Quality In Long-Term Care

Quality in Long-term care

Quality of life:
The standard of health, comfort, and happiness experienced by an individual or group. For this individual or group, it will be better his/her quality of life. For example: physical health, family, education, employment, wealth, or religious beliefs. In health care: all emotional, social, and physical aspects of the individuals life has been met. This also affects how the individuals well-being may be affected over time by a disease, disability, or disorder. 
Quality of care:
The degree to which health care services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge. Quality of care is based on the latest evidence from medical research about what types of care works best. Each patient is different, but research has shown that some types of care get better results than others.
Differences between quality of care and quality of life:
That quality of life deals with patients happiness and quality of care deals with medical health/what type of care works best for them.
Similarities in quality of life/quality of care:
They are always in the best interest of the patient/individual group, always looking for new ways to help them, and how they can accomplish it.
Can you have one without the other?
If you have a patient or resident that is trying to get healthier then both should be present to ensure the patient/resident is both happy and healthy. But if you have a patient/resident who is utilizing hospice services, then simply keeping them and their family happy and comfortable will be more than enough. You are not going to have this patient/resident get better, but it is essential as an administrator or someone who works in the health care field to make sure they feel comfortable in their final moments.
As health care providers and professionals, how can we promote, assure, and measure care practices that maximize quality of life for residents/patients?
Making sure that all patients/residents needs are met is the most important job we have as health care providers and professionals. In an assisted living setting/nursing home setting this is the residents new home and they need to feel like they are at their new home. Also, making sure your activities director is updating and changing activities they are doing with the residents so they are not doing the same thing over and over again.
APA Citation:
What is Quality of Care and why is it important? (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2018, from http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/quality-of-care/definition/en

Quality In Long-Term Care

Quality In Long-Term Care

Disclaimer: Use of this tool is not mandated by CMS for regulatory compliance nor
does its completion ensure regulatory compliance.
QAPI Goal Setting Worksheet
Directions:
Goal setting is important for any measurement related to performance improvement. This worksheet is intended to help QAPI teams establish appropriate goals for individual measures and also for performance improvement projects. Goals should be clearly stated and describe what the organization or team intends to accomplish. Use this worksheet to establish a goal by following the SMART formula outlined below. Note that setting a goal does not involve describing what steps will be taken to achieve the goal.
[Example: We will increase the number of long-term residents with a vaccination against both influenza and pneumococcal disease documented in their medical record from 61 percent to 90 percent by December 31, 2017.]
1. Describe the business problem to be solved (Use the SMART formula below to develop a goal)
A. SPECIFIC
Describe the goal in terms of 3 ‘W’ questions:
· What do we want to accomplish?
· Who will be involved/affected (what staff, what residents, others)?
· Where will it take place?
B. MEASURABLE
Describe how you will know if the goal is reached:
· What is the measure you will use?
· What is the current data figure (i.e., count, percent, rate) for that measure?
· What do you want to increase/decrease that number to?
C. ATTAINABLE
Defend the rationale for setting the goal measure above:
· Did you base the measure or figure you want to attain on a particular best practice/average score/ benchmark?
· Is the goal measure set too low that it is not challenging enough?
· Does the goal measure require a stretch without being too unreasonable?
D. RELEVANT
Briefly describe how the goal will address the business problem stated above.
E. TIME-BOUND
Define the timeline for achieving the goal:
· What is the target date for achieving this goal?
· Write a goal statement, based on the SMART elements above. The goal should be descriptive, yet concise enough that it can be easily communicated and remembered. Use the example at the beginning for a reference on statement format and information.
Goal Statement:
Tip: It’s a good idea to post the written goal somewhere visible and regularly communicate the goal during meetings in order to stay focused and remind caregivers that everyone is working toward the same aim.
Page 1 of 3

Quality In Long-Term Care

Quality In Long-Term Care

Disclaimer: Use of this tool is not mandated by CMS for regulatory compliance nor
does its completion ensure regulatory compliance.
QAPI Goal Setting Worksheet
Directions:
Goal setting is important for any measurement related to performance improvement. This worksheet is intended to help QAPI teams establish appropriate goals for individual measures and also for performance improvement projects. Goals should be clearly stated and describe what the organization or team intends to accomplish. Use this worksheet to establish a goal by following the SMART formula outlined below. Note that setting a goal does not involve describing what steps will be taken to achieve the goal.
[Example: We will increase the number of long-term residents with a vaccination against both influenza and pneumococcal disease documented in their medical record from 61 percent to 90 percent by December 31, 2017.]
1. Describe the business problem to be solved (Use the SMART formula below to develop a goal)
A. SPECIFIC
Describe the goal in terms of 3 ‘W’ questions:
· What do we want to accomplish?
· Who will be involved/affected (what staff, what residents, others)?
· Where will it take place?
B. MEASURABLE
Describe how you will know if the goal is reached:
· What is the measure you will use?
· What is the current data figure (i.e., count, percent, rate) for that measure?
· What do you want to increase/decrease that number to?
C. ATTAINABLE
Defend the rationale for setting the goal measure above:
· Did you base the measure or figure you want to attain on a particular best practice/average score/ benchmark?
· Is the goal measure set too low that it is not challenging enough?
· Does the goal measure require a stretch without being too unreasonable?
D. RELEVANT
Briefly describe how the goal will address the business problem stated above.
E. TIME-BOUND
Define the timeline for achieving the goal:
· What is the target date for achieving this goal?
· Write a goal statement, based on the SMART elements above. The goal should be descriptive, yet concise enough that it can be easily communicated and remembered. Use the example at the beginning for a reference on statement format and information.
Goal Statement:
Tip: It’s a good idea to post the written goal somewhere visible and regularly communicate the goal during meetings in order to stay focused and remind caregivers that everyone is working toward the same aim.
Page 1 of 3