by PGx Medical | Nov 29, 2016 | Careers, News
Nursing homes are different for different reasons. What makes one great…
“It can be a million-dollar place with the newest renovations, but if there is no love, it’s not a home.”
The following article was in the
Pioneer Network newsletter and we wanted to share.
The following article was reprinted with permission of U.S. News. It was originally printed in conjunction with the release of U.S. News & World Report’s new ratings of skilled nursing facilities, which goes into more depth than the federal government’s 5-star ratings. For an overview of this rating systems, go to “U.S. News & World Report Names Best Nursing Homes for 2016-17.”
When Sue Johansen’s husband, Chris, 57, was in a catastrophic car accident in 2014, she had just 24 hours to find a good
nursing home in the San Francisco Bay area that could handle his rehabilitation. Sue Johansen was unusually qualified to do the search. A senior living advisor with A Place for Mom, a Seattle-based senior care referral service, she has done legwork for countless families in need of a top-notch facility for loved ones who are dealing with a host of health issues.
With her husband’s discharge looming, Johansen, 54, refused to be rushed. “Everything unfolds day by day, and you’re dealing with new information and ill-equipped [to do so],” she says. She stretched the search to six days until she was satisfied with the facility that suited Chris’ needs.
Whether the goal is a nursing home for short-term rehabilitation following an
accident, round-the-clock care after a
stroke or long-term care for a disabling condition like the late stages of
Alzheimer’s disease, great nursing homes all have five qualities:
They make it all about each resident. A genuine focus on each person as a unique individual is critical, says Susan Reinhard, senior vice president of AARP’s Public Policy Institute. A resident should never be defined by her illness or inability to grasp a fork. Treating residents like anyone else helps them feel like they’re in a safe, home-like environment.
The right nursing home can be a wonderful place, says nurse practitioner Barbara Resnick, a professor in the department of organizational systems and adult health at the University of Maryland School of Nursing and past president of the American Geriatrics Society. “It’s all about the love,” she says. “It can be a million-dollar place with the newest renovations, but if there is no love, it’s not a home.”
When you visit prospective nursing homes, says Resnick, observe whether staffers greet residents and visitors with a smile. “The staff should be happy, and if the staff isn’t happy, you have a problem. Either you love working with older adults or you don’t. And if you don’t, it doesn’t make a happy home,” Resnick says. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends asking the manager what the staff will say to a person with dementia who constantly
requests to go home. The answer indicates how the staff responds to challenging individuals.
Residents can make choices. They’re not ordered to go to sleep and wake up at certain times, and they have a say about what they can wear, the type of food on the menu and where they can eat. “I should be able to wear my own clothes and not a gown,” Reinhard says. “Does everyone have to get up at 7 a.m. if that’s not what they did their whole life? When it comes to meals, there should be a nice place to sit and be with others.” Ideally, for example, residents will have the choice between a big cafeteria and a smaller dining room. Some residents like to socialize at mealtime; others prefer to eat quietly by themselves or with one or two others at most. When visiting prospective facilities, shed light on this by asking: “Will Dad be able to share a meal with his family in private?” and “Can Mom eat alone if she feels like being left alone?”
There are lots of nurses and other professionals. There should be plenty of professionals, from physicians to
registered nurses, family counselors, certified nursing assistants and aides, “especially for someone with pain medication needs or someone who requires a feeding tube,” says Sue Johansen. Residents in a nursing home to rehab after a hip replacement, for example, will need regular physical therapy tailored to the surgery; a stroke patient, on the other hand, may need a variety of specialists from a speech therapist to an occupational therapist in addition to ordinary nursing care.
Adequate numbers of medical staff can also help stave off trips to the emergency room. “Let’s say you were dehydrated,” Reinhard says. “Ideally, you could get IV treatment in the nursing home and not get shipped to the hospital.” In a
study published March 24 in the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, researchers found that almost half of all long-stay nursing home residents identified through records at Wishard Health Services (now known as Eskenazi Health Services) – a large public health system in Indianapolis – made at least one trip a year to the ER. That not only increases the risk for infection in seniors or people recovering from surgery, but adds stress for people with conditions like dementia.
