| If you have admitted, or are about to admit, a loved | | | | families have left this screening and reporting process |
| one to such a facility, now is the time to familiarize | | | | up to the facilities and their staffs. The SNF staff is |
| yourself with the rules and devices by which you can | | | | directed to develop a minimum data set (MDS) for |
| assess the care your loved one is receiving or will | | | | nursing home resident assessment, care screening |
| receive. Your involvement is very important to the | | | | and care planning. They often want the input of |
| overall care your loved one will receive. You have | | | | families and loved ones of the resident. Care Plan |
| much needed information that the SNF can use to | | | | Information has created a series of information and |
| benefit your loved one. | | | | work sheets that can help you organize your |
| The rapid growth of the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) | | | | knowledge so that you can better communicate with |
| industry in the last few years has created the need | | | | the staff. Care Plan Information makes getting this |
| for closer supervision of the nursing facilities and their | | | | information quick and easy. |
| staff. In order to ensure the best care for nursing | | | | Using government guidelines, a guardian, family |
| home patients the federal government developed | | | | member or legal representative can and should make |
| universal assessment and reporting guidelines for all | | | | observations and develop their own summaries with |
| facilities to follow. Care Plan Information has designed | | | | the Care Plan Information system. This will be very |
| a kit that can give you the necessary information to | | | | valuable when meeting with the staff of the SNF. |
| work with a facility to ensure a complete and | | | | The Care Plan Information packet provides an |
| appropriate plan of care for your loved one. | | | | organized method of assessing patient needs and |
| Each facility must make periodic checks on the care | | | | care. The preparation and work you do with the |
| and condition of each patient in their charge. The | | | | Care Plan Information packet helps you look for 18 |
| government and the industry have developed what is | | | | specific areas of assessments. The resulting |
| called the Residential Assessment Protocol (RAP). | | | | summaries can help you improve care and ensure |
| This is a method to make an accurate assessment | | | | that your loved one is being treated with respect |
| of the patient, their level of care and the level of | | | | and compassion. |
| care they may require and are not getting. Typically, | | | | |