Agency Assessment - Research Paper Example

Agency Assessment Week 4 Assignment: Agency Analysis Selected Agency: Faith Presbyterian Hospice Please complete the following information about your selected agency. Type your responses in the gray boxes. The boxes will expand as you type.Agency InformationPrior to your physical visit, research the agency. Where is the agency located? What types of information about the agency are publicly available?1.Address: 4350 Sigma Rd #400, Dallas, TX 75244, United StatesPhone Number: +1 972-239-5300Website Address: http://www.

faithpresbyterianhospice.org/2.History of the agency:Based in Dallas, Faith Presbyterian Hospice was founded in 2003, due to the rising need for special end of life care that was required in the community. The hospice is a non-profit organization and it is a member of the Dallas Presbyterian communities and services. The Hospice is committed to providing exceptional care with a wide range of services accompanied with special programs and complementary therapies. The organization since its inception into the care and hospitality industry has been focused on compassion for their patients together with their friends and families. 3.Quote the mission statement of the agency:Faith Presbyterian Hospice mission states: “Faith Presbyterian Hospice strives to enrich the lives of those we serve by extending exceptional care and services in a faith-based culture”.

The hospice has been true to its mission which can be reflected in the quality of their service4.What are the goals of the agency? What are the future plans?The hospice key goals include providing satisfaction through its services not just to their clients, but also to their families and friends in general. Genuine respect, commitment to excellence, compassionate care, and delivery of innovative programs to the community are among its set goals since its inception. The hospice has also made it its goal to ensure that patients experience at the hospice is that of comfort and confidence. 4.List services/programs offered by the agencyFaith Presbyterian hospice provides care both at home or in a retirement center, by providing assistance living facility or hospital for:Patients with a life-limiting ailment and a diagnosis of about six-months or less to livePatients who require an environment of comfort and relief from hospitable symptomsPatients under the watch of a medical doctor licensed to practice and in the state of TexasPatients who live near the Faith Presbyterian Hospice and are in need of special care servicesThere is also a special service program for the families associated with the hospice.

It is referred to as the Bereavement/Grief services. The program was put up so to enable the family members and friends of those patients under FBH care are heard and recognized for their contribution. The program entails services such asCommunity resource bulletinsFaithful Visits ProgramGrief Support/group workshopsFaithful Contacts ProgramGrief breakfasts/luncheonsQuarterly information letters, that are accompanied by offerings and a calendar of eventsInformation and referrals to the public psychotherapists and/or counsellors, if need arises5.

What are the agency’s healthcare goals/priorities for this year? 5 years?The agency’s priorities for this year are honoring and encouraging its volunteers for their services, which have played a big role in the agency’s service provision. The hospice is planning to do this by holding two volunteer luncheons one in May and another in November. The agency in its five year plan is focusing on establishing more volunteers at the hospital as there is a growing need for service because the increasing number of patients.

The agency is also focusing on attaining more donor funding to enable it run smoothly its expanding service need by the community.Physical LocationPhysically survey the agency location.6.Is the agency easy to locate? Describe the physical location. Is there adequate parking? Is the agency clearly marked? Does the site appear to be well-maintained? Is the location near public transportation?The hospice is located at a junction between Sigma Rd. and Neutron Rd. both these roads are well maintained and do not have traffic congestion.

The hospice can easily be identified using a navigation system or Google maps. Being close to, the road makes it easier to spot. The Hospice itself is a large building white in color with multiple entrances and exits. It has a wide parking area that is located at the front ground. The street is also properly marked with Neutron Rd. providing side parking for small vehicles. The area is quiet, clean, serene, and the trees along the road provide a natural calming sensation of the area, naturally the area looks well maintained.

The area’s main public transport means is road whereby taking a bus drops right at the gate. 7.Describe the lobby or waiting area of the agency. Is there any form of security in the clinic (i.e., locked doors, badge access, security cameras)? The entrance door is made of glass and does not need any security details just a simple push and pull. While getting in one would notice a ramp beside the staircase probably for the handicapped. The walls are cream in color, which blends well with the lighting, except the wall behind the receptionist’s desk which is painted maroon bringing in the original Faith Presbyterian communities and services theme.

