Author: admin

How can we make health care more age friendly?

By creating age-friendly health systems that fundamentally rethink the way we care for older adults. It will require establishing a continuum of care that anticipates needs and engages older adults and their families in health care planning. In many cases, it will mean deploying a mix of care solutions with personalized support services aimed at ensuring a better life for older adults with chronic conditions. To accomplish this, health care leaders must make age-friendly care a priority.

Read more…

Webinar-Up-Close Look at Violence & Violence Prevention

Healthcare workers are often the target of verbal and physical violence from patients. Hospitals, aware of the trend, are continually making strides to protect their workforce.

Recently, a national webinar hosted by the AHA’s Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET) featured MHA and Harrington Healthcare System’s Elise Wilson, R.N., who was violently attacked while caring for a patient.

MHA’s V.P. for Clinical Affairs, Patricia Noga, PhD, R.N., discussed MHA’s statewide efforts to prevent and mitigate workplace violence, as well as MHA’s Caring for the Caregiver initiative that focuses on gratitude, workplace safety, and employee well-being.

Elise Wilson shared her compelling story of the assault against her, her injuries, and the aftermath of the event. And Carlton Rondeau, Manager of Public Safety at Harrington, described the hospital’s response to the event and efforts to prevent workplace violence through enhancements in physical security measures, emergency preparedness activities, and education and awareness.

Recording available here…

 

MHA’s Efforts to Address Healthcare Violence

Over the last year, MHA convened an interdisciplinary group of hospital staff to identify strategies to address incidents of violence in the workplace. This group consisted of nursing staff, security professionals, risk managers, and others. Its intent was to develop statewide standards and policies that provide a baseline for safety practices and to support adoption of said standards in every hospital. Knowing that each hospital and the communities that they serve are unique, the work group ensured that hospitals and healthcare facilities had the flexibility to include additional resources or interventions to support successful implementation.

As a result, the MHA Workplace Safety and Violence Prevention Work Group developed this Healthcare Safety Violence Prevention Guidance. Its key recommendations for hospitals include:

  • Development of a broad-based multidisciplinary committee to design, implement, modify, and evaluate a workplace violence prevention program and drive system level improvements;
  • Adopting policies and procedures supporting industry best practices for facility space design, security technology, and patient management; and
  • Supporting and empowering employees by giving them, through education and training, the tools they need to manage aggressive behavior in patients, visitors, and others within a facility, and showing them appropriate methods for responding to and reporting incidents.

For Consumers: “Palliative Care: Aligning the Team Around the Patient”

Webinar Recording (Time: 30 minutes) – For Consumers, Patients, Families and Caregivers can explore Palliative Care and learn key questions to start a discussion with your care providers. Elizabeth J.Collins, MD, Palliative Care Medical Director, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, provides a framework of the 5 stages of serious illness and how palliative care can be effective at each stage and all through a serious illness.

For Care Providers: “Palliative Care: Aligning the Team Around the Patient”

Webinar Recording (Time: 30 minutes - Followed by Q & A) -Every care provider can be a "first responder" to help patients diagnosed with a serious illness start a palliative care conversation. Learn key questions to open meaningful discussions with patients & clients. Elizabeth J.Collins, MD, Palliative Care Medical Director, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, provides a framework of the 5 stages of serious illness and how palliative care can be effective at each stage and all through a serious illness journey. View individually or with your staff colleagues.

Palliative Care Discussion Guide: 5 Things to Talk About with Your Care Providers

This is a Basic Discussion Guide to help you start a planning discussion to promote lifelong wellness and receive person-centered care. Start with one or more questions that make sense to you, and write down your own questions below to bring to your next appointment.

  1. I’d like to understand more about my health or illness and treatment options
  2. I want to discuss my goals and explore the care I want and do not want
  3. Let’s discuss my care plan and writing down my choices in planning documents
  4. I’d like to make sure you know my choices and that my medical record is up-to-date
  5. I’d like to make sure my care providers honor my choices all through my life

Palliative Care for Consumers – Fact Sheet

Palliative Care is specialized health care for individuals diagnosed with a serious illness to manage the pain, symptoms and stress of living with a serious illness. A Palliative Care clinician or a team of care providers, offer an “extra layer of support” in addition to your regular medical care. They can provide emotional and spiritual support for you and your family. Palliative care improves your quality of life and makes every day the best it can be.

Palliative Care for Consumers – What is Palliative Care – FACT SHEET