• Removing overhead paging and piped in music.
• Removing institutionalized signage and labeling (such as closet and bathroom labels).
• Removing medicine carts and large centralized nursing stations.
• Discontinuing long term use of patient monitoring systems that use audible alarms.
• Eliminating mass-purchased furniture displayed throughout the building.
Dalcon’s unique patient care communications solution, Dalcon Alert!, is designed to help nursing homes make several of these changes. As a result, facilities using the Dalcon Alert! system will meet numerous new CMS Homelike Environment guidelines, and their quality of patient care will drastically increase.
Dalcon Alert! provides a communications platform that eliminates the need for:
- Overhead Paging
- Audible patient monitoring alarms
- A large centralized nursing station
How Does Dalcon Alert! Eliminate Audible Alarms?
Dalcon Alert! is a patient care communications system that has several features. The system provides Remote Patient Monitoring and Alarm Management by integrating with patient monitoring devices including but not limited to:
• bed exit pads
• bed fall pads
• IV-Pumps
• Patient Nurse Calls
When an alert is created by any integrated device, Dalcon Alert! routes that alert to a remote nursing station where it can be actively managed on a PC monitor using Dalcon Alert!’s alert management software. Dalcon Alert! also sends that alert to select staff carrying fully functional wireless phones via text message, so they are immediately made aware of that alert regardless of their location—and without the use of audible alarms.
How Does Dalcon Alert! Reduce the need for Overhead Paging and a Large Centralized Nursing Station?
Equipping vital staff with wireless phones is a central piece of the Dalcon Alert! system. These phones allow staff to receive important alerts regardless of their location. Caregivers can be reached remotely by phone, vastly eliminating the need for overhead paging.
A key component of the successful implementation of a decentralized nursing station system is staff communication. Dalcon Alert! provides staff with an effective decentralized communications platform, built around fully functional wireless phones. Also, Dalcon Alert!’s alert management software is accessed via a browser, and there is no limit to how many computers can be logged on to it at once. Thus, each decentralized nursing station can be actively managing alerts at any given time.
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The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) creates guidelines for long term care facilities (nursing homes) that receive federal funding via Medicaid and Medicare. Licensed state surveyors perform annual checkups on nursing homes to make sure that these facilities are meeting the expectations of CMS—if not, those facilities are ineligible for CMS reimbursement.
In June 2009, CMS updated their guidelines for long term care facilities (nursing homes) in several ways. Out of the many changes made, the new “Homelike Environment” guideline is one of the most revolutionary.
Section §483.15(h) Homelike Environment
The actual CMS guideline reads, “The facility must provide a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, allowing the resident to use his or her personal belongings to the extent possible.” CMS interpretation of this guideline suggests that, “A ‘homelike environment’ is one that de-emphasizes the institutional character of the setting, to the extent possible, and allows the resident to use those personal belongings that support a homelike environment.” What this means for nursing homes across the nation, is that sweeping changes will have to be made gradually to transform and deinstitutionalize these facilities.
Some of the more drastic “homelike environment” changes include:
• Removing overhead paging and piped in music.
• Removing institutionalized signage and labeling (such as closet and bathroom labels).
• Removing medicine carts and centralized nursing stations.
• Discontinuing long term use of patient monitoring systems that use audible alarms.
• Eliminating mass-purchased furniture displayed throughout the building.
Homelike Environment Compliance Expectations
Obviously, many of these CMS homelike environment suggestions represent sweeping changes for many nursing homes throughout the nation. CMS has stated that these guidelines have been effective since June 12, 2009; but in their own words they don’t expect most nursing homes to be able to meet them immediately. However, they are expecting nursing homes to actively pursue the new guidelines—or face the consequences:
“Many facilities cannot immediately make these types of changes, but it should be a goal for all facilities that have not yet made these types of changes to work toward them. A nursing facility is not considered non-compliant if it still has some of these institutional features, but the facility is expected to do all it can within fiscal constraints to provide an environment that enhances quality of life for residents, in accordance with resident preferences.”
Meeting Homelike Environment Expectations
New technologies exist, such as Dalcon’s patient care communications system Dalcon Alert!, that help nursing homes meet numerous “Homelike Environment” expectations. However, CMS has also stated that physical changes alone won’t fit the bill of a “Homelike Environment.” They are expecting serious culture change by nursing home staff; including a shift towards person centered care, and quality staff-to-resident relationship building.
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