NR506_Wk2_Identification of healthcare policy concern_Wilt Kayla,100% CORRECT

Document Content and Description Below

NR506_Wk2_Identification of healthcare policy concern_Wilt Kayla Healthcare Policy Concern: A Need to Better the Community Kayla Wilt Chamberlain Colleg... e of Nursing NR506: Health Care Policy Healthcare Policy Concern: A Need to Better the Community Many towns and cities have numerous healthcare concerns that should be and need to be addressed. The people residing in these areas may not be aware on the processes of fixing a healthcare concern, it is also very likely that they lack the knowledge of some or all the healthcare concerns that are affecting their community. A major issue in many small, rural towns is there isn’t enough adequate care provided for the elderly, physically challenged or residents wth a diagnosis related to dementia. Families that choose to not place their family members in assisted living or in a long- term care facility take on a great amount of responsibility. Caring for these family members can become quit taxing on the caregivers a clear majority of the time it becomes to overwhelming to continue for long periods of time. The caregivers either quit their jobs to give their family member the care and attention they need or if they are financially capable, they will pay an unprecedented amount of money for a care giver to come care for their loved one. The goal is to make caring for family members with dementia, a physical disability or one who is elderly less stressful for the family and take the feeling of being a burden away from the ones being cared for. Overview of the Healthcare Policy An exact policy in the health field can allow one or an entire community to obtain specific goals and accolades. This health policy encompasses the decisions, plan and actions that are undertaken to reach the desired goals. This process defines a vision for the future and allows for the road map to achieve the targets and points of reference for the short and medium terms (“Health Policy,” 2018). When dealing with policies in the healthcare field, it is imperative that policies define and integrate the correct standards to the delivery of care and that all conditions crucial for the proper care to occur. Nurses, through working with policy, it is possible for a nurse to influence the practice standards and processes to ensure a high-quality level of care is met. It is known that nurses who help to influence policy are truly creating a positive future for the quality of care for the future generations. Resource allocation is impacted by policies and should be heavily weighed on the pros and cons before approving all policies (Burke, 2016). If one is an advanced practice nurse, the daily duties include promoting, advocating, rights protection, overall health and the general safety of all patients (ANA, 2015). The role of being a patient advocate applies many stresses and responsibilities upon an advanced practice nurse. The role of an advanced practice nurse includes an advanced head-to- toe assessment, diagnosis, ordering diagnostic tests, prescribing medications to aid in treating a patient’s health condition and directing medical management. In addition to these duties, an advanced practice nurse needs to continue to be a patient advocate. This can include helping a patient gain access to healthcare resources, such as Cart picking up a patient and taking them to appointments. It could also include knowing the patient’s insurance coverage or lack thereof, so they are able to pay for their necessary medications (Hanks, Starnes-Ott, & Stafford, 2017). Identification of Selected Healthcare Policy Being designed to provide care and companionship for older or assisted living adults for the day is what Adult Day Care Centers are designed to do. These businesses are created and built to provide daily relief for the caregivers, which allows the individuals to go to work, run errands or maybe even just sit and relax for the day. (Adult Day Care, 2016). Individuals that qualify for adult day care are generally 60 years old or older, physically or cognitively impaired, not physically or mentally able to perform their activities of daily living, diagnosed with a chronic health problem that requires constant medical supervision and individuals who are recently discharged from a rehabilitation center (Hartel & Jensen, n.d.). Adult Day Cares impact the physically disabled, elderly, dementia patients and their families in a major positive way. The services an Adult Day Care offer allow the dementia patients, physically disabled and elderly the ability to socialize, have physical activity and have the opportunity to stay at home with or without their families. For their families, an Adult Day Care allows them to have a break from the care giver role, provides the opportunity to go to work which, gives the family peace of mind knowing their loved one is being cared for properly and is being done at an effective price. Description of Solution Adult Day Care programs have received increased attention over the past decade due to changes in policy toward home and community-based services for the aging population (Fields, Anderson & Dabelko-Schoeny, 2014). A facility such as an Adult Day Care center would provide socialization for the elderly, hot breakfasts and lunches and allow the elderly to do some exercise or activities. This program would also benefit the elderly’s family members by providing the family a break in care if needed and reducing stress levels by knowing the person is being properly cared for. This will ultimately increase the quality of life for the elderly and their families because it allows the family to continue their normal routines each day. Positive Impact Having an Adult Day Care in one’s community provides many positive outcomes. For the residents of the community an Adult Day Care allows for new opportunities for employment. Some of the individuals could go to a vocational school for training or have on the job training to acquire a job. If a community’s economy is suffering due to lack of jobs or unemployment, then an Adult Day Care is one solution to reduce those numbers. For the care givers of the members who would attend the adult day care, this facility allows them a break from their responsibilities for a couple of hours. It provides the ability of giving them a sense of peace knowing their loved one is being cared for properly and the cost of an adult care could be less than what they are paying for a private care giver. For the ones that will be using the facility, it offers them socialization, the ability to see other and interact with them, freedom from seeing the same four walls every day, physical activity, the ability to consume two hot meals and the chance to perform activities or do crafts. Changes for the Better For the Adult Day Care Center to go from an idea to a reality, changes and plans will need to be implemented. The first plan of action would be to decide which type of participants will be accepted in to the center’s programs. For example, if there are participants with the diagnosis of dementia, there will need to be nurses and aids on staff that are qualified in the care of dementia patients. In order to be in compliance with regulations, there will need to be enough nurses to have the acceptable 1:4 ratio for dementia patients to have participation in the center (Adult Day Care, 2016). Also, the Adult Day Care will need to include activity staff, usually an activity director and