They offer flexible extended visiting hours. The best nursing homes offer open visiting hours. “That’s something worth exploring, particularly if it’s important to the family member,” Resnick says. “Some nursing homes will help facilitate an overnight stay for you. So, say mom or dad had surgery or is sick. How well will the nursing home adapt to that? Will they bring in a cot for you? Is there a special room you could use?”
by PGx Medical | Oct 12, 2016 | Aging Services, News
Medication management can reduce interactions and side effects that may lead to falls. Although many medication classes have been linked to falls, the evidence is strongest for a few drug categories.
Avoid prescribing medications for an older person where the risk from side effects outweighs the benefit
According to the CDC, they feel it is MOST important to:
- reduce or eliminate psychoactive drugs, especially any benzodiazepines.
- Eliminate medications if there is no active indication to use them.
- Reduce doses of necessary medications (e.g.,antihypertensives) to the lowest effective dose.
- Avoid prescribing medications for an older person where the risk from side effects outweighs the benefit (e.g., skeletal muscle relaxants).
With even more changes and reductions in psychotropic medications coming in 2018, now is a good time to be proactive and implement programs that can help you achieve these mandates.
Medication Management, via pharmacogenetic testing is a great way to avoid trial and error prescribing and have scientific-based results at your fingertips when treating your residents.
For more information on this Medication Management Program, via pharmacogenetic testing, contact:
PGx Medical, info@pgxmed.com or 405-509-5112. .
source: cdc.gov
by PGx Medical | Oct 10, 2016 | News
No matter what you do as a physician or pharmacist, some patients will respond far better to treatment than others, and some will have adverse side effects.
Clay Bullard, President
PGx Medical
Medications can be very helpful and effective, but in approximately 40% of depression cases, drug therapy is ineffective.
There is pharmacogenetic information available to help align medications with each persons unique genetic profile in these areas: depression, anxiety, pain, cardio, seizure, bipolar and more. But not all pharmacogenetic companies offer you the “whole” picture. Know what you are getting before you test your residents.
PGx Medical travels around the country educating and implementing pharmacogenetics within the field of aging services. “It is a simple process,” said Clay Bullard, President of PGx Medical. “Our program addresses clinical concerns in the long-term care setting such as falls, dementia, sleep, pain, med management and overall staff efficiencies.”
The pharmacogenetic test can be placed in the electronic health record for consulting purposes when ordering future medications.
“This is the way of the future,” said Bullard. “Trial and error medication is difficult on the average person, but can be extremely hard on elderly adults. With pharmacogenetics, you avoid that process and you are able to provide a personalized treatment option.”
For more information on pharmacogenetics and how to educate your staff, or implement the program into your long-term care community, contact, PGx Medical, 405-509-5112 or info@pgxmed.com.
by PGx Medical | Oct 5, 2016 | News
CMS and its partners are committed to finding new ways to implement practices that enhance the quality of life for people with dementia.
CMS established new national goals for reducing the use of antipsychotic medications in long-stay nursing home residents
According to an article in CMS.gov, CMS and its partners are committed to finding new ways to implement practices that enhance the quality of life for people with dementia, protect them from substandard care and promote goal-directed, person-centered care for every nursing home resident.
The National Partnership continues to work with state coalitions and nursing homes to significantly reduce the prevalence of antipsychotic use in long-stay nursing home residents. CMS established national goals for reducing the use of antipsychotic medications in long-stay nursing home residents by 30 percent by the end of 2016. These goals build on the progress made to date and express the Partnership’s commitment to continue this important effort.
CMS plans to monitor the reduction of antipsychotics, as well as the possible consequences, review the cases of residents whose antipsychotics are withdrawn to make sure they don’t suffer an unnecessary decline and add the antipsychotic measure to the calculations that CMS makes for each nursing home’s rating on the agency’s Five Star Quality Rating System.
