CA Voices for Quality

Strategies in the National Campaign for Excellence in America's Nursing Homes

2007-2008

This project, funded by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), a California nonprofit public benefit corporation based on Oakland, California, aimed to provide information and tools that can be used to train ombudsmen to engage consumers in quality improvement, by educating and engaging consumers to advance better quality care in nursing homes. Consumers include residents, their families and long-term care ombudsmen. The educational component highlights strategies to promote facility involvement and hold nursing homes accountable to quality standards.

Click on the topic areas below to learn more and to access the materials and resources that were created under this project.

Restraint Free Care Is the Standard

Consumer Guide - Restraints: The Exception, Not the Rule - A Guide for Residents, Their Families and Friends to Promote Good Care in Place of Restraints in California Nursing Homes

Training Guide: Restraint Free Care in California - A Training Guide to Equip Long-Term Care Ombudsman Representatives and Consumers to Understand and Promote Restraint Free Care in California Nursing Homes

*NOTE: Handouts not included will be need to be downloaded. These are:

  1. "Facts and Strategies: Restraint Free Care is the Standard" PowerPoint Presentation
  2. "Promoting Quality: Opportunities for Advocates to Make a Difference" PowerPoint Presentation

(Please Note: Save the PowerPoint files to your workspace BEFORE you open it, allowing you to view it in the PowerPoint program, and see any speaker notes.)

Physical Restraints and California Long Term Care - Selected Findings from Survey

Free Educational Conference Call Series for California Ombudsman Staff and Representatives (Volunteers), and Long Term Care Consumers!

Consumer fact sheet: "Expect and Promote Excellence in California Nursing Homes: Physical Restraint Free Care"

 Elizabeth Capezuti's article "Improving Bed Safety," from the NYU Nursing Spring 2007 Newsletter

 CA LTC Ombudsmen Bi-Annual Training Conference Presentations on Restraint Free Care

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Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes Campaign

A Campaign to improve quality of life for residents and staff

Learn more about the Campaign, the Consumer Voice's involvement and what consumers and advocates can do to get involved in the Campaign.

CA LTC Ombudsmen Bi-Annual Training Conference Presentations on the Advancing Excellence Campaign

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Consistent Assignment

CA LTC Ombudsmen Bi-Annual Training Conference Presentations on the Advancing Excellence Campaign

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Action Checklist for Ombudsman Coordinators, Staff and Representatives

Nine things that Ombudsman coordinators, staff and representatives can do on a day-to-day basis in your work to promote restraint free care in California Nursing Homes, and to disseminate materials developed through this project! (download in PDF)

  • Post the Expect and Promote Excellence in California Nursing Homes: Physical Restraint Free Care consumer fact sheet on your organization’s website.Remember that there is room at the bottom of the second page to include contact information for regional ombudsman programs.
  • During your regular facility visits, explain to facility staff that this initiative is taking place because California continues to have one of the highest restraint rates in the country. Review the restraint indicator of the facility before you visit and discuss with the facility what they are doing to reduce restraints or to keep their restraint rate low. Encourage facility staff to work with the QIO and LANE to reduce restraints.
  • When you visit nursing homes, provide copies of the Physical Restraint Free Care consumer fact sheet to residents, family members, resident councils, family councils, administrators and nursing home staff.
  • Use the Physical Restraint Free Care consumer fact sheet to train colleagues, family and resident councils and other organizations. Explain that the California restraint rate is very high and that there are national and state initiatives toreduce restraints.
  • Post a short information article in your organization’s newsletter about the Voices for Quality: Strategies in the National Campaign for Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes project.
  • Enroll in the Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes Campaign to show that consumers care about quality: www.nhqualitycampaign.org.Tell others about the Advancing Excellence Campaign and encourage them to enroll.
  • Encourage facilities to be a part of the Advancing Excellence Campaign. Encourage them to choose.

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