On August 19th, Therapy Center hosted an internal staff training in Lafayette where members of our management team presented on the most important and relevant topics in the therapy world today. Below are just a few of the topics that were covered during our training!
Identification and accurate diagnosis of dementia and dementia staging and functional assessment for PT, OT, and ST focusing on an interdisciplinary team approach:
Rachel Manuel, SLP and Therapy Center mentor presented on the utilization of an interdisciplinary approach to dementia care in the SNF. The focus of the presentation included accurate assessment and staging of dementia patients by all disciplines so that appropriate interventions can be selected and implemented as dementia progresses. Additionally, Rachel discussed a variety of treatment approaches to increase patient cooperation and progress to maximize functional independence and reduce burden of care on family and staff.
Upcoming changes for the SNF 2012 Final Rule: Lance Hill, Director of Clinical & Regulatory Compliance outlined the upcoming changes and the impact they will have not only on therapy but globally with our facilities as well. Lance also discussed how we can work with our partner facilities to make the transition as smooth as possible October 1st. Because Therapy Center is a huge proponent for pro-active measures in the area of compliance, he re-iterated the importance of self-regulating our documentation to avoid and prevent future audits and denials and also discussed our audit program and the criteria on which quarterly audits are scored and measured.
Contracture Management/Positioning, Bowel and Bladder, and Low vision programs: Insuring maximal patient independence in SNF setting is always our goal! Our occupational therapists/mentors, Danielle Keyser and Amber LaPrairie, and our Women’s Health physical therapist Alayna Brewer discussed the establishment of internal programs and the importance of caregiver education. Both of these measures are able to facilitate increased independence and reduce risk of contracture, incontinence and falls among individuals in skilled nursing facilities.
Laurie Riquelmy, Education For Living Presentation: The primary objective of this presentation was to provide distinctions and practices that allow participants to observe and manage their moods. Our physical and emotional well-being is intimately tied to our moods. Participants learned the importance of moods and their influence on our personal effectiveness and interaction with other people. By learning distinctions regarding moods we increase our ability to identify moods in others, and ourselves, see what actions are possible within a certain mood, and shift or design a more effective mood. For example, by observing and shifting out of a mood such as resentment or resignation, we are able to reduce stress and communicate more effectively with others.
Therapy Center partners with nursing homes to provide high quality, cost-effective rehabilitation services. For more Therapy Center news and developments, find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!