AOA, HCFA Join Forces to Improve Nursing Home Care; Agencies
Announce Awards to National Aging Organizations
Contact: Moya Benoit Thompson or Chris Rhatigan,
202-401-4541; Web site: http://www.hhs.gov
WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 /U.S. Newswire/ -- HHS Secretary Donna E.
Shalala today announced the award of $450,000 to four national aging
organizations to improve the quality of care in nursing homes.
The awards, part of the Clinton administration's initiative on
nursing homes, will support the demonstration of approaches to
educate and empower communities and families to improve nutrition and
hydration, and prevent abuse of nursing home residents.
The grants are a joint initiative of the Administration on Aging
(AoA) and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) and have
been awarded to organizations in Washington, D.C., and Miami.
Despite best efforts, physical abuse and neglect occur in
America's nursing homes. Although there are many contributing
factors, a large part of unintended weight loss, dehydration, and
abuse can be avoided when the warning signs can be easily identified
and the nursing home industry, as well as the general public, are
better informed and aware.
"Ensuring the health and safety of nursing home residents has been
a top priority of this administration. People deserve nursing homes
that are safe, care that is of high quality, and treatment that is
dignified and compassionate," Secretary Shalala said. "Enlisting the
expertise of these organizations will help those who care for nursing
home residents to more readily recognize the warning signs of abuse
and to better understand residents' needs."
In awarding the grants, Jeanette C. Takamura, assistant secretary
for aging in the Department of Health and Human Services, and head of
the AoA, said, "Education and empowerment are needed to help staff,
residents, family members, and others fully understand nursing home
requirements and standards so that every member of the nursing home
community can play a role in providing quality care."
The grants are part of the Clinton administration's aggressive
initiative to promote quality care for the 1.6 million elderly and
disabled Americans in nearly 17,000 nursing homes. In 1995, HCFA
issued the toughest nursing home regulations in the history of the
Medicare and Medicaid programs. Those reforms led to measurable
improvements in quality of care for nursing home residents. After
implementing those reforms and monitoring their results, the
Administration developed additional steps in July 1998 to further
assure that all nursing home residents receive good quality care. In
addition, HFCA's Nursing Home Compare Web site
(http://www.medicare.gov) allows consumers to compare inspection
reports and other data about nursing homes, and a free new Guide to
Choosing a Nursing Home is available by contacting 800-MEDICARE
(800-633-4227).
"These grants will further improve the quality of life for nursing
home residents by tapping the creativity, commitment and expertise of
these dedicated organizations," said HCFA Administrator Nancy-Ann
DeParle. "Combined with our initiative's stronger state enforcement
and federal oversight, the grants will help create safer, healthier
and happier residents."
Grant recipients in this joint effort include:
The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (NAAAA) in
Washington, D.C. will organize intergenerational groups such as
schools, service clubs, religious organizations, and pet therapy
programs to bring companionship and other activities to nursing home
residents. Selected quality-of- life categories will be measured at
the outset and conclusion of the pilot to determine the impact of the
programs on the residents' overall well being.
NAAAA will also assemble focus groups to evaluate the
effectiveness of various nursing home publications and learn which
sections best meet consumers' needs for choosing a nursing home and
evaluating care, including information about residents' rights,
abuse, and nutrition/hydration issues.
The National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center in
Washington, D.C. under the auspices of the National Citizens
Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, will solicit applications and fund
two local ombudsman initiatives to address resident neglect and
abuse. The State Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs provide advocacy,
information, and support to residents of nursing homes and their
families. The resource center will analyze the impact of each project
on residents, their family and friends, facility staff and the
general public. In addition, the center will identify local, regional
and state ombudsman initiatives that specifically address treatment
and prevention of neglect and abuse and analyze how successful
initiatives can be replicated.
"The National Center on Elder Abuse in Washington, D.C. will use
focus groups to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate a "risk profile
tool." This tool will assist professionals and non- professionals,
who regularly enter or work in nursing homes, to target prevention
and intervention efforts for nursing homes and individual residents
most at risk for abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The risk profile
tool will be developed with organizations of five groups in the
selected state, which are key to ensuring the safety and well being
of nursing home residents: long-term care ombudsmen; nursing home
surveyors; Medicaid fraud control units; nursing home administrators
and staff; and adult protective services.
The National Policy and Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging in
Miami, Fla. will have registered dietitians use the Nutrition Care
Alerts to increase awareness of the signs of malnutrition and
dehydration in nursing home residents and promote an
interdisciplinary team approach to improving nutritional care.
Nutrition Care Alerts are a tool developed by the Nutrition Screening
Initiative to call attention to warning signs and action steps to
help avoid unintended weight loss and dehydration. Dietitians will
also evaluate and correct nutrition-related problems in fragile older
adults. Researchers will then evaluate and compare nutrition and
hydration in long-term care residents in the facility to residents in
a control facility. Improved nutrition care would result in better
health and improved quality of life for the residents, and help
reduce health care costs.
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Note: For other HHS Press Releases and Fact Sheets pertaining to
the subject of this announcement, please visit our Press Release and
Fact Sheet search engine at: http://www.os.dhhs.gov/news/press/.
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/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
11/04 10:41
Copyright 1999, U.S. Newswire
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