The floor is made of brown marble tiles. At the middle of the lobby, there are maroon cushion chairs and a glass table in the middle with a few magazines. The waiting area to the director’s office has waiting chairs made of plastic and metal frames. There is the customer help desk where there are three secretaries. One is behind the computer, the other going through a book I later find out is the register, and the other one is assisting an elderly man. The seats are enough for everyone because I do not see any congestion and the area is wide and spacious.

There are no lifts or stairs because the building is a single storied there are just corridors which I presume lead to care wards and offices.8.What types of signage do you see? Does the agency provide any types of brochures or pamphlets? What types of information is available?The corridors are marked with direction signs pointing to the offices, exit, directors office, emergency room and care wards. At the reception desk, some single leaf brochures are available and after going through I realize they give an overview of the hospice and its services.

On the help desk, there is also a pamphlet that is about the Bereavement/Grief services program, which explains what it is how it is carried out, qualified members and how to join.9.Describe the people you see in the waiting area (i.e. sex, age, race, ethnicity). Estimate % based on observationsThrough estimation I sampled the people around the lobby while sitting at the waiting area, around 90 percent of the people I see are white of which more than half are women. A larger percentage of the people comprise an elderly person mostly above 65 years and only a few that are probably around 50 years that I presume have been brought for care due to their physical condition.

Those accompanying them lie around the ages of 28-45 years. I encounter very few children at the lobby something I presume is because I came on a weekday. The rest of the people I encounter comprise of around 5 percent black Americans, a third is Hispanic and Latinos, and the rest comprise of Asians. Agency Policies10.Who regulates the clinical site?The FPH is regulated and run by a board of trustees who are mostly volunteers lead by A. Andrew Raub as the chairperson, Andrew N. Meyercord, Vice Chair and Michael G.

Wright as the Ex officio. This board is selected from a long list of members and donors of the Faith Presbyterian communities and services11.How is the clinical site funded?The clinical site is funded through donors who donate to the Faith Presbyterian Communities and services in general. From there the funds are distributed to FPH and other members of the outreach. Everybody is eligible to donate towards the improvement for the Hospice. There is a complete list of all donors’ names on the site has on their website.

The agency also receives a portion of funds donated on ‘Bridge Funds’. Agency’s Outcomes/Evaluation12.How do the agency personnel determine if the healthcare goals/priorities are being met?The agency carries out its evaluation on families and friends of their clients where they assess them to see whether there desires are met. The agency also assesses the comfort of the clients at the hospice and the duration of stay for the patients. A patient whose prognosis says they have less than six months and through their stay at the hospice they exceed this term then it is evaluated as good service.13.To what extent have the healthcare goals/priorities been met?

Most of the goals for the hospice have been met and one can be able to tell from the satisfaction and gratitude the clients direct back at the agency. This can be seen with the success of the luncheons the agency carries out within a year. The grievance program has also generated positive results for the agency showing that they are indeed helping the community during a time of grief.Agency Employee (Interview Questions)Ask the following interview questions. Probe for information to develop a complete sense of the agency, clients and community.14.What are the services offered by the agency?

The Agency’s primary service as explained by the vice chair of trustees Mr. Meyercord is to “provide the utmost quality medical, emotive, and spiritual upkeep for patients who grieve from life-threatening diseases”. This explanation is backed up the chair and further elaborates, “FPH respects the resolutions of each client and their family affiliates, and pursues to help patients live every minute fully”.15.What are the 4 most common health problems of clients served by the agency?The clients brought for care at the hospice are usually affected by old age complications.

There is Alzheimer, cancer, heart disease and depression. The first three seem to be typical of a hospice line of service. However, FPH saw the need to develop a program that would address the huge problem that was affecting the community which depression not by the patients but by their families and friends. 16.When clients are referred to other agencies, what are the most common reasons for referral and to what agencies do you referral clientsClients are usually referred to other agencies in the event they happen to display serious ailments that need a doctors attention for example if the health of a cancer patient deteriorates abnormally then there is need to forward the patient to a a cancer care center.

Also those participating in the bereavement and grief program can be referred to psychiatric help if they display signs of a worsening situation.17.Describe the income profile of clients (i.e. range, average and poverty rates). Estimate %.The agency is non-profit making and its funding is mostly through donors. This means that the clients being served range from all social standards. However there are a fewer number of high profile clients who comprise of around 5 percent of the total client base.

