News In Brief - September 3, 2014

New reports, more training available from LeadingAge Nursing Home Quality Metrics
LeadingAge continues to add features to its LeadingAge Insights tools to assist members with data analysis in this age of accountable/coordinated care. Nursing homes can now access reports that track quality measures over a two-year time period and summarize Nursing Home Compare data by state.

To make the most of these valuable Nursing Home Quality Metrics tools, be sure to participate in one or both of the upcoming free webinars:

LeadingAge Annual Meeting registrants: Join us at West Coast State Night in Nashville!
Will you be attending the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Nashville this October? If so, be sure to stop by our West Coast State Night reception to connect with your colleagues from Oregon, Washington and California! The reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 20 at the Omni Hotel. Access the invitation and be sure to RSVP!

Have you made your room reservation at the Hood River Inn
for the LeadingAge Oregon Fall Leadership Conference?

Comments sought on proposed changes to Oregon LPN, RN Scope of Practice rules
The Oregon State Board of Nursing is seeking comments on proposed changes to Division 45, Standards and Scope of Practice for the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Registered Nurse (RN). The draft revises the rules in several areas, including language related to assignment, delegation and practice standards. The board has scheduled two stakeholder meetings on the changes September 15 and October 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. In-person and remote participation are available. To attend, you must RSVP by e-mailing [email protected] with your contact information. Proposed edits or comments on the rules must be submitted in writing. Read the draft rules.

Bill Thomas returns to Portland Sept. 23 in support of Age Friendly initiative
Dr. Bill Thomas, founder of the Eden Alternative and other initiatives related to person-centered aging, will return to Portland Sept. 23 for a program called "What are Old People For? Building a Community for All Ages." The event, to be held 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Portland State University, will include "informative and entertaining" presentations on the progress of the Age-Friendly Portland initiative and how participants can be part of its year-long engagement effort. The program is free but seating is limited and registration is required. The visit is a follow-up to Dr. Thomas' "Second Wind Tour," which visited Portland in April.

New complaint posters on their way to Oregon nursing homes
The Oregon Nursing Facility Licensing unit has revised and updated the "Do you have a complaint?" poster that is required to be posted in close proximity to each nurse's station in nursing facilities. Each facility will receive two posters and additional may be ordered. Read more.

Resources targeted to emergency preparedness rule changes
LeadingAge has posted an extensive article and is promoting a September 18 webinar by Aon that each focus on proposed CMS rule changes on emergency preparedness. The information provided in the webinar will highlight essential emergency preparedness concepts that should be integrated into every health care and senior living setting. Read the article. Register for the webinar.

Restrictive diets might be harming, rather than helping, your residents
Research has shown that restrictive diets may not benefit older adults and may actually be harmful, leading to weight loss and meal rejection. The Rothschild Foundation and Pioneer Network have developed a new dining standards toolkit to help long-term care organizations provide a more liberalized, regular diet for residents while honoring individual choices. The toolkit, which costs $149, includes model policies and procedures, tip sheets and forms, and brochures for residents and families.

Free on-demand webinar examines how to avoid rehospitalizations
Relias Learning has made available a free on-demand webinar featuring strategies to help long-term care clinical staff reduce or avoid resident re-hospitalizations. Access the webinar.

Mennonite Village shares experience working with quality improvement collaborative
This month's Oregon Patient Safety Commission newsletter includes an interview with staff at LeadingAge Oregon member Mennonite Village about their experience with the Multi-Drug Resistant Organism (MDRO) Prevention Collaborative. Mennonite Village gained so much valuable information, and made so many great contacts with other organizations in their area, that they have enrolled in the Commission's upcoming urinary tract infection prevention collaborative as well. Read more about the Mennonite Village experience.

Be sure to take advantage of our new training for ALF and RCF nurses!
October 22-24 we will offer our third training for ALF/RCF nurses, a class that has received rave reviews from administrators and nurses who attended the first two programs. Long-term care consultant and RN Demi Haffenreffer uses her considerable experience and inimitable teaching style to explain ALF/RCF rules and systems that will help your nurse oversee the highest quality care for your residents. Read more about "Nursing Practice in Community-based Care: A training for nurses in ALFs, RCFs and Memory Care." Register for the October class.