2017 PHCA Quality Award Winners

Improved Quality of Life for Residents

ManorCare Montgomeryville – HCR ManorCare

ManorCare Montgomeryville wanted to improve the admissions process for residents entering the facility during off-hours. The hope was that by improving the off-hours admissions process, it would improve resident satisfaction. A process was implemented so that the manager on duty implemented a greeter checklist including providing the new admission: a ManorCare gift bag, a list of activities, a copy of the Always Available menu, tv listings, etc. and answers to any questions from the resident or their family. The housekeeping director initiated a pre-admission room readiness checklist. The team added a question about the admissions process to the customer satisfaction survey with a goal of 100% satisfaction for that question.

Improved Person-Centered Care for Residents

Quality Life Services of Countryside – Quality Life Services

Quality Life Services of Countryside identified that residents had minimal input on how their day was structured and when they participated in daily activities because the schedule was prepared solely by staff based on the tasks that needed to be completed. The goal of the program was to the resident more control over their daily schedule. This meant wholistic changes for all staff including therapies, dining staff, caregivers, etc. Block assignments changed to team assignments allowing staff to work together, improving the staff morale and the quality of life for residents.

Improved Quality of Care for Residents

ManorCare Mercy Fitzgerald – HCR ManorCare

The goal of ManorCare Mercy Fitzgerald was to improve the ability of long-stay residents to move independently. To accomplish the goal, the facility increased activities of daily living education with the CNAs so they could submit alerts to nursing or therapy about any resident who was identified as having a change in condition. In addition, the Director of Therapy and the MDS staff began meeting on a quarterly basis to better coordinate therapy care for the residents. As a result, the facility saw a 28% improvement in the metric which brought them below both the national and state average.

Best Practice in Providing High-Tech Quality Care

ManorCare Lebanon – HCR ManorCare

Regional hospitals in the Lebanon area had identified a need for a nursing facility level of care for their left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients. An LVAD is a pump that is used for patients who have reached end-stage heart failure. After identifying the need, ManorCare Lebanon sprang into action to help fill the care gap, educating staff about how to manage and maintain LVAD patients and upgrading rooms to meet the additional needs of this patient group. As a result, ManorCare Lebanon has seen an increase in the number of LVAD referrals since implementing the program.

Best Practice in Integrating a Quality Culture

Schuylkill Center – Genesis HealthCare

Schuylkill Center identified a need to reduce the use of side rails and antipsychotics. The root cause that they identified was a lack of progressive thinking by staff, physicians and families. Schuylkill Center developed an interdisciplinary collaboration which included therapy, residents and families. They reviewed the benefits and risks associated with each intervention method and determine the best option for the resident. As a result of the interdisciplinary collaboration, the facility has seen a dramatic reduction in both the use of side rails and antipsychotics.

Best Systematic Approach to Quality in Assisted Living/Personal Care

Devon Senior Living – Five Star Senior Living

Devon Senior Living had identified that 25% of their residents were not taking part in structured activities or utilizing their time and abilities to pursue self-guided interests. By interviewing the residents, the facility was able to determine that the residents were not engaged because they either lacked the confidence to participate in group activities or found the center did not offer activities that interested them. Devon Senior Living took on a “village” approach in addressing the challenge by engaging all staff to: be aware of the daily activities, provide reminders to residents and encourage participation in all the activities and events. This “village” approach, along with an expansion of the number and frequency of activities allowed residents to find something of interest to participate in, leading to better overall wellness. Currently, 100% of residents are engaged in a minimum of 4 activities a week.