In 2017 those quality measures are predicted to change. Avoiding potentially inappropriate medications in older adults remains important for quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, according to CMS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Medications will continue to be at the forefront when it comes to star quality measures.
To help with the reduction of antipsychotics, there is a fully reimbursed medication management tool that can help clinicians determine the right drug, at the right dose, for the right person. That tool is called pharmacogenetics.
Pharmacogenetics gives you scientific-based evidence on how each individual person receives therapy from the medication they are taking today, and a roadmap for medications in the future. For more information on how to implement this tool into your nursing home, or request more education on pharmacogenetics, contact: PGx Medical at info@pgxmed.com or 405-509-5112.
PGx Medical is the trusted and experienced resource for the implementation of pharmacogenetics in the field of aging services.
source: cms.gov
by PGx Medical | Sep 22, 2016 | News
As we age, it is important to stay active and Fall is the perfect season to get outside and stay in shape.
As we grow older it is important to get up, get out and get active! (photo seniortv.com)
As summer comes to an end, fall is perhaps the most favorite time of year for seniors. As we grow older most seniors like to avoid extreme conditions that summers and winters around the United States offer. Most of us enjoy the cool breeze and comfortable temperatures that come with fall. With that being said, more and more seniors come outside and enjoy the fall weather than they do in the summer. As we grow old it is important for seniors to stay active and find fall activities that are fun and keep you in shape.
Sporting events: Fall means football, one of America’s beloved sports. A lot of seniors just enjoy getting out and staying active, whatever the sport may be. Some seniors go to local high school games, while others attend college or professional games. Whatever sport or team they choose – staying engaged and active is a great way for seniors to live a longer, healthier life!
Hiking: For seniors who are active, hiking is a great way to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. It is very important to know your terrain and weather conditions before journeying out too far. Stay hydrated, wear protective clothing and sunscreen – and know if the medications you are taking have adverse reactions to the sun or extreme heat.
Traveling: One benefit of growing older is more free time to travel. Fall is a great time to make travel plans and the nice thing about being a senior is finding discounts during the off-season while many working adults travel with their children throughout the summer. Another fun way to travel is with a group of other seniors for a day-long excursion, or a lengthy stay. It is a great way to see other parts of the country and meet new friends!
At PGx Medical, our goal is to educate seniors and their families on medication management. One reason some seniors have a difficult time being active is they are on the wrong medication, or multiple medications that interact. Whether they are having an adverse drug event, or just not getting therapy from their current medication, medications play a big factor in keeping seniors on the sideline.
That’s where we can help! PGx Medical offers a simple solution – a once in a lifetime swab of the cheek that can help your doctor determine if the medications you are taking are right for you. For more information, contact PGx Medical at info@pgxmed.com or 405-509-5112. Check out our website: www.pgxmed.com for more information.
Whatever you like to do – Fall is a great season with mild temperatures to get up, get out and get active!
Source: seniortv.com
by PGx Medical | Sep 16, 2016 | News, Uncategorized
Pharmacogenetics aligns current and future medications with each persons unique genetic profile.
The PGx Medical proprietary process impacts quality, adds value and addresses clinical concerns such as falls, dementia, sleep, pain, med management and overall staff efficiencies.
PGx Medical is looking for a select number of LTC/Senior communities in various States across the country to partner in a pilot program to help gain insight, feedback and data relevant to medication management and pharmacogenetics in the field of aging services. This pilot is not a study or clinical trial, but rather a pilot partnership with progressive LTC communities that are interested in exploring enhanced quality measures, improved outcomes and overall efficiencies in their communities. This is a fully reimbursed diagnostic pilot program that has no-cost to the community or the residents and provides valuable information for each individual resident that meets CMS criteria for medical necessity.
Presently enrolling provider organizations and communities to participate in this pharmacogenetics operational program. To learn more, contact us at info@pgxmed.com or 405-509-5112.
