Nursing and assessment on preparing our aged care facility for accreditation - Essay Example

? Nursing case study and assessment on preparing our aged care facility for accreditation of Nurse of The medical industry currently focuses on many individual demographics, such as children, infectious disease, psychological and mental illness, female health, and elderly healthcare. These specialties are specifically made in order to provide a specific type of care that these demographics can and will require. These specialties also mean that in order for facilities to be allowed to provide care for certain demographics, they will need to be certified. This paper focuses on healthcare for the elderly population provided by our institution. In the past, our elderly healthcare institution has had difficulty in getting certified in 3.9: Choice and decision making for the elderly demographic. This paper’s purpose and main focus is to provide key information and important feed back on this particular issue in order to prepare the institution and its staff for 3.9: Choice and decision making certification. First, this paper will provide background information on certain topics pertaining to the elderly demographic, as well as provide nursing assessment for an elderly person. After this, the paper will detail some key features specifically pertaining to the area that the institution needs improvement on. This will be noted in order to help the institution’s nurse practitioners to better understand the concept of choice and decision making. The paper will present this information as: What is aging and what is the aging process? Assessment of an aged person. What is consumer participation? What does it entail? Barriers that hinder or impact the facility’s ability to meet standard 3.9: Choice and decision making. How to break through the mentioned barriers and how a quality framework can be used to show improvement. Conclusion What is aging and what are the common aging symptoms? Aging is a natural process that happens very commonly. According to the medical dictionary, “Human beings reach a peak of growth and development around the time of their mid 20s. Aging is the normal transition time after that flurry of activity.” The dictionary entry goes on to tell us that during this later half of life, the body becomes more prone to wear and tear, as well as be more susceptible to illness. (The free dictionary, 2012) This gives us a good basis as to what we can expect an aged person to be affected with, as well as what he or she may be experiencing. This also tells us about what to expect in terms of interactions with them. The process by which a person ages differs for each individual. Each person can age in a slightly different manner from everyone else, but there are general descriptions or processes about aging that is common amongst everyone. According to universe-review.ca, the aging process happens all over the body. The pace may be different for each individual but everyone ages. (2012). Here are some of common aging signs mentioned in the article: Weakening of connective tissue in the bladder, making it harder to store urine Loss of weight between ages 55-75 due to loss of lean muscle mass Bones become brittle Gradual loss of brain tissue In women, decrease in the size of breasts due to decrease in the size of mammary glands Gradual loss of the ability to hear higher frequencies Skin wrinkles Hair thins and grays out Decrease in hormone output The body’s immune system becomes weaker Slower metabolism Decreased ability to smell Slower mental and physical response Women go through menopause Decreased sense of taste What is consumer participation? What does it entail? This section is dedicated to understanding what consumer participation is, why it is important in relation to the paper’s end goal of preparing the institution for accreditation, and how it can be applied to the day-to-day situation of the nursing care practitioners. According to http://asetts.vacau.com, in essence, consumer participation entails getting the patient involved in choosing what he feels would be right for him. The practitioner or institution gathers feedback from the patient about services in place, or procedures about to be done. (2011) The practitioners also constantly communicate with the patient and help him make informed and educated decisions about his situation. This empowers the patient but still helps the institution to provide him or her with the proper care. One more way of looking at this specifically for the elderly demographic is in helping them help themselves. Rather that telling them what to do, when they need to do it, the practitioner gathers the information from the patient and provides him options regarding his situation in order to keep him in control, but still push him in the right direction. In a nutshell, this is summarized in a great way by the policy title found in health.vic.gov.a “Doing it with us, not for us”. (2011) This perfectly puts the idea of consumer participation into perspective. Rather than doing everything for the patient, or telling them what needs to happen, let them participate in their treatment or care, empower them by providing them with educated choices, and allow them to provide input. Barriers that hinder or impact the facility’s ability to meet standard 3.9: Choice and decision making. In the past, the facility has had trouble with accreditation, specifically for standard 3.9: Choice and decision making. This section of the paper’s purpose is to identify the issues that affect of hinder the facility’s capability of meeting this standard. The identification of such hindrances would make it very easy to tackle them, and create an action plan that would address these issues. One of the hindrances that this institution faces regarding standard 3.9 is that the care providers and nurses had a difficult time understanding the concept of standard 3.9 or had trouble in understanding the idea of consumer participation. As with any standard that must be met, it would be very difficult to achieve the standard without first fully understanding its main concept. The practitioners or nurses would have a hard time attempting to follow a standard that they do not understand. Another issue or hindrance that may be affecting the institution is that the practitioners are very eager to provide care, and that they are very confident in the care that they are recommending and providing to their elderly patients. As a result, they would, at times, neglect to ask for their patient’s cooperation, or feedback. Since the practitioners are so ready and willing to care for their patients, they either forget to ask for their patient’s participation or may feel that it is no longer necessary because of their