Care home managers know what it takes to ensure the quality of care. Without having a proper plan in place, it’s impossible for any care home to follow best practices and ensure the well-being of the residents.
Although the plan of action may differ from one care home to another, there are factors, which if met, can help care workers ensure better care in any type of care home.
Implementing some of these practices can make caring processes more efficient and effective:
1) Managing transitions
For most patients and their families, moving into a care home can be distressing. New residents and their families need a great deal of support to help them adjust with their new situation and surroundings. One good practice to ensure smooth transition to the care home is to arrange trail visits (if possible). Staff members can also visit the potential resident’s home prior to the move to better manage the transition.
Also, when welcoming new residents, it’s a must for the care home staff to know the reasons for the move.
2) Maintaining dignity and their sense of identity
Maintaining dignity in care and helping the residents maintain their identity are important elements of quality care. It’s a good practice to involve the residents in decisions relating to their care. Other aspects such as letting the residents choose their own clothing, addressing them properly and respecting their privacy and possessions are some important factors to consider to promote dignity in your care home. Also, residents may enjoy certain pastimes. Whether it is painting, scrapbooking, sewing or photography, hobbies can help residents maintain their sense of identity. They can enjoy these hobbies with other like-minded residents and make new friends.
3) Improving health
Proper nutrition and medication administration build the foundation of good health for residents in care homes. To tackle under-nutrition of residents, it helps to make mealtimes a positive experience. Spending time with the residents during their mealtime and rewarding them with small treats after completion of their meal can help. Here are some useful meal planning tips for caregivers.
Medication administration, on the other hand, requires a great deal of thoroughness. One of the greatest pitfalls in administering medication is the risk of making human errors which can result in medication errors. Conventional medication administration record sheets (MAR sheets) require great scrutiny and time. More care homes are now switching to electronic MAR or eMAR charts as the system automates medication administration and helps care homes streamline processes and lower the risk of medication errors. To learn how electronic MAR can benefit your care home, book a demo today.
4) Keep the workforce fit and encourage learning
Skilled and healthy workforce promote improved quality of care for residents. It’s important to give care workers day-offs and establish healthy work timings and hours. Also, provide training to the caregiving staff to help them improve the quality of care provided at your facility. From promoting time management and communication skills to safe medication administration skills, support your care giving staff in different ways.
