerce.com. (Article submitted by Debra Zehr.) Back to menu

Replay of the FY 2006 Medicaid Reimbursement Update

This update is available by dialing 888.203.1112 (Passcode: 62443362). The replay is available through August 11, 2005. A copy of the PowerPoint slides can be obtained by clicking HERE. (Article submitted by Edwina Glass.) Back to menu

CMS Request for Public Comment on Tags F323 and F324

CMS has a multi-year contract with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to modify the guidance and decision-making protocol for the long-term care survey process. The goal of the contract is to achieve greater national consistency and accuracy in decision-making and determinations of severity for deficiencies.

CMS intends that this draft will fully replace the current text of the SOM for F323 and F324 and solicits comments from providers to assist with the final document. Your review and comments are invaluable because we will be living with the results of these revisions for a very long time.

The document for review includes:

• A guidance component that includes a Statement of Intent; Definitions, and Overview.
• The Systems Approach Section that directs surveyors to evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of facility systems in providing an environment free from those hazards over which the facility has control; four components that should be addressed in a facility's systems process are identifies: Identification of Hazards and Risks; Evaluation and Analysis;' Implementation of Interventions; Monitoring and Modification.
• Additional sections instruct surveyors to evaluate the sufficiency of supervision provided to residents and to investigate identified potential hazards as possible indicators of a facility's failure to implement an effective "organizational culture of safety." The latter section includes a discussion of the most common potential hazards found in LTC facilities.
  

Please respond with recommendations for change or amendment or commendation by citing the page number and paragraph/heading of the material being referenced by Wednesday, August 3rd. Send your comments to Evvie Munley who is the Sr. Health Policy Analyst at AAHSA (Emunley@aahsa.org) and please cc Carol Moore at clmoore@kahsa.org so that KAHSA can be in a better position to support you with survey issues. Click on CMS Draft Revision Request for the document. (Article submitted by Carol Moore.) Back to menu

Dear DON,

I'm concerned about delegating tasks and mine or my charge nurses liability. How can I best protect my staff and myself? Signed JSD

Dear JSD,

Many nurses think that they are responsible for all care provided to their patients/residents-even care they delegate to other staff. If you do delegate tasks to staff, you could be held liable for actions of others only if you fail to act as any "reasonably prudent" nurse would in a similar situation or fail to monitor the care the delegate provides.

To protect yourself from liability, verify that the person to whom you delegate a task is qualified to carry out the assignment safely and accurately and is legally authorized to do so. Many facilities conduct competency assessments of employees before they are allowed to provide care. It is always a good practice to ask questions to satisfy for yourself that the individual understands the delegated task, especially if you aren't familiar with the employee's abilities. You may want to observe the task being done to verify skill levels as you get to know your staff, and you can assess the resident's response at that time also.

Do not delegate a task if you are unsure of the individual's abilities or if you discover that the assignment cannot be carried out safely. If you assign a task to someone who you know, or should have known, is unqualified to complete it, you could be charged with failing to delegate properly. If a patient/resident is harmed as a result, you and your facility could be sued for negligence. (Response taken from NSO Risk Advisor) (Article submitted by Carol Moore.) Back to menu

Healthy People 2010 challenges individuals, communities, and professionals—indeed, all of us— to take specific steps to ensure that good health, as well as long life, are enjoyed by all. Visit them by clicking HERE. Back to menu