Long-Term Care Survey Alert
Educate Yourself And Your Staff
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The following resources can help ensure that your policies are based on the latest evidence for managing dementia-related problem behaviors:
American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults.
Released in 2012, this guideline clearly advises against the use of antipsychotics unless non-pharmacologic interventions have failed and the resident is a threat to himself or others. It covers 53 medications or medication classes, which are divided into three categories: potentially inappropriate medications and classes to avoid in older adults, potentially inappropriate medications and classes to avoid in older adults with certain diseases and syndromes that the drugs listed can exacerbate, and medications to be used with caution in older adults. Table 8 outlines in detail antipsychotic drugs to avoid.
Resource: Go to www.americangeriatrics.org/health_care_professionals/clinical_practice and then click on guidelines.
A Systematic Evidence Review of Non-pharmacological Interventions for Behavioral Symptoms of Dementia.
Published in 2011 by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, this publication asks and answers an important three-part question: How do non-pharmacological treatments of behavioral symptoms compare in effectiveness, safety, and cost with each other, with pharmacological approaches, and with no treatment?
Long-Term Care Survey Alert
- Survey:
Fight The Good Fight: Stay Focused On F329 Compliance
Antipsychotics are back in the news. Surveyors may soon be scrutinizing with renewed vigor your [...] - Tool:
You Can Scale for Describing the Scope and Severity of Behavior
You can rate emerging problem behaviors according to a scale like the one used below—and [...] - Case Study:
Saved By The Bell -- And A Person-Centered Approach To Care
Take a cue from CMS’s surveyor training—and troubleshoot dementia-related behavior problems from a person-centered perspective. [...] - Educate Yourself And Your Staff
The following resources can help ensure that your policies are based on the latest evidence [...] - Compliance:
7 Steps To Antipsychotic Medication Compliance
Tread carefully when administering antipsychotic medications to your residents. With the Centers for Medicare & [...] - Staffing Strategies:
Adapt A Paid-Time-Off Model To Manage Employee Absences
Allow your staff this simple freedom and get out of the babysitting business. If your [...] - Medications:
Ask 8 Questions To Conduct A Thorough Pre-Psychotropic Assessment
Determine the resident’s ‘true needs’ before starting psychotropic meds. Are you conducting a thorough enough [...] - Industry News
You No Longer Need An Inactivation Request For Certain MDS Errors The Centers for Medicare [...] - Reader Question:
Dementia Interview Criteria
Question: I have several residents who have dementia and are not consistent with their responses [...] - Reader Question:
What Is A Nonsensical Response?
Question: I’m having a difficulty understanding what a nonsensical response is. Can you give an [...]