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How much has your facility reduced use of physical restraints over the past few years?

Reader comments:

“We have done an excellent job of reducing restraints of all kinds in the last few years, and now have very few in use. However, we now have new administration in place who seem to be unaware of the other options available and continue to place residents in inappropriate areas (such as wandering residents in the main area of the facility instead of the safety unit) and then expect us to restrain them in order to keep them “safe.” So, we are now seeing an increase in the number of restraints used, and it is a real morale killer for our staff, especially the ones who have worked so hard to get rid of them over the years!”

“I’ve worked here for 16 years and we have always been restraint-free.”

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Eliminate odors for resident satisfaction

Maintaining a pleasant, friendly atmosphere in your long-term care facility is a top priority. The way a place smells can be as important as the way it looks, and when families are choosing a facility, foul odors are not acceptable. Not only will they offend your residents and their families, but these odors also can attract pests. https://www.iadvanceseniorcare.com/OdorControl

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Jonathan Rosenfeld’s LTC Law Blog: Pressure ulcers threaten nursing home residents and facility’s bottom line

The financial impact of pressure ulcers on medical facilities cannot be ignored from both a cost of care standpoint as well as from litigation-related expenses and judgments. Every pressure-ulcer-related hospitalization averages 13 days with a cost of $37,500. Pressure ulcer care and treatment cost medical facilities an estimated $11 billion per year.

Lawsuits and litigation expenses related to pressure ulcers pose an equal, if not greater, financial risk to facilities. From a litigation standpoint, plaintiffs’ lawyers revel in the fact that Medicare has put pressure ulcers on the “never list.” The never list is comprised of medical conditions deemed so preventable CMS will not reimburse facilities where the condition develops for subsequent medical treatment.https://www.iadvanceseniorcare.com/PressureUlcerBlog