Guardianship under the new Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code -Presentation at Dodge Park

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:36:05 +0000

Tom and Theresa Thank You Note

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:06:01 +0000

“A Matter of Balance” – Special training to increase the activity level of older adults who have concerns about falling.

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:23:09 +0000

Dodge Park Rest Home March 2010 Activity Calendar Just Posted

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:40:16 +0000

Please review our list of events for March 2010.

Winter Safety Tips for Older Adults

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:06:31 +0000

Eat-for-a-Healthy-Heart

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:04:55 +0000

Hypothermia-A-Cold-Weather-Hazard

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:02:43 +0000

Depression

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:00:44 +0000

Preventing Hospital Readmissions: More Than Just Documenting Discharge Plans

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:30:31 +0000

Hospitals that exhibited better adherence to discharge measures did not have lower readmission rates.
Preventing hospital readmissions presents an opportunity to improve healthcare quality and lower costs. Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have launched a national effort to report hospital performance on discharge planning, we know little about whether discharge planning translates to fewer bounce-back admissions.
Using congestive heart failure (CHF) as a benchmark, researchers accessed the CMS Hospital Quality Alliance database for information on CHF patients who were discharged from U.S. hospitals during 2007. Hospital performance was determined by:
• Chart-based discharge measure: whether CHF patients received adequate discharge instructions (composite of activity level and diet instructions, discharge medications, follow-up appointments, weight monitoring, and what to do if symptoms worsened)
• Patient-reported measure: patient satisfaction with discharge planning (for CHF recurrence or pneumonia)
The association between performance on these measures and readmission rates for CHF and pneumonia were measured.
A total of 2222 hospitals conveyed performance data on both chart-based and patient-reported discharge measures. No association was found between the two performance measures. Readmission rates for CHF across healthcare regions varied considerably (ranging from 13% in Ogden, Utah, to 37% in Oxford, Mississippi). Hospitals in the highest quartile of performance for CHF had 30-day readmission rates that were similar to those of hospitals in the lowest quartile (23.7% and 23.5%). A modest association was found between hospital performance on patient-reported measures and readmission rates.
Comment: In this study, better performance on hospital-documented discharge planning did not result in fewer 30-day readmissions. The results call into question whether public reporting will have any meaningful effect on lowering readmission rates. To have a real effect on hospital readmissions, multidisciplinary, systematic, and collaborative approaches will be necessary among inpatient and outpatient physicians, nurses, case managers, pharmacists, and (obviously) patients, as detailed in a 2009 study (JW Hosp Med Feb 2 2009). The wide disparity in readmissions across healthcare regions is eye opening and highlights the need for substantial improvement.
— Neil H. Winawer, MD, FHM
Published in Journal Watch Hospital Medicine February 12, 2010

Communication in the Social Services and Health Care Environment – Special presentation at Dodge Park Rest Home

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:06:03 +0000

Please join us this Wednesday, February 17, 2010 for a special presentation by Dodge park Rest Home co-owner Micha Shalev MHA.
The topic: Communication in the Social Services and Health Care Environment
The presentation will help the general public as well as social workers with sensitization to and awareness of how individual messages are given with words, body reaction and behavior. In addition, providers will understand the impact of communication styles on client, co-workers, other professionals and the general public.

Netwroking and refreshment start 5:00pm
5:45pm -5:50pm Opening activities
5:50pm-6:00pm Course review
6:00pm-6:15pm Ethical communication
6:15pm-6:30pm Verbal communication
6:30pm-6:50pm Non verbal communication
6:50pm-7:10pm Written communication
7:10pm-7:20pm Summary, questions and evauation

1.5CEU credit will provide to all license social workers.