Veterans Home
Daniel Steen,
Commandant
Mission Statement:
CARING - Our Only Reason for Being
Quality of Life Survey results
Meeting the challenge of care
Addressing the issue of chronic pain
Improving resident safety
Increasing resident
independence
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 Performance
Plan - How we measure our progress
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Strategic
Plan - How we plan for progress
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Performance
Report - How we report our progress
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Department
Home Page - Learn more about this department
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Highlighted Measure:
Percentage of residents who judge
the services at Iowa Veterans
Home as positive.
Data Source: Iowa Veterans Home, Performance Improvement
Office, Quality of Life survey
Updated annually - data will be available December,
2008
Updated 5/1/08 |
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Why
this is important:
The measurement of each resident's perceptions
of his/her quality of life at Iowa Veterans
Home provides important data for service design
and customer service needs. The 40-item instrument
measures both the personal realm (where the
primary responsibility for a meaningful quality
of life is on the resident) and the facility
realm (where the primary responsibility for
a meaningful quality of life is on the facility).
The items also measure the individual's quality
of life across the following seven life domains:
physical, social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual,
vocational, and environmental. The percentages
shown in these data are the average results
of the 40 items, which can be considered a resident
satisfaction survey.
What we're doing about this:
The survey results are compiled and evaluated
by facility administration, as well as the direct
care staff and the residents living on that
specific unit. The facility survey results are
being shared with all staff annually at the
monthly educational sessions held on campus.
In March 2005, the unit results were used by
each living unit team to identify two lower
score items to use for improvement projects
and to develop action plans to improve these
two items. The facility scores will be used
by the Quality Council to address two lower
score items through the use of process action
teams. The results of all these improvement
efforts will be tracked through the data collected
in surveys completed in the first half of 2006.
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Highlighted Measure:
Percent of CMS Quality Indicators
better than the state average.
Data Source: Iowa Veterans Home, Minimum Data Set, Iowa Foundation
of Medical Care
Updated 5/1/08
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Why
this is important:
It is through increasing the quality of care delivered
to its customers that Iowa Veterans Home will
be able to attract those veterans seeking the
best long term care services. This quality data
is reported through several web sites that compare
the care delivered at all nursing homes in Iowa.
What we're doing about this:
Staff at Iowa Veterans Homes identifies those quality
indicators and measures that need to be improved
and develop plans to raise the quality of care
delivered to the residents of Iowa Veterans Home.
Current efforts center on how activities are
provided to those residents on specialty units,
addressing the physical pain experienced by residents
and assessing falls to prevent injuries.
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Why
this is important:
Persistent pain is a common problem for 45% of
the residents of long-term care facilities. The
accurate assessment and treatment of persistent
pain improves the individual's quality of life
and allows them to live in comfort with increased
dignity.
What we're doing about this:
The problem of persistent pain has been tackled
at Iowa Veterans Home on several fronts. A)
Education in the identification of the signs
and symptoms of pain have been provided to
residents individually, at the Resident Council
Meeting and all direct care staff, B) The development
and implementation of a single pain scale as
part of the pain assessment tool has helped to
achieve consistent assessment results, C) The
staff have implemented a facility-wide
audit tool to assure residents who have reported
persistent pain, as identified on the MDS, are
assessed and receive prompt intervention and
D) the development of a inter-disciplinary health
care team to address persistent pain assessment.
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Highlighted Measure:
Rate of residents with falls.
Data Source: Iowa Veterans Home, Electronic Incident Reporting
System
Updated 5/1/08 |
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Why
this is important:
Falls and the resulting injuries are a common
problem among the elderly in nursing homes and
in their own homes. Fall prevention is a team
effort and requires accurate assessment of the
individual's risk to fall and the implementation
of a comprehensive falls prevention program.
Fall prevention efforts insure individuals
will enjoy a quality of life that is free from
falls and injuries.
What we're doing about this:
The current efforts have included the implementation
of a new falls assessment process with each resident
that includes aa review of fall history, medication-side
effects and balance. Facility-wide education
with all residents and staff on falls prevention
is ongoing. The importance of good lighting,
well fitting shoes, reporting spills immediately,
the benefits of exercise are all topics that
have been covered in the educational efforts.
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Highlighted Measure:
Percent of residents who were
physically restrained daily.
Data Source: Iowa Veterans Home, Minimum Data Set, Iowa Foundation
of Medical Care
Updated 5/1/08 |
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Why
this is important:
The use of restraints is a concern for long
term care providers, the residents of the facilities
and their families. Federal regulations state
that a nursing home resident has the right to
be free from any physical or chemical restraint
imposed for the purposes of discipline or convenience
and not required to treat the resident's medical
symptoms. Scientific studies show that restraints
do not prevent injury and may represent a safety
hazard.
What we're doing about this:
Staff at IVH completes a careful assessment
of the resident's behavior and risk factors
to help the healthcare team identify ways to
keep the resident safe without using physical
restraints. Alternatives to restraints must
first be tried, but if unsuccessful, restraints
may be used to treat the resident's medical
symptoms and must be ordered by a physician.
A reduction plan must be put in place with the
goal to eliminate the restraint. The accurate
assessment and reduced use of restraints improves
the individual's quality of life and allows
them to avoid decline, live safely and maintain
dignity.
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