assistants, program assistants who aid with personal care, a social worker, registered nurses and/or licensed practical nurse to aid in wound treatments and give medications if required, kitchen staff if meals are prepared in house and a center director (Adult Day Care, 2016). The next step is to decide if transportation will be provided by the center or if the caregivers will be responsible for all transportation needs. While considering this option, the location of the center is of great importance. The center would best incorporate the majority of the participants if it were placed in the center of the county. With being placed in the center, it will then allow for easier availability for transportation for people of all county locations. Reaching out to local transportation companies in the area and working out a contract with them or seeing if they accept certain insurances will help take the stress off families who are trying to obtain a ride to the center. Once these decisions have been made, the next area of planning is the facility’s hours of operation. Things to keep in mind when considering hours are commuting times, what shifts are most commonly worked at local business, holidays most often worked and interest of family caregivers in using evening services (Hartel & Jensen). Food is the next order of business. The meals can be prepared in house or it can be contracted out to a local company such as Meal on Wheels. To make the decision the facility will need to keep in mind that breakfast and lunch should both be served. Helping the Community Having an Adult Day Care Center in a community fosters new and rewarding jobs for the community. It allows the residents of the community to feel a sense of purpose and could lead to residents furthering their education to help fill the needs within the center. The center will also provide a sense of meaning for the participants as well. Some of the participants may not get to leave their house or have the chance to interact with others on a regular basis. This facility will allow them to make new friends or give them the chance to reconnect with old ones. The participants might have a feeling as if they have some freedom and a sense of worth by performing activities, helping in the kitchen and not being a ‘bother or inconvenience’ to their family members. Is It Working? To know if the facility is making a difference in the community or for the participants, attendance and a satisfaction survey would need to distributed and the results analyzed. By monitoring attendance, it allows the staff and directors to know if the center is enjoyable for the participants and if it is meeting their needs. Having a satisfaction survey sent out weekly or monthly will allow the staff and/or directors to monitor what the participants and family members like or don’t like about the center. It will also show what family members would like to occur at the facility with the participants. Challenges to the Purposed Idea Every idea comes with its setbacks or challenges that need to be addressed. Some challenges that could inhibit participation would be transportation, having enough meals and knowing how many participants will be there daily. If the center can set up transportation or can provide transportation, then the family members would be more willing to send their loved one to the facility. Having enough food and knowing how many participants will be there daily go hand in hand. At the end of each week, the family members in charge of the participants will need to inform the staff of how many days their loved one will be there the following week. This will allow for staff members to ensure there is enough food each day. Identification of Elected Official The plan is to start as low as possible on the legislation scale in order to achieve the best outcome. The plan of action would be to start locally by contacting the county commissioner's office in Bedford County. From there, there will be a meeting that is set up to explain the need for an Adult Day Care facility. By speaking with the county commissioner, Paul Crooks, it would enable the process of starting an Adult Day Care because of the type of pull or influence he may have. The goal is to provide as much scholarly information regarding the need of an Adult Day Care. The key of the entire process is showing how this one accomplishment, building and operating an Adult Day Care, will help better the town in which the commissioners and fellow county board members reside. The Adult Day Care not only helps the loved one caring for the elder population but helps the elder population themselves. It helps the elder population by allowing them to have a social life and gives them a sense of purpose in their life. An Adult Day Care will also provide jobs and help uplift the morale of all the citizens in our community. Conclusion Bedford county is a small rural county in Pennsylvania that has many needs within the healthcare field. Of all the possibilities for healthcare solutions, I feel that an Adult Day Care center or better services for the elderly would provide the most benefit for the community compared to any other health option. The Bedford County area has a large aging population, as well as a sizable population with severe disabilities. With the county being very rural, the opportunities for local jobs is very limited and scarce. Individuals who are disabled or elderly that need a lot of assistance really put a strain on their families. A lot of families have certain individuals that quit their jobs to be full time caregivers to their family member in need. Not only does this cause a social strain on the care giver, but also causes a financial strain on the entire family. By building and managing an Adult Day Care Center in the heart of Bedford County it will help alleviate the financial and social burdens of caring for family. The first step is to show the county commissioner the factual evidence and statistics that support the need for the Adult Day Care. Once there is support from the county, the next step is to select a location that best fits the need for the county. This Adult Day Care center will provide jobs and relief from the every day burdens that many Bedford County citizens encounter daily. This idea will be one of the best health field related businesses to ever come to the county. References Adult Day Care. (2016, December 31). Retrieved July 20, 2018, from https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Resources/Factsheets/Adult_Day_Care.aspx American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Washington, DC: Author. Burke, S. A. (2016, June 2). Influence through policy: Nurses have a unique role. Retrieved July 20, 2018, from https://www.reflectionsonnursingleadership.org/commentary/more- commentary/Vol42_2_nurses-have-a-unique-role Fields, N. L., Anderson, K. A., & Dabelko-Schoeny, H. (2014). The Effectiveness of Adult Day Services for Older Adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 33(2), 130- 163. doi:10.1177/0733464812443308 Hanks, R. G., Starnes-Ott, K., & Stafford, L. (2017). Patient Advocacy at the APRN Level: A Direction for the Future. Nursing Forum, 53(1), 5-11. doi:10.1111/nuf.12209 Hartel, M., & Jensen, L. (n.d.). Planning and Creating Successful Adult Day Services and Other Home and Community-Based Services. Retrieved July 20, 2018, from http://www.nadsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/NADSA-Tutorial-for-Starting- Center.pdf [Show More]

Last updated: 1 year ago

Preview 1 out of 10 pages