Quality improvement for the ALF
One of the best ways to improve your facility practices is to develop a quality improvement program (commonly using the QAPI method). It Is certain that every community, heck every business, has room to make improvements in their operating procedures. By effectively using a quality improvement program you can pinpoint issues within the community itself and make tangible changes based upon the feedback received in the meeting. If you see the same type of issues coming up month after month then it could be a trend that needs to be unraveled. Check out the regulation provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services for the guidelines on their mandated quality improvement initiative:
2800.26. Quality management.
(a) The residence shall establish and implement a quality management plan.
(b) The quality management plan must address the periodic review and evaluation of the following, to assure compliance with the law and with the relevant standard of care:
(1) The reportable incident and condition reporting procedures.
(2) Complaint procedures.
(3) Staff person training.
(4) Licensing violations and plans of correction, if applicable.
(5) Resident or family councils, or both, if applicable.
(c) The quality management plan must include the development and implementation of measures to address the areas needing improvement that are identified during the periodic review and evaluation.
Top Takeaway:
- (c) The quality management plan must include the development and implementation of measures to address the areas needing improvement that are identified during the periodic review and evaluation.
Receiving feedback from both residents and staff is a great way to detect potential issues and make changes that affect them on a daily basis. You need to have a system in place for receiving complaints, grievances or suggestions in a discrete manner.