Governing Values Goals & Objectives Programs
Traditions Health Care’s Goals and Objectives are:
a. Fiscal Accountability
i. Budgets: Traditions Health Care works diligently to insure the nursing homes they own and manage are fiscally responsible in the care and services provided. We set realistic budgets according to patient day revenue and work with the facilities management team to achieve these budgets.
ii. Fiscal Responsibility: Traditions Health Care requires there nursing homes to become self reliant.
b. Survey Compliance:
i. Survey History: Annually each nursing home in the State is surveyed by the State and/or Federal Government. During these surveys, the agencies evaluate the nursing home to determine their compliance with the State and Federal regulations. Traditions Health Care has an exceptional survey history. We conduct a series of Quality of Care audits daily, weekly and monthly to determine compliance against the State and Federal Regulations. We discuss current survey trends and evaluate our processes to ensure complete compliance. We write or rewrite policy based on the changing regulations, and then educate staff on those changes.
c. Quality of Life
i. Memories: We believe creating an environment that will foster memories is one of the most important things we can do to enhance their quality of life. We encourage each resident and family to make the resident’s living space unique to them and as homelike as possible. We also take the time to understand and identify with each resident. We believe that we must understand their individuality in order for us to provide the highest quality of life possible for them. A favorite story of our company summarizes this philosophy. This story talks about a little boy that adopted a “grandmother” at a local nursing home. Each week he volunteered his time and visited his “grandmother”. One day he overheard a person state that his “grandmother” had lost her mind. Being concerned about what he heard, and being so innocent, this little boy decided that he would do everything he could to help find his “grandmother’s” mind. He began picking up various items through out his home: crochet needle and yarn, a rock, a toy horse, a leaf, and an orange. He put these items in a sack and took them with him on his next visit. A miraculous thing happened as he visited his “grandmother” and pulled each item out one by one. His “grandmother” found her memory. Each item he showed her brought back a specific memory: crocheting baby booties, throwing rocks in the creek, riding her horse on the farm, walking through the forest during the fall, and visiting Florid, etc.
ii. Building Culture: We focus on identifying what the unique culture of the nursing home is, and then develop and adapt to that culture. We tailor the physical environment, the daily events, and activities to that specific culture which in turn fosters memories.
iii. Activities: Our activities cultivate memories for each resident. Here are just a few of the activities we have done over the past several years: regular fishing trips during the summer months; lunch outings and movies; trips to Wendover; trips to Antelope Island; evenings at the ballet watching the Nutcracker; and date outings with the residents and their spouses. We have several special occasion activities including: a Valentines date dinner; a Mothers day tea program; a Fathers day BBQ; Thanksgiving dinner; and a Christmas open house. Our focus is on the resident and allowing them a continuum of life experiences from their past through the present.
iv. Alzheimer's: The Alzheimer resident’s mental and physical decline evolves through different levels. At each level new problems arise which requires different care giving strategies. What works one day may not work the next, making it an ongoing challenge to work with these resident’s. Our focus is to identify each resident’s current level of ability, either: early, middle, late, or terminal level of functioning. Once we identify these levels, we can then individualize specific activities appropriate for that level. Just as you and I enjoy participating in activities that are age appropriate for us, the Alzheimer’s resident requires activities that are appropriate to the level of their functional ability. Understanding and compassionately promoting these levels will greatly enhance their quality of life.
d. Quality of Care
i. Care Factors: Each resident must receive, and the facility must provide, the necessary care and services to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being, in accordance with the comprehensive assessment and plan of care. The nursing home must ensure that the resident obtains optimal improvement or does not deteriorate within the limits of a resident’s right to refuse treatment, and within the limits of recognized pathology and the normal aging process. We consider that the higher amount of money we directly invest into resident care correlates to a higher standard of care provided. Traditions’ nursing homes, over the years, have averaged spending 72% to 78% of the facility total income on direct resident care. Traditions Health Care allows their nursing homes to spend money for the enhancement of staffing levels, staff training, activities, food services and quality supplies.
ii. Events/Programs: We have the following programs in place to ensure quality of care:
1. The Entrusted Care program. This program outlines many of the service expectations that we promise to deliver to our residents and their families. We evaluate ourselves monthly against these standards during our monthly Quality Assurance process.
2. A resident/family satisfaction survey conducted by a third party organization.
3. Quality Assurance audits on care issues such as falls, pressure ulcers, weight loss, dehydration, restraints, psychotropic medication use, and infections. These monthly reports track our performance to compare ourselves to the standards in our company as well as trends across the state and country in comparable circumstances.
4. Quality Assurance program. We meet on a monthly basis to identify and to put in place plans of correction that will immediately correct and improve any quality of care issues.
5. Quality education programs. We have a daily ongoing in-service program that addresses common and various daily care issues. Continual education of care issues for each direct care provider ensures that our high standards of care are communicated and achieved.
iii. Medical Services: Contractual agreements are current with medical directors, dental services, therapy services, pharmacy services, podiatrists, psychology services, vision, laboratories, and x-ray. All of these services are provided with in the facility so all residents no matter their health status can obtain and participate in these services. We commit to providing the resident with the services he or she needs
iv. Consulting Services: We have consulting contracts with Social Services, Recreation, Pharmacy, Medical Records, and Dietary. Each consulting service entity regularly visits the facility to ensure our compliance and that the residents health care goals are being achieved.
e. Resident and Family Satisfaction
Resident and Family Satisfaction Survey: A survey of resident/family satisfaction is conducted by a third party organization. This organization calls family members and residents on a monthly basis to inquire about their satisfaction level. Satisfaction questions are asked in the following areas: dining, food service, cleanliness, telephone service, laundry, communication from the staff members, activities, admissions, and safety. The results are shared in monthly Quality Assurance meetings where problems are addressed and changed. We respond immediately to any concerns identified by residents or family members.