level of confidence in their recommendations. One more issue that may be affecting the institution or its care providers and practitioners is that, as we know, since these practitioners deal with elderly patients, there are times where in these patients would respond slowly to questions, or move at a slower pace, or tend not to speak out about their needs, or generally, the practitioners tend to dominate or over power the presence of their patients. Because of this, the patients either no longer volunteer to participate, or the practitioner may feel that it is no longer needed due to the patient’s weaker response or lack of voluntary participation. How to break through the mentioned barriers and how a quality framework can be used to show improvement. This section of the paper is dedicated to addressing the issues or barriers mentioned in the previous section of the paper and determine the best course of action for those barriers in order to prepare the staff, and institution for accreditation. The first issues that this section will address is regarding the nurse practitioner’s and staff’s lack of knowledge or understanding of both meet standard 3.9: Choice and decision making and consumer participation. In order for the institution’s staff to be able to follow the standard, they must first have a good knowledge of that standard. This is similar to a marathon runner that does not know when the race will end. This paper’s section on consumer participation was made in order for the reader to quickly grasp the concepts therein and easily put it into practice. That section is easy to understand but very concise at the same time. Further up training and updates should be sent out in order for the staff to fully understand the standard that they should be aiming for. The next barrier that this section will address is regarding the practitioner’s eagerness to provide care as well as their innate confidence in the care or service that they provide to the customer. Although their intention to provide care is admirable, and although it is right for them to be confident in the care and treatment that they administer, getting the patient’s feedback is very important in successful treatment and care. Helping your patient to understand what is going on, when this happened and why is a great way to not only push your patient to participate, but it is also a way for them to feel that what they get is what they actually need. They will not only feel better about the care and treatment, but the institution also gets its goal of accreditation The final barrier that this paper will address is regarding the practitioner’s disregard for their patient’s opinion or input because they are either slow to respond, soft-spoken, physically weak, or emotionally held back. This standard is placed in order to help empower the institution’s patients despite their old age or physical weakness. This standard must be followed in order for the patient’s to feel more empowered and confident in the treatment, care and support that they receive. The practitioners must extend their patience and practice empathy in order to successfully implement this. Conclusion Looking back at the information that is presented to us, this paper must once again mention that its main goal is to prepare the institution and its staff and practitioners for certification. This will be accomplished via the background information on consumer participation, the exposition of the barricades and the set solutions that were provided in separate parts of the paper. In order for the institution and its staff to be prepared for certification, it must first understand and reset its goals. It must also make sure and push its nurse practitioners to learn and understand the information about the standard and what it requires. If this is accomplished, then accreditiaion will be a sure thing. Resources Aged Care Queensland. 2012. Aged Care Accreditation. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.acqi.org.au/public-articles/accreditation/aged-care-accreditatio Australian Government. Department of Health and Aging. 2004, October 26. Standards and Guidelines for Residential Aged Care Services Manual. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-manuals-sgr-sgrindex.htm~ageing-manuals-sgr-sgrindex3.htm~ageing-manuals-sgr-sgrindex3-3.htm Community Resource Unit Inc., 2005. Guiding Principle for Consumer Participation. A Resource Document for Psychiatric Disability Support Services and Consumers. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/resources/disability/support-services/our-services/mental-health/current-funding/project-300/documents/consumer-participation.pdf Department of Family and Community Services. 2010. Standards in Action. Standard 3: Decision Making. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0010/238177/987_ADHC_Standards_in_action_Ch3_031111.pdf Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing. 2012. Assessment Tools-Try This. Tools and resources for achieving the best practices in the care of older adults. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://hartfordign.org/resources/try_this_series/ Health Grades Inc., 2012. Aging. Symptoms of Aging. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/a/aging/symptoms.htm Health Insite. 2012. Consumer Participation. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Consumer_Participation Lippincott's Nursing Center. 2012. Assessments and Best Practices in Care of Older Adults. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/static.asp?pageid=730390 Medical Dictionary. 2012. Aging. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/aging Nabili, S. 2012. Senior Health: Successful Aging. What are the most common diseases and conditions seniors face as they age?. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.medicinenet.com/senior_health/page2.htm Norberg, EB., Boman, K., Lofgren, B. 2008, June 22. Activities of daily living for old persons in primary health care with chronic heart failure. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18489690 Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd. 2010. Accreditation Standards. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.accreditation.org.au/site/uploads/Accreditation%20standards%20factsheet.pdf Universe Review. 2012. Origin of Ageing. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://universe-review.ca/R10-27-ageing.htm#top US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. 2003, August 29. Geriatric nursing assessment. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13677154 Victorian Government Health Information. 2012, April 20. Consumer, carer and community participation and information. Retrieved 2012, April 27, from http://health.vic.gov.au/consumer/ Read More