The higher percentage is middle and lower class clients. The lower class contributing about 40 percent and the middle class about 55 percent. 18.Describe clients (i.e. sex, age, race, ethnicity) served by agency. Estimate %.There have always been more female clients being served at the hospice than men with an average difference of about 15 percent. The difference can be contributed to the high rate of mortality in men compared women. The average age is around 70 years, with 20 percent fo the clients under the age of 55 years and a higher percentage above 55 years.19.How many clients are served by this clinical agency (i.e. clients per day, week, month, or year)?

Since the services offered are, long term the clients served can be assessed in terms of admissions per year, which stand at an average of 1100 clients per year.20.Describe 3 lifestyle risk behaviorsThe community in general experiences a number of lifestyle risks, which lead to the large number of admissions per year to the agency. Some of this risks include: smoking which is a leading cause of cancer in more than half of the clients. The next lifestyle risk is a high number of people in the community do not participate in any form of exercise especially the elderly who are supposed to be exercising more due to their high exposure to complications such as heart disease.

The third major concern for risky lifestyle behavior is the high rate of people who do not go for regular medical checkups especially when in their late years. It should be noted that for a better management of life threatening health complications it is best if they are discovered early.Agency Client (Interview Questions) If a client cannot be interviewed, continue asking an agency employee these questions.21.What are the strengths of the community?The strengths of the community are the ability to work together through support programs and donation towards a course for better services.22.What are the community problems in the following areas?

Safety & Crime: According to police reports in Dallas, there were a significant number of violent and non-violent crimes in the area. Although the percentage had gone down by 5 percent, it is still a major concern to the community.Health: The biggest health problem facing the community is heart disease complications this is said to be attributing to the high levels of air pollution in the areaTransportation: The area uses road as the main transportation means. Being a busy city with a large population resulting to congestion in the area, it has resulted to high numbers of accidents in the area.

Some of the accident victims who were seriously affected find refuge and care at the FP Hospice23.Discuss 3 health and safety needs of the community (i.e. services, programs, etc)?Road safety education programThe community needs a road safety program that will strive to educate the community members of the basic road safety tips. It is evident that most people do not understand in full the required traffic laws, which has been a major cause of accidents. The program should educate both pedestrians and motorists on safety rules that will ensure there is a reduction in the accident rate.

In addition, the program should come up with stringent measures for those breaking the rules.Provision for convenient and cheaper health fitness gymsThe community is faced with a significant number of heart disease patients. To reduce this rate there should be a program that address the risks associated and ways to manage the situation which is by regular exercise and living in a safe pollution free environmentStart a free cancer care program in all health facilitiesThe area is also faced with a high number of cancer patients whose conditions are worse to late interventions.

With a cancer care facility in every health center there will be early detection and management of the situation resulting in a reduced number of such patients. Analysis and Summary: Analyze and summarize the information you observed and recorded. Based on this information obtained in this assignment only, write a summary of the key issues focusing on health and safety issues for this population. Summary:In summary, after going through the services and programs offered by FP Hospice I have come to realize that there is an important part of the society that we all tend to overlook yet we are faced by it every day.

This is the end of life care and the depression associated with it to the family and community as a whole. Hospices are an important section of our community. Which raises the need for more people should be encouraged to provide their volunteer services and donations towards such institutions because they take care of an important section of our community. Community Health Nursing Diagnoses: Write two priority community health nursing diagnoses. Use the correct format: Health Risk/problem of (specific injury, illness, or potential of, complications of, etc) among (specific population) related to (supporting evidence).

For example: Risk of asthma complications among children in SE Dallas County related to clinic nurse reporting an increase in children with asthma over the last 5 years, clients’ mother reported child’s asthma seems to be getting worse and NP said we see about 6-8 children every day with asthma complications).Community Health Nursing Diagnoses #1Risk of cancer complications among people above the age of 45 years in Dallas city related to the FP Hospice doctor’s report on an increase in people above the age of 45 with cancer in the last 3 years.

The volunteers at the center reported that they have seen the increase of cancer patients increase from 8 to 15 per being brought to the agencyCommunity Health Nursing Diagnoses #2Risk of depression complications among the middle aged in Dallas city related to the FP Hospice’s Vice chair reporting a significant increase in the number of people with depression complications in the last two years, family members and friends reported to see a prevalence of the situation in the people close to them and also the NP at the hospice testified to an increase in the number of people joining the